


Banished

by Kousakacomplex



Series: Banished [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Action/Adventure, Adventure, Anal, Anime, Erotica, F/F, F/M, Fantasy, Gamers, Harems, Impregnation, Isekai, Light Novel, LitRPG, Loss of Virginity, Love, M/M, Magic, Master/Servant, Multi, OELN, Porn With Plot, Porn with Feelings, Psychological Trauma, Psychopath, Romance, Sci-Fi, Swords, Swords & Sorcery, humanXgoblin, long series, magi-tech
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-05
Updated: 2021-01-27
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:00:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 20
Words: 461,565
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27403918
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kousakacomplex/pseuds/Kousakacomplex
Summary: Nathan Van Dyke wakes up with a group of strangers in a strange place; a castle of some kind, where the group is told that they've been given the unique opportunity to live out the fantasy of being heroes in their own epic tales. The only problem? No-one can remember volunteering for this initiative referred to as 'project Kepler' by the people who sent them there, and the mysterious company seems to have... 'ulterior motives' to say the least. Nate isn't sure what to make of it, but given that the natives seem to regard them more as monsters than the heroes they're supposed to be, he begins to suspect that their fantasy adventure might be more of a nightmare battle for survival than anything else.Join Nate and his companions in their journey through this strange fantastic world, as they try against all odds to survive.
Series: Banished [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2002006
Comments: 7
Kudos: 16





	1. Chapter 1

_A/N: Updated as of 11/21/2020. Just so you’ll know, if you read the story before that date. :)_

_This is a long series, the first arc of which is already completed. If you like it and would like to see more, please don’t hesitate to let me know! Enjoy!_

_Special thanks to Ardon G. Fowl, Jack Gwen, Reversal, Swedish Millionaire, and VC whose support made this series possible._

_***_

**April 4th, 2019.**

**Location: Earth.**

**Three weeks prior to the disappearance of Nathan Van Dyke.**

*******

“Julie? Charlie told me you were up here. Why don’t you come down? Everyone’s asking for you.”

I closed the sliding door shut, as I stepped out onto the balcony.

Julie was staring out, over the city, the wind blowing the curls of her long, brown hair as she leaned against the concrete bannister.

She shivered in the chill, the tight, red dress she wore offering her little protection against the wind, so I took off my jacket and draped it over her.

“Thanks,” she said, but word felt flat and cold as the breeze. “I can’t believe you’re leaving me.”

“Leaving you? It’s not permanent, Julie. It’ll be just like Germany; shorter even. You made it through that year, didn’t you?”

“I had a boyfriend to distract me, then,” she said, and I smirked.

She never did pull punches.

“This time I’m alone… and we’re not getting any younger, Nathan.”

I sighed.

“Dad won’t let me turn this one down, you know,” I said, and she pouted.

“Dad isn’t fucking you,” she countered, and I sighed.

She took a deep breath, looking up to the stars.

“How long is it? Before you have to leave?” she asked, and I studied the sky with her.

“Three weeks,” I answered.

She was quiet for a while, before finally speaking.

“I call ‘rule of fate’,” she said finally, and I studied her, but she kept her gaze forward, and firmly away from me.

I rubbed the back of my head, and she suddenly turned to look at me, an angry look in her eyes.

“Are you denying me?” she asked, and I quickly shook my head.

“No- I mean, of course not… but-”

“But what? Do it,” she insisted, and I studied her, the surprise evident on my face.

“What? Here?” I asked, and she nodded, as if it were the most obvious thing.

“Julie, there’s guests all over the place,” I countered, and she furrowed her brow angrily.

“Then be quick,” she said, and I took a deep breath in.

_Why don’t I ever say no?_

She turned away, and I stole a quick glance towards the door, making sure the coast was relatively clear.

“This is crazy,” I muttered, unbuckling my belt, but as I approached Julie, she lifted up the rear end of her little red dress, readily accommodating me.

She wore no panties, as usual, and I rested a hand on her hip as I stroked my cock a few times, trying to stir it to life; but she quickly slapped my hand away.

“You know I hate it when you touch me without warning,” she said, and I gulped, nodding, but as she sighed, she reached back, taking my cock into her hand, and she took my other hand and placed it on her hip, and I stroked the silky dress over her skin appreciatively.

She stroked my cock a few times, then quickly retrieved her hand to apply some spit to her palm, before reaching back, and massaging her saliva onto my cock.

“Do it,” she said, cocking her hips back a bit, but the angle was a bit difficult, and eventually, after a few tries, I lined my stiff thing up to her entrance and slowly pressed in.

I began to move against her, slowly, resting my free hand on the other hip, and as she shot me a sharp look that said ‘don’t push your luck’, I quickly removed the hand.

“Move faster,” she commanded, and I obliged, speeding my pace up, but with our bodies stiffly upright, I quickly found it difficult to get a good rhythm going, and after I slipped from her inner embrace for about the fourth time, she let out an exasperated sigh.

She cast a quick look at the see-through glass of the balcony door behind us, then posturing her rear more accommodatingly, she spread her legs a little further apart, allowing me to really lean into her.

“Anyone who comes up here can see us right now,” I warned.

“Then you better hope no one does,” she countered, the warning in her tone unmistakable. “Now be quick!”

I cast a final look back, before letting my inhibitions go, fully slamming into her, and she was now gasping with every deeply penetrative thrust.

“Are you… getting there?” she panted, and I nodded, though I took the time to enjoy the little moans that punctuated her words.

If I knew her, she’d be intent on ensuring that I didn’t bring her to an orgasm, but knowing that my intrusion into her sacred place was bringing her pleasure despite that excited me even more.

“Hurry up, Nate,” she urged me. “Cum inside my tight little cunt-”

-and that was all the encouragement I needed.

“Urggghh,” I grunted, slamming into her roughly, as my seed spewed deep into her with each grunting thrust, and I smiled as she bit down on her own hand to restrain the whimpers that came out.

She’d never allow herself to have an orgasm unless she was in complete domination over her sexual partner, but there was something about being filled to the brim with cum that always made her shudder and moan with pleasure.

I stayed buried in her for a moment, reveling in the feel of her slick walls wrapped about me, coaxing what was left of my seed out of my softening cock; but just as I tried to put an arm around her, she flicked the gesture away without a second thought, and adjusted herself, forcing my sword to slip from her heavenly sheathe.

“Clean yourself up,” she said, taking the handkerchief from my coat pocket and letting it fall onto my exposed cock.

I tucked myself back into my pants as she adjusted her clothes, handing me my jacket as she headed inside.

She paused at the door, taking a single deep breath in, and in an instant, she seemed to completely regain her composure.

“I’ll let you know if you’re still leaving,” she called, sliding the door shut, and as she sauntered away, I turned towards the city, looking out at the scenic view, and letting out a long, deep sigh.

The statistical chance of conception from a single act of unprotected sex on a randomly chosen day was something between two to four percent; or _two to four chances out of a hundred_.

We called it the ‘rule of fate’, and she invoked her right to it whenever she thought I was on the verge of leaving her.

Those were the odds that she would give in.

Those were the odds that we could finally be together.

So now… I’d wait.

*******

**Date: Unknown**

**Location: Unknown**

**One day after Nathan Van Dyke was seen on earth for the last time…**

*******

Ugh…

Wha-?

What the hell?

My brain kicked into gear as my mind struggled to process what was happening.

_Where am I?_

_Am I underwater?_

I blinked a few times, trying to figure out what was wrong, but nothing changed.

My eyes saw nothing but darkness, and even as I waved my hands about in front of me, I saw nothing.

Except… were my hands always this heavy?

I slowed my movements, trying to get a gauge on what was going on when sure enough, I began to feel… something.

A strange sensation, as if my hands are moving through water… though not quite.

A liquid like water, though perhaps not as dense?

I wasn’t sure, but at least it was something.

Wherever I was I couldn’t see… but I didn’t seem to be having any trouble breathing.

It was so peculiar, and I was still pondering the situation when-

Whoa!

That sensation!

I was falling!

Or… descending, at least.

I could feel the wind… or something, gently moving against me as I fell downwards.

Slowly at first, but now… faster?

I stuck a hand out, trying to feel out my surroundings, but it felt the same way.

Heavy, yet unable to discern any kind of sensation.

Oh shit!

I felt my stomach lurch as the speed picked up.

 _I’m falling, and fast!_ I thought.

I stuck my hands out, reaching for something; _anything_ , to slow my fall… but nothing’s there.

Guess this is it, huh?

I guess this is the way it ends.

But just as I resign myself to that fate, my fall seems to suddenly come to a stop, and I realize that somewhere along the way, as I fell from… wherever? I apparently closed my eyes, because-

“Um, that’s my hand… if you don’t mind.”

“Oh, sorry!”

My eyes blinked open to the sight of a small statured girl with short brown hair, biting her lips as she looked fearfully up at me.

She was wearing a plain, cotton t-shirt, and a similarly plain pair of long, cotton pants, and she winced as I tried in vain to move.

_Crap._

My body felt heavy, sluggish, so I took a momentary pause to get ahold of the situation, and realized that my foot was planted on her hand.

“Sorry,” I said again, as I lifted my foot off of her hand and cast her an apologetic glance.

“It’s fine,” she replied, as she rubbed her hand gingerly, while casting furtive glances about the room.

As I sat upright, I tried to get my bearings and take stock of the situation.

Around me was about a dozen or more people, dressed in the same cotton clothes, and all wearing similarly confused expressions and rubbing at their eyes as if they were all waking up from a long slumber.

The floor beneath me was cold stone, and the brick lain design was quite rustic to say the least…

But that wasn’t all.

All about the room were large wooden beams and pillars, like something out of an old fantasy novel, but as I took a closer look, I suddenly became acutely aware of the room’s claustrophobic design, with a single metal door being the only apparent point of entry or exit.

It was almost… like a prison?

“Do you know what’s going on?” the small, brown haired girl asked.

I shook my head, but before I could answer-

*Clang!

-the girl jumped as the large metal door on the other side of the room swung open, and in came a man wearing a long, brightly colored checkered tunic, adorned with golden pins and other similarly flashy accessories.

He surveyed the room for a bit, before speaking.

“I’m sure all of you have lots for questions; rest assured, they will be answered; but in the meantime, please, follow me,” he finished, gesturing towards the door.

I clambered to my feet, wrestling with a sudden wave of dizziness, and from the wobbly feet around me, I guessed it was the same for everyone else.

It took some effort, but eventually, I managed to get myself up, and I headed through the door.

The door opened onto a corridor, and as soon as everyone was up and out of the room, we began to walk.

As we walked along the corridor, I noted that there were several other doors; large, metal ones, like the one to our room, and a stairwell at the end of the corridor.

We climbed the circular stairwell, which took us to a large chamber, and as we filed in, I noted that there was an audience already in wait.

The chamber was large and circular in shape, with rows of chairs lined in a semi-circle and leading to a stage at the front of the room.

On that stage was an elderly man with a long, grey beard, and on either side, he was flanked by what appeared to be guards.

And no, I don’t mean body guards or security guards.

These looked more like the town guards from some kind of fantasy video game; they wore tunics covered with pieces of metal armor, and every guard held at his side a long, wooden spear tipped with a wickedly sharp blade.

Each spear also sported a piece of cloth embossed with an emblem of some sort, which I now noted was also on the banners that were draped about the chamber.

“Is that all of them?” the elderly man asked.

“Yes, sire,” the younger man replied.

“Very well then.”

The elderly man waved the younger man away, and he bowed deeply, before retreating to the ranks of the guards, just behind and to the left of the elderly man.

“Allow me to introduce myself,” the elderly man began, seeming to address us, though he spoke more as if to himself, than to a gathering. “I am the Lord of Saker Keep. Welcome to my realm, and as long as you are here, please do your best to adhere to the-”

“I’m sorry, where did you say we were?”

The question came from someone on our side, and I looked over to see a young man, his blonde hair tied up in a half-ponytail. His frame was somewhat athletic, and I could tell that his good looks were already drawing more than a few interested gazes.

“I’m sorry, did I speak to you?” the elderly man asked, looking down the rim of his foggy glasses at the source of the interruption. “No? Then do be quiet until I’m finished.”

“This is bullshit!” the young man exclaimed, “why are we here? What do you want with us!”

The elderly man sighed, then lifted his right hand and all of the guards on the stage simultaneously stepped forward, stomping their heavy steel boots down on the wooden floor with a deafening thud, and aiming their wicked looking spears down at us.

“Look, I don’t have all day to sit here and answer all of your simple minded, idiotic questions, so let me just make one thing clear. Here, what I say is your _law_ and you will abide by it or forfeit your life.”

The elderly man stood up, then walked a few steps towards the blonde man, as if to illustrate his point, before continuing:

“You lot might be ‘protected’ until you have your chat with your precious _handler_ , but after that; you’re all fair game, so don’t tempt me to memorize your face.”

The young man stepped back, his shoulders drooping as he abandoned his protest, and the elderly man smiled, the response obviously pleasing him.

“That goes for the rest of you. If I had things my way, I’d have all of you scum locked up the day you get here, but ‘the pact must be honored’ and, I am a lord of my word. So, until all of you can either find your way out of my town or into a grave, please, do your best to not be a nuisance.”

The man waved a hand, and the younger man from behind him stepped forward as he returned to his seat.

“For the records; your full name and age.”

I noticed that he was staring at me, so I quickly answered.

“Uh, Nathan. Van Dyke.”

“Na-than. Van Dyke. And your age?”

“Thirty-two,” I answered, and I noticed that the brown-haired girl beside me was paying attention, with interest, to the info.

“Miss?”

“Francesca.”

“Francesca, what?

“Oh, uh… Emilia-Brown.”

“And age?”

“Err, twenty-three.”

As I observed the exchange, the girl’s eyes drifted towards me again, but as she caught my gaze, she quickly looked away.

“That’s not your real name, is it?” I asked, initiating conversation, and the girl bit her lip nervously.

“It, uh- yeah, it is.”

I smirked, inwardly, at how flustered she got delivering such a simple lie.

“Come now, I won’t report you to his excellency Lord Grumpy pants,” and she chuckled a little.

“Fine. It may not be,” she replied, and I smiled.

“Caleb Russo.”

I glanced over as the younger, blonde guy from earlier gave his name, and as he noticed my eyes on him, he scowled, then looked away.

“Some real characters here,” I muttered to myself, but Francesca, or whatever her name really was, was close enough to catch it.

“Aren’t you worried?” she asked, as I surveyed the room.

“I dunno. I’m… confused, I guess? I’m still not entirely sure that this is all real, but for the time being I think we just need to stay sharp, and keep our wits about us.”

From what I could tell, there were eighteen of… us, and by us, I meant people who weren’t from here.

I mean, there were similarities for sure; we all spoke English, we all wore those plain cotton clothes, but without speaking to everyone, I couldn’t yet be sure that we were, in fact, all from the same place.

Same planet?

Same timeline?

Hell, same reality.

I snickered at the thought, and Francesca was about to ask about the reaction when the roll call ended, and the young man indicated to his superior that the process was over.

“Very well then. Take them to _the_ _handler_.”

The younger man nodded, then bowed before the elder man.

He shot us a sharp glare, and most of us took the cue, bowing, though somewhat awkwardly, before he stood up, and led us past the elder man, down a corridor.

He walked with a guard at his side, and as we followed him, I noted that some of the guards were also following us at the rear.

 _Like prisoners,_ I thought, but the thought did not linger long as the corridor eventually opened up to a doorway through which sunlight streamed in all of its glory.

As we stepped out of the corridor, I raised a hand to shield my eyes, and I noticed that all of ‘us’ had done the same, while the guards and the young man in the checkered tunic seemed to be unaffected.

It was almost as if our eyes were seeing light for the first time, wasn’t it?

I mean, sure, it could be that we were just waking up from a very long sleep… but something about this feeling felt… different.

Different in a way that I just couldn’t quite explain yet.

As my eyes adjusted, I tried to get a feel for my surroundings.

It appeared that we were in the middle of a courtyard. Not big enough to be a castle, so perhaps a keep.

I tried to locate exits from the locale, but I’d hardly had any time to take the scene in when we began moving again, at the insistence of the younger man, and he led us, quite briskly, across the courtyard to another building.

This building was smaller, and at first glance, it seemed quite inconsequential in nature, but there was a pretty solid guard stationed outside, and the younger man who was leading us along had to produce several scrolls of paper, all of which were thoroughly inspected before we were allowed to proceed inside.

The guards also conducted a thorough search of every member of the ‘us’ group, before we were admitted into the building, one person at a time.

We filed into the building, one by one, but as I got closer to the building, I suddenly noticed something peculiar.

“Hey, uh, Francesca?”

“Yeah?”

She answered nervously, and I noted that she was casting furtive glances into the building, and rubbing her palms together, then cupping them and blowing into them.

“I don’t think you need to be that worried,” I assured her, and she shot me a curious stare.

“Aren’t you scared?”

“Uh, not exactly. I mean, I don’t have our situation figured out just yet, but I think we’re safer in this place than we were back in that chamber.”

Francesca considered my argument, as she rubbed her palms together again.

“What makes you think that?” she asked, and I pointed at a place on the sloping ridge of the building’s walls.

“See that?”

“What?” Francesca asked, studying the spot.

“Look at the way the sun gleams off of the surface,” I continued, and she perked up as she noted my observation.

“What is that?”

“Well, my current guess is that it’s metal.”

“Hmn… that’s odd.”

“That’s what I thought. The building looks like stone, just like the rest of the keep-”

“Keep?”

“-uh, it’s like a small castle,” I explained, and she nodded. “Anyway, they made it look like stone, but that definitely looks like metal, doesn’t it?”

Francesca nodded again.

“What does that mean, though?”

“It means that this ‘handler’ is probably someone like us.”

Francesca looked up at me, biting her bottom lip, and I suddenly realized that I hadn’t really explained the ‘them/us’ thing to her just yet, but since she didn’t ask, I figured she kind of knew what it meant.

“So, in here, we’re… safe?” she asked, but I shook my head.

“I wouldn’t say we’re safe, but I think we’ll at least get answers.”

Francesca’s legs began to shake as she drew closer to the guards, so I offered to go ahead of her.

The guards gave me a light pat down, then inspected a spot on my wrist, before giving me the okay to go on ahead.

I turned and gave Francesca a quick, ‘it’s not so bad’ look, and she responded with a little appreciative nod as I was ushered inside.

There was a short corridor that turned off ahead, but my eyes were immediately drawn to the small, incandescent light bulbs that bathed the hallway in a pale, yellow light.

 _Not very eco-friendly,_ I thought sarcastically.

I hung back and waited for Francesca to re-join me, and as soon as she entered the corridor, she immediately noticed the lights.

“Guess you’re right,” she said, gesturing to the light bulbs, and I nodded as we proceeded down the corridor.

We took a few sharp turns before coming to a room with rows and rows of chairs, and a strange glass tube, at the center.

Some of our peers were already seated in empty rows, and I noted that there were two more ‘guards’ in this area, though these looked more like the ‘security guard’ type to which we were accustomed.

They wore matching polyester t-shirts, and were directing us to an appropriate seat.

I gave a little nod as I passed them by, and the guard responded in kind.

 _Gun holster, concealed on the back. Taser on the belt,_ I observed.

I paused as I got to the tube looking device, but I barely got a proper look in when a hand on the shoulder directed me towards a row of chairs.

“Right this way, if you will,” the man said, his tone firm.

_Damn._

_These guys aren’t messing around._

I wanted to get a closer look at the tube looking device, but I guess I’d have to settle for a far-off inspection instead.

“Jeez~. How are you staying calm through all this?” Francesca asked.

“I dunno?” I replied.

As I glanced at Francesca, however, I noted that her hands were tightly gripping the armrest of her seat, and after taking a look around, I noticed that there are a few more faces like hers; anxious, nervous, and in some cases downright terrified.

“For all we know that thing could just vaporize us,” she added, and I chuckled.

“If that was all they wanted, they wouldn’t have gone through all the trouble of bringing us here… wherever here is.”

“That doesn’t sound very reassuring.”

“I’m sorry, I wasn’t trying to offer you meaningless reassurance, it’s just that I think that the things you’re afraid of right now have already happened.”

My words trailed off as the lights in the room dimmed slightly, and the guards gave us a quick look over before heading out through a door that I hadn’t initially noticed, and seemed to kind of… seamlessly meld into the wall.

I leaned forward to get a better look, when suddenly a blue light filled the glass-like tube, and I sat back as the projection of a person; a woman, wearing a lab coat and with thick white glasses, appeared within the tube.

“Greetings, heroes of Avalon,” the woman began, her arms spread grandly as she uttered the words with gusto. “A great destiny has been today, thrust upon you! What will you do? Will you run from it, and hide? Or greet it with the resolution of great heroes, just as others have before you.”

“What are you talking about?”

The question came from a tall girl, with long, plaited brown hair.

“Speak your name, adventurer.”

“Vanessa.”

“Let your name be known as Vanessa, the candid, henceforth. You, my child, like the others around you, have been chosen to lead a life of adventure and heroism in this land of magic and mystery.”

“Chosen? How were we chosen.”

“Yeah, and how do we go home?”

Murmurs could be heard around the room, as everyone began to voice their own discontent.

“Patience, my children. All will be revealed to you, in time.”

The woman faded into the background, and the blue light seemed to expand beyond the tube, as a map of some kind gradually came into view on the projection.

“Behold, Avalon! A planet four times the size of our own earth. A land teeming with life, and most of all; adventure! With its four corners undiscovered, Avalon is the perfect land for pioneers of discovery; and certainly, much bounty lies in wait for prospective adventurers, like yourself!”

“Another planet? We’re… on another planet? How is that possible?” a girl cried from somewhere off to my left, and to my surprise, the narrator responded.

“This is possible through _transference_ ; the transmission of matter between two known points. As long as the required conditions and criteria are met, living subjects can be transported between these two points. For further information about this process, please look up _transference_ in the guild database at your own convenience.”

“But we didn’t sign up for this,” someone else cried.

“Oh, but you did, my dear. Some of your memories may be muddled; a side effect of the process of transference, but rest assured that all eighteen candidates before me are brave volunteers of project Kepler, and thanks to your sacrifice, our own planet stands a chance of survival into the future! Your bravery will be remembered, and your names honored for-”

“Do you remember volunteering,” I asked quietly, as the voice spoke on, and Francesca shook her head slowly.

“No. I- I don’t remember doing anything like that.”

I pondered the information for a second.

“If we’ve had a change of heart so to speak, can we go home?” I asked.

The voice paused for a moment, before an answer came.

“I’m sorry, but the process of _transference_ is a complex and expensive procedure. Thus, one’s return to earth must be purchased, and can only take place after extensive preparation.”

“Purchased? How?”

The question came from the boy from earlier.

Caleb, was it?

“The land of Avalon is a special place, home to a host of life of all kinds. From the humans you met upon your arrival, to humanoids the likes of which you’ve only seen in movies, and read of in fairy tales.”

“So, native money?” Caleb asked, and the voice chuckled before replying.

“State your name, young adventurer.”

“Caleb,” the boy replied.

“You shall henceforth be known as Caleb, the inquisitive! As for your question, native currency is not what we seek. Behold, the true wonders of Avalon!”

Fuzzy footage began to play on the projector, of monsters, dragon-like creatures, and what I could only describe as dinosaurs.

“As you can see, brave adventurers, Avalon is a world unlike anything you can imagine. Here you will find all sorts of wonders, the likes of which no living mortal on earth will ever see! And at the heart of all of this life, lies this-”

A blue and black stone was projected before us, spiraling as the voice continued:

“-this stone; an energy core, or orb of life, so to speak, lies at the heart of all living things on Avalon; from the tiniest of ants, to the most mammoth of beasts. Bring these stones back here, or to the _adventurer’s guild_ nearest you, and you will be rewarded, based on the quality of stone, in E-coins, or credits, as they are more commonly known. Credits will be the currency with which you will trade here, and not just for your return ticket to earth, but for the tools, gear, and weaponry that you’ll need on your heroic quests! And speaking of credits-”

A beep sounded, and I noticed that a red light was blinking from my left wrist right at the spot where the guard had inspected earlier.

“-each of you have been granted fifty credits, free of charge, to get you started on your quest!”

“Jesus, this is crazy,” Francesca muttered, as she studied her wrist with interest.

“At any guild terminal, like the one you see before you today, you can check your current balance, make purchases with your credits, as well as check on the prices of various items, equipment, and services. Like this-”

A catalog, easily readable and well ordered, appeared on the projection before us, giving a brief preview of the list of available purchases.

“Wait- why are some things on here more expensive than a ticket back?” Caleb asked, and the woman appeared before us again, a huge smile on her face.

“Most astute, Caleb, the inquisitive! A _basic_ return ticket, as you’ve noticed, is most easily acquirable, however, for those of you who truly wish to return to earth, triumphant and victorious, premium return is available at a higher cost.”

“Premium return?”

“Yes- rather than return to the dull life that most of you signed onto this program to escape, you will return with a substantial amount of money and power, to your name. The ability to be… whatever you dream of being; whether it’s a famous actor, a billionaire CEO, or celebrated philanthropist! Just take a look at this list of prominent project Kepler alumni!”

A quick reel went by of billionaires, actors, and even politicians, and I scoffed, though I noted, with a bit of derision I might add, that not only Caleb, but several others, immediately seemed to be taken with the idea.

“Your only limit is your imagination!” the woman declared, gesturing grandly with her hands for effect.

I used the lull in the presentation to take a quick scan of the room.

Most of the group still seemed tense, or at the very least, as nervous as Francesca, but apart from those and the ones who now had that gleam of ‘money that wasn’t quite theirs yet’ in their eye, I noticed one girl which stood out.

Resting her head on her hand, and her bangs covering much of her face, she looked… bored, almost, though still somewhat nervous.

 _You’ve been here before_ , I thought, _or at the very least, you’ve already seen this._

I made a mental note to keep an eye on her, and if possible, get a word with her alone.

The presentation went on for a bit, but largely, it was more or less hero recruitment propaganda, painting the world of Avalon as a chaotic, but exotic land, peopled by helpless humanoids who were at the mercy of tyrants and ferocious beasts, and in need of heroes to save them from peril.

I filtered out most of the noise, looking instead for useful bits of information, but eventually, the monologue came to an end.

“Well then, unless anyone has any further questions, the world of Avalon-”

The woman gestured again, here for effect.

“-is now open to you!” she finished, and a large metal panel behind the projection area opened up to reveal an impressive scenery of green plains, dotted with small patches of woods and shrubbery.

Little villages could be seen in the distance, dotting the landscape with dusty roads connecting them.

“Venture forth into the unknown, and become what you were always meant to be; heroes of might and fortune!”

On that note, the presentation ended, and everyone had begun to move around and hold little deliberations in groups.

Francesca seemed to be looking like a lost puppy between me and a girl and two guys who were waving her over, but my eyes were already zeroing in on someone else.

“Go on ahead, I’ll be there in a sec,” I said, and Francesca nodded, heading over to the group as I made my way over to the girl I’d observed earlier.

She was already heading through the opened exit, and I caught up to her just as she’d gotten to a little pathway that ran from the keep, down to the village below.

“Hey, wait up,” I called, and she turned on me sharply.

“I’m good,” she replied, immediately turning to leave.

“You’ve been here before.”

This time, she stopped, then turned around to study me.

“You’re Nathan, right?”

Hmm.

Was she close enough to hear when I gave my name earlier?

I wasn’t sure if anyone but Francesca was within earshot, or even paying attention for that matter.

I gave a cautious nod, and she smiled.

“You might wanna be careful. You see, I know everything about you. So, unless you want me to mess things up for you and your new little girlfriend over there, I’d leave me alone!”

She gestured subtly up the pathway to the where the presentation hall had opened up earlier, and I glanced back to see Francesca cautiously approaching.

“I think you have the wrong idea. If you know about this place, then you can help us. You can help everyone to survive.”

“Final warning, Nathan. Unless you want me to reveal your secrets, stay the fuck away from me.”

“Nathan, something’s happening up there. We need your help,” Francesca said, as soon as she arrived, and I turned, looking past her to the guildhall.

“What’s happening?” I asked.

“That Caleb boy is causing trouble. Who was that girl?”

“Was…?”

I turned back just in time to see the mystery girl disappearing around a bend in the trail.

_Fuck._

So much for that.

I traced the direction the trail headed in and realized she wasn’t even heading for the town just below the keep.

I made a mental note of the direction, before heading back to the presentation hall with Francesca.

“What were you two talking about?” Francesca asked.

“That girl. She isn’t like the rest of us.”

“What do you mean?”

“She knows things about this place, about our situation,” I explained, and Francesca frowned.

“Really...? But how?”

“My current guess is that she’s working… or maybe worked, for the people who brought us here.”

As we got back to the presentation hall, I could hear Caleb from a distance.

“It makes more sense than any idea the rest of you can come up with!”

There were murmurs of discontent, and as I got to the hall, I could see a larger group made up of many ‘deer in headlights’-type expressions, as a smaller group stood threateningly around them.

“What’s going on?” I called, and Caleb turned to face me.

“I’m making- fucking- sense, is what’s going on!”

I moved to the front of the larger group and turned to face Caleb.

His group consisted of himself, the Vanessa girl from earlier, and two others who I’d not paid much attention to before.

“What’s this sense? Because it kinda seems to me like you’re scaring a bunch of people.”

Caleb laughed.

“They’re pathetic worms who wouldn’t last a day here. Look at them. They’re clearly not cut out for this.”

“And you are?”

“More than they are, for sure.”

I sighed.

There was very little point giving this guy an ear, but tensions were high.

I needed to defuse the situation.

“So, what is this sensible suggestion of yours?”

“Pool together our credits. I’ve looked through the list- we can afford some pretty good gear for a small group if we do, and make the credits back more quickly.”

“Hmm. That’s an interesting proposition,” I responded thoughtfully.

Caleb looked taken aback by the genuine tone of my response, and I internally smirked at his naivety.

“Yeah. You bet it is,” he began, but I raised a hand, cutting him off:

“Two things, though. Firstly; if the small group gets wiped out, we lose everything. What assurances can you offer us against that?”

“What? That won’t happen, man. With higher grade gear we can handle anything out there!”

“Anything? Are you certain? I mean, I can’t really do anything but speculate about the monsters that are out there, or the conditions, but let’s take a look at the available data.”

I walked over to the console and pulled up the list of available equipment.

“There’s… let’s see, seventeen of us here-”

“Seventeen?”

Caleb began doing a headcount, probably only just noticing that one of our initial group had already slipped off.

“-so that’d be eight hundred and fifty credits. It looks like that can get us one set of high-grade tier one gear, or two to three sets of medium-grade tier one gear. That doesn’t seem like much of an advantage…”

“The fuck are you talking about, man? Of course, it is!”

“Is it? I mean, look at the list. There’re five tiers of gear, and three grades per tier, with tier one being the lowest… so with one set of t-one gear, you’d be at a disadvantage against… eighty percent? Eighty percent of every type of adventurer you could encounter.”

“What?”

“And if you come up against multiple adventurers, those numbers drop quickly to ninety six percent for two adventurers, more than ninety-nine for anything more… I mean, a one percent probability of success doesn’t sound like a good risk to place all of our capital on, does it?”

“Oh, come on! That’s bullshit. Three of us in good equipment would do better than all of us with whatever we can afford.”

“What are you talking here? Efficiency?”

“Yeah!”

“But that’s not right, either. Is it? If one person with high grade armor represents one hundred percent efficiency, and one person with low grade armor represents… thirty percent efficiency, then one person in high grade armor is only as efficient as three to four persons in low grade armor… I mean, all seventeen of us in low grade armor, that’s… five hundred and ten percent efficiency, or roughly five times as efficient as the single person in high grade armor.”

“Man, your numbers ‘bs’ is a load of crock.”

“What? I thought we were being sensible? Besides, you seem to be assuming that the best way forward is for this group to remain together.”

“Of course, it is! If we split up, we stand a smaller chance of survival!”

“Well, that’s not really true. A single group can be wiped out in one fell swoop. Two, maybe three groups, spread out, would increase our overall survivability. Plus, three groups working separately and sharing info will allow us to more quickly learn about our new environment. We could establish information networks, and over time trade networks to strengthen our position here as outsiders.”

Caleb was quiet, and to my relief I saw his own little group was now talking things over, so I retreated from my position at the head of the group to talk to Francesca, who was now standing with the group she had gone over to from earlier.

“Nathan, this is Nolan, Jordan, and Cameron,” she said, introducing them respectively. “If you want to form a group, they would be happy to join up with us.”

Nolan and Jordan looked like two ordinary, young men, and Cameron was a pretty, yet simple looking girl.

I considered the proposition.

Truthfully, I’d only suggested splitting into smaller groups to get Caleb and his goons to form their own group and stay away from everyone else, but as I looked around, I realized that smaller groups of three to four were already bring formed.

The Vanessa girl seemed to have abandoned Caleb’s group, which had now dwindled down to him and two other muscle heads, while Vanessa now seemed to be trying to group up with three or four other girls.

Then there was another guy standing off by himself; at first, I thought he was probably just a little shy, but as I studied him, I noticed that he was taking sharp, quick breaths, in an irregular manner.

“Hey, uh- is he alright?” I asked, and Francesca and the others looked over at him.

I began to walk over to him, when his eyes rolled up into the back of his head, and he suddenly fell as his body went limp.

“Shit!” I cursed, as I rushed to his side.

His body began twitching, and I quickly checked his mouth to make sure that his airway was clear, before turning his head to the side just as he began to convulse.

“Just let it out,” I coaxed, and he began to vomit up what looked like bile.

“Jesus, what’s wrong with him?” Francesca asked, and I took a deep breath in.

“Dunno. Might be a panic attack? Anyone here have a medical background?” I asked, but Francesca and her new companions all shook their heads.

I looked around the room, and while a few glances were cast in our direction, no one came to offer assistance.

“What do we do?” Francesca asked, and I considered the problem as I settled the boy down.

“Here, just watch him for a sec,” I offered, and Cameron took my position as I got up and headed over to the console, bringing up the supplies catalog as I did.

Were there any medical supplies that we could buy?

I did a quick search and found an extensive list of medical supplies, but holy shit, the prices.

The cheapest options were in the thirty to forty credit range.

That was almost our entire individual starting amount!

This was bad.

Sure, not everyone was gonna pass out like this guy did, but people would get sick, and truthfully, I had no idea what would be useful outside of the usual things like disinfectants and bandages.

I glanced back at the boy, and he seemed to be breathing a bit more steadily now, as Cameron rubbed his back soothingly.

“Was there anything?” Francesca asked.

“A lot, but out of our price range…”

I glanced back at the console, then took a look at the presentation room.

The woman from the introductory video mentioned that we would be free to use the console for extra reading… but did that freedom extend to the presentation room itself?

I’d more or less guessed that we’d need to head down to the town eventually to secure accommodations of some kind, but if there was no limit on how long we could stay, this place could probably work as a temporary shelter, for a few days at least?

That would work out well, since being able to do proper research before interacting with anyone else would be of huge help, and for that, we’d need the console.

“What’re you thinking?” Francesca asked, and I rubbed my chin thoughtfully.

“I’m thinking about shelter,” I responded, and she nodded.

“I was too. We’ll need to go down to the town eventually to sort something out, won’t we?”

“Depends. Judging from the landscape, camping may also be an option. But yeah, we need to check out the town.”

As we spoke, Caleb’s group approached the console on the other side of the projector, and I watched with interest as they immediately went to the weapons catalog.

Caleb selected a longsword, and to my surprise, the item, which floated in holographic form on the console, began to take shape, and as Caleb reached towards the tube, his hands appeared to reach through the barrier, allowing him to take hold of the weapon and retrieve it.

He studied the blade, which I had to admit, gleamed impressively.

He then purchased a breastplate, and a pair of gauntlets.

His companions then stepped forward to make their own purchases.

The first purchased an axe, along with some leg guards and a helmet, while the second opted for a huge, unwieldly looking sword, along with a pair of arm guards.

Caleb shot me a wicked grin, then the three left the guild area.

As they headed off, I decided to follow them, just to get an idea of where they would be headed, and to my relief, they headed down the path that wound away from the nearby town.

As I returned to my group, I noticed that Vanessa was now talking to Francesca and Cameron, and Nolan and Jordan were standing a little further away than I’d left them, a rather peculiar look on their faces.

Even Francesca seemed to be wearing a bit of an uncomfortable expression.

“Everything alright?” I asked, as soon as I got closer to Francesca, and she looked visibly relieved at my intrusion.

“Vanessa was just offering us a place in her group; I was just explaining-”

“You’re making a mistake. These are strangers, you have no idea what they’re capable of. We need to stick together.”

I chuckled inwardly at Vanessa’s interjection.

Not holding back, huh?

“Look, I told you already. Thanks for your concern, but we can make our own decisions.”

“Your funeral,” Vanessa hit back, rolling her eyes before stomping away.

“Not one to mix matters, huh,” I noted, as Francesca rubbed her hands together nervously.

“Yeah… you’d think with the way she was carrying on that she’d know how to take no for an answer, but apparently it’s a difficult thing to understand.”

I chuckled at the joke, then noticed that the chairs that we’d sat on for the presentation were no longer around.

“Hey, what happened to the chairs?”

“One of the guards checked in to make sure the area was clear, then the floor opened up and they were lowered to an area below. And it looks like the corridors we came through are sealed off now as well.”

“Hmm. Did he say anything about us needing to leave?” I asked, and she shook her head, studying me with curiosity.

“Wait… you’re thinking of staying here?” she asked, and I bit my lip.

“It would be ideal if we could, until we can arrange something more permanent. Besides, there’s a lot that I think we need to find out before we can properly navigate the outside world.”

Francesca surveyed the room as she considered my suggestion.

“We’d sleep on the floor?” she asked, and I shrugged.

“Better to sleep on the floor indoors, than to do it out there. Or pay for somewhere to sleep and find out that we’ve grossly overpaid.”

“True,” she conceded.

She relayed the suggestion to Cameron who quickly agreed.

Nolan and Jordan, however, wanted to get a look at the town before committing to the plan, which wasn’t such a bad idea since it would be useful to get some info on what it was like.

“Hey, the girl who left as soon as the presentation ended. Did anyone get her name, or anything?”

“…who left? I don’t remember that,” Cameron replied. “Do either of you know who he’s talking about?”

She turned to Nolan and Jordan, who both shook their heads.

I bit my lip, disappointed by the development.

She would have been a huge asset, and I still held onto the hope that we’d be able to get in touch with her again somehow.

“Francesca. Do you think you could go with them? You know what she looks like, so you could keep an eye out for her.”

“Is that really necessary? I mean, I really think that might be a lost cause,” Francesca added.

 _Francesca really doesn’t like this girl_ , I noted, with some amusement.

“What’s the deal with the girl?” Cameron asked.

“I suspect that she knows more about what’s going on than the rest of us do.”

Cameron looked to Francesca for confirmation, and she reluctantly nodded in agreement.

“She _was_ being odd,” Francesca added, and I shot her a thankful look.

“Okay then, I guess it does make sense for you to go with them.”

Francesca, again, didn’t do much to hide her displeasure with the development; but she agreed nonetheless to the plan, so I did my best to express my gratitude which seemed to, somewhat, pacify her.

Nolan and Jordan said a quick goodbye to Cameron, then the three headed down to the pathway below, and soon after, Vanessa and a few of her girls headed over to the console.

I studied her with interest, but as soon as she caught sight of me, she shot me an angry glare.

“Hey! I don’t need you spying on me all the time!” she yelled, so I held my hands up in surrender, and retreated a few paces back.

Vanessa put her hands on her hip, and I let out a sigh before retreating back a bit more.

I kept going, bit by bit, until she finally relented, and I cursed under my breath as Cameron came over to join me.

“Wonder what her deal is,” I muttered.

“I think she’s doing the whole, ‘all men are potential rapists that I need to protect other women from’ thing.”

“No, I get that. And don’t get me wrong, I believe that that’s a legitimate concern in this situation, I just meant the inconsistencies in her behavior.”

“What do you mean?” Cameron asked.

“Well, she seemed more than willing to team up with Caleb’s group at the start… if camaraderie with the ‘fairer sex’ was her primary concern, I don’t see why she didn’t take up that position initially.”

Cameron tilted her head as she studied me with renewed interest.

“You’ve been paying attention to everything since the start, haven’t you?” she asked.

“I… guess I have,” I replied, but out of the corner of my eye, I noted the look in her eyes.

It was _that_ look.

I’d learned to recognize it by now, since I’d seen it so often.

It was the look that people often had when they began to suspect that I was someone they should be wary of.

I cracked an awkward smile and the look quickly faded, but I made a mental note to pay closer attention to the way she reacted to me in the future.

“Can you make out what their purchases are?” I asked, and Cameron shook her head.

“I thought we weren’t gonna pry further,” she warned, and I chuckled.

“I agreed to give them their space, but I didn’t agree to anything else. Besides, my intentions aren’t bad, I just think it’s worth it to know what the other groups are doing. I mean, I don’t object to sharing info about our own purchases later on.”

I noted Cameron’s gaze on me again, but this time, I could tell that my explanation satisfied her.

“That’s true. We should be working together, shouldn’t we?”

Vanessa’s group quickly closed the catalog, and as they headed out of the guild area, she turned to keep an eye on me.

“Stay right there- Nathan, was it?”

I nodded, and she kept a firm watch on me as the rest of her group went on ahead.

“Wouldn’t want you tracking us, now would I.”

I took a deep, nervous breath in, and after she was satisfied that her group were out of sight, she left.

I gave it a few seconds, then cautiously followed.

I was careful enough to keep out of sight, but I could tell that she was looking out for a potential tail, as she took the path down to the town below the keep.

 _Well, she’s annoying, but not stupid_ , I thought to myself.

But I still couldn’t shake the suspicion that she might not be harmless.

“From what I could tell, they went for camping supplies,” I reported. “No weapons or anything, since that seems to take up the bulk of our starting credits if we decide on it.”

“Do you think we’ll need them, though? That lady spoke an awful lot about monsters.”

“We’ll need a way to defend ourselves for sure, but I think we need to figure out what the potential threats are before we buy anything like that. Besides, I’m not sure how much of that propaganda presentation we can really trust.”

“You think they’re lying to us?” she asked, and I shrugged.

“Maybe. Can’t say for certain, but there are enough inconsistencies in their briefing to cast reasonable suspicion that they are. I mean, they said that we signed up for this. Do you have any memory of even knowing about a project Kepler?”

Cameron shook her head, and I nodded.

“I mean, sure. It’s possible that we may be experiencing memory loss from this ‘transference’ procedure, but all of my memories leading up to waking up here seem pretty much intact, and I can’t even recall knowing about anything related to this.”

“That’s true.”

Since there wasn’t anything to do besides wait around, I decided to spend some of the time reading up what I could from the information provided via the console.

I wasn’t sure how long I’d spent reading when-

“Nggh.”

The groan came from our unconscious guest, and it quickly drew my attention away from my research.

I walked over to check on him, but he was still very much out of it.

“Do you think he’ll be alright?” Cameron asked, and I bit my lip, uncertainly.

“Wish I could say, but I’m clueless when it comes to medical stuff.”

“You’re very honest,” Cameron noted, and I chuckled.

“Shouldn’t I be?” I asked, and she shrugged.

“Some guys like showing that they can be in charge, even if that means faking knowledge.”

“And where does that usually get them?” I replied, and Cameron smiled.

“Back,” Francesca called, and I looked over at the entryway, feeling a little caught off-guard.

Francesca was casting curious glances between me and Cameron, who I now noted had taken a full step away from me and was absently toying with her hair.

 _Way to act guilty,_ I thought, as the rest of the group joined us and began to recount their trip.

“It was terrible,” Francesca said. “We stuck out like sore thumbs. No one wanted anything to do with us.”

“Yeah, they acted like we’ve got some plague, or something,” Jordan added.

Figures.

Not only were we intruders to their world, we’d been placed down here using a technology that I didn’t even know existed until now.

We might as well be phantoms.

“Did you figure anything out about the town?” I asked, and Francesca nodded.

“The town is medieval, I guess you’d say. Oh, I know they speak English; overheard enough of them talking to figure that much, even if none of them spoke a word to us.”

“Good job,” I said, and she blushed slightly at the sudden praise.

 _Hopefully that makes her forget about the Cameron thing_ , I thought.

“The town is really small, though,” Nolan said. “Maybe about five hundred people?”

“Did you check out the traders?” I asked.

“Yeah. There were a couple butchers, bakers. Three inns. I didn’t see anything like, what did you call it? An herbalist-?”

“Yeah.”

“-nothing like that as far as I could tell, but I could be wrong. There were shops with no signs or anything.”

 _Guess we might have to spring for one of those medical kits from the catalog, then_.

“Oh, one more thing. There were a ton of smiths. We counted… how many was it?”

“Fifteen,” Francesca answered.

“Yeah- way more than anything else.”

“Hmm. That’s… interesting,” I noted, and Francesca studied me.

“How so?”

“You’d think we’d be getting most of our weapons from the catalog.”

“Maintenance, maybe?” she offered, and I rubbed my chin, thoughtfully.

“Well, according to the information guide, our weapons aren’t supposed to chip or blunt like natural ones do.”

“What? How?”

“From what I read, the weapons are made from a special type of metal, infused with the power of the energy cores that we collect. I’m not sure I understand the concept one hundred percent, but it increases the blades’ ability to cut through things.”

“So, they never get dull? Or damaged?”

I shrugged.

“Not according to the information guide… Actually, now that I think about it. If modern tech is involved in the creation of these weapons, then smiths working traditional forges shouldn’t even be able to repair them.”

I made a mental note to check out those smiths as soon as I got a chance.

“So, what now?” Francesca asked, and I noticed that most of the group seemed to be looking at me expectantly.

As I looked around, I could tell that everyone was already showing signs of exhaustion, so I figured it was time to start preparing camp for the night.

“I think that’s about as much information gathering as we’ll get done today. We should get ready to camp for the night.”

“I agree. It’s been a long day for everyone,” Cameron concurred.

“Are we making camp here?” Jordan asked.

“I’ll leave it to the group to decide, but I think we should. Assuming we can find a way to close that panel, which we should, the guild hall blends perfectly into the keep’s fortifications from the outside. Not to mention the keep’s fortifications make this place a natural fort. Its easily defensible, and offers quick and easy access to both the keep and the town below.”

“I don’t think anyone objects to camping here,” Cameron offered, and Jordan and Nolan quickly agreed.

“What about food?” Nolan asked.

“There’s a basic survival pack that we can buy for ten credits. It comes with blankets, some warm clothing, and non-perishable food rations. I figure it’s a good a place as any to start.”

I walked over to the console, then returned my attention to the group.

“I take it no one objects to that purchase?” I asked.

Everyone gave a quick nod, but as I stepped forward to finalize the purchase, Jordan stopped me.

“Allow me; I’d rather you kept your credits to make an emergency purchase if we need one.”

I tilted my head at Jordan’s request, when Francesca stepped forward as well.

“We’ve talked it over, and we’ve all kind of noticed that you’re pretty insightful, and you keep a calm head in a pinch. It’s better this way,” she finished, and I took a deep breath in.

“No pressure there,” I commented, and Francesca smiled.

“We need a leader, and even if we hadn’t agreed on you, it’s been you since this whole thing began.”

“You honor me too much,” I replied, but the group seemed to be in agreement, and, in any case, I had no real objection.

I was the best choice.

Jordan made the purchase I’d indicated, and I was quite relieved to find that the rations would be enough to last us a few days at least.

The clothes, however, was only enough for four, and the blankets as well, would have to be shared.

As everyone went about inspecting the survival pack, I began to inspect the large open space that led outside.

There had to be a way to close the door, right? But I couldn’t make out anything that looked like a switch.

Then it occurred to me that the door might be sensor activated, so I tried running my hands along the walls on either side of the exit.

I was about to give up when Francesca figured out that the door could be closed from the console.

“That’s interesting,” I noted. “Could you open it for a sec?”

I stepped outside, then took a look at the area from the outside.

“Close it again,” I called. “I wanna see if it opens from the outside.”

Francesca nodded, closing the door at my request, and I noted again, with curiosity, that there wasn’t an obvious way to open the door from the outside.

In fact, the whole outside face of the panel easily blended into the rockface that made up the outer wall of the keep.

_It’d be easy to completely miss this spot if you didn’t know what you were looking for._

As I inspected the surface, I suddenly noticed a single, red, blinking light, barely visible in the still broad daylight outside, and then I remembered the implant on my wrist.

I held my wrist up to the light, and sure enough, the doorway opened, though the opening wasn’t the much larger one from the end of the presentation.

Instead, it was about the size of a regular doorway, though perhaps much taller than a typical doorway would be.

I re-entered the room to find Francesca studying the new entrance with interest.

I then noted that there was a similar sensor on the inside of the room, though the part of the wall that it was on, I was certain, was part of the larger doorway that was previously there.

I held up my wrist to the sensor, and sure enough, the doorway slid shut.

“That’s convenient,” Francesca noted, and I furrowed my brow. “What?” she asked.

“Any _otherworlder_ can enter this room at any time. That could be… problematic.”

Actually, now that I think about it, even a local could get in here with one of our hands, couldn’t they?

I quickly shook the thought from my mind.

“What could be problematic?” Cameron asked, as she came over to inspect the closed panel.

“Any of ‘us’ can open the panel with our wrist implant thingie,” Francesca answered, and Cameron studied me.

“Do you think we have to worry about that?”

I shook my head in response, but truthfully, I wasn’t so sure.

“I don’t think it’ll be a problem. At least… not yet.”

“So, what now?” Cameron asked, and I considered the question.

We had food, blankets, and our camp area was more or less secure.

The only thing left was-

“I guess it’s time for me to take a little nap,” I replied, and Francesca giggled at me.

“Seriously? A nap?”

“Yeah, a nap. I’ll try to get some sleep, but whoever goes to sleep last needs to wake me up so I can keep watch for the rest of the night.”

“Oh… right. Keep watch,” she responded thoughtfully.

“I think it’s safer for us to keep watch from inside the guild hall,” I said to Cameron, and she nodded in agreement.

“Hey, didn’t they say that this planet was, like, four times the size of earth or something?” Francesca asked.

“Yeah.”

“So, what does that mean for the day/night cycles? Are they the same length of time as earth’s?”

I shook my head.

“From what I read, it’s a thirty-hour day cycle.”

“So, what does that mean? Do we sleep longer?”

I considered the question.

“I assume that the amount of sleep we’d need remains the same. I mean, I know that at the poles, where they have six months of daylight, and six months of night, people still sleep in regular day cycles, but without getting further info from someone who has experience living here, we won’t know until we start adapting to the differing cycle.”

I took a quick look at the rations, which apparently consisted of various dried bits of food.

Some bits looked like meat, but the others seemed to be slices of random fruit, so I ate a little, then headed off to sleep.

At first, I thought it would be difficult as I tried to get comfortable on the cold, steel floor, but surprisingly, it wasn’t long before sleep came to me, and before I knew it, I was being shaken gently into wakefulness.

“Hey. Sorry to wake you,” Cameron said apologetically, and I quickly shook off my post sleep stupor.

“It’s fine. Has the sun gone down?” I asked, and she stifled a yawn, as she gave a tired nod.

“Yeah. About two hours ago. I tried to look up information about the day/night cycle, but I couldn’t find any specific information about what it might be like where we are.”

I nodded, as I too had noted that the information available lacked a lot of location specific data, with no maps available to even show us the planet’s basic makeup.

It was one of the information gaps that we’d need to fill, particularly for our immediate area.

“You can head off to sleep. I guess I’ll wake you when it’s time to switch?” I asked, and Cameron nodded.

“Nolan just dozed off, so you can wake him up then as well. By the way, Francesca went to bed just after you did. She said to wake her up when I woke you.”

I nodded again, as I looked off to the side, trying to locate her.

The company would be nice, but I guess I could let her sleep for a little bit longer while I got caught up on some research.

I spent a bit of time reading, when I finally noticed Francesca stirring awake, and after getting her bearings, she got up and walked over to join me.

“That survival pack didn’t come with toothpaste by any chance, did it?” she asked, and I smirked.

“No luck,” I responded, “although there might be something that we can do about that.”

“Really?”

“Sort of. I’ve been going through the catalog, and there’s some pretty interesting things here that I think could be really useful.”

“Like toothpaste?”

“I’ll be honest, toothpaste is here, but its 30 credits for a mini-tube.”

“Jesus Christ.”

“Yep. But~, we might be able to make our own. Check this out.”

Francesca walked over, then studied the projection.

“Seeds?”

“Yep. Almost everything you could possibly think of. I’m not really an expert on growing stuff, but there’s artificial light lamps and stuff that we could use to grow things that might not exist here, given the differing conditions we have on earth.”

“So, grow our own food? Wouldn’t have thought I’d have to go to a whole new planet just to become a farmer,” Francesca noted.

“I’m not sure it’d be viable for us to grow our own food, but I don’t think it might be necessary either. There seems to be a lot of thriving towns around us. We just need to find a way to break through the communication barrier. What might be profitable, though, is growing herbs and spices; simple but useful things we could trade, and definitely use.”

Francesca shot me an admiring smile, and I quickly looked away.

“You’re on top of things as always, huh. You know, I’ve been meaning to ask; what did you do, back on earth?”

“What do you mean? My profession?”

“Yeah.”

I chuckled a little.

“I worked for a group of investment bankers,” I replied, and Francesca raised an eyebrow at me.

“You’re serious?”

“Yeah.”

“Well that explains why you’re so good with numbers,” she replied.

“What about you?” I asked, and Francesca seemed immediately flustered.

“I. uh-”

“You were a student,” I guessed, and her face reddened just a little. “I kind of guessed you weren’t ‘twenty-three’ either.”

She let out a sigh, slumping down next to the console.

“Fine- I am eighteen, in case you were wondering… I just didn’t wanna look like some clueless kid.”

I scooted down against the console next to her.

“It’s alright. I kind of figured as much,” I said, and she sighed.

“Is there anything that you don’t ‘kind of just figure out’?” she asked, and I chuckled.

“Think of it as the wisdom that comes with age,” I replied, and she laughed.

“Age? Unless you lied about your age, you’re not _that_ old.”

“Hey. Thirty-two is plenty old… especially in millennial years.”

“Millennial years? Is that even a thing?” she chided, and I scoffed.

“You kids these days have no idea how easy you have it by comparison, do you?”

“Kid? I’m a _kid?!_ I’ll have you know I’m an _adult_ in the eyes of the law.”

“Oh, please. Eighteen? You might as well be a baby,” I teased. “Have you ever even voted?”

“I… might have,” she replied, and I smirked as she folded her arms, and pouted in protest.

“Just to confirm something… how much do you remember about your life, before waking up here?”

Francesca furrowed her brow, dropping her hands to her side as she considered the question.

“I remember everything. Growing up, my family, my neighborhood. My home.”

“Hmm. And nothing about this ‘project Kepler’?”

Francesca shook her head.

“I don’t either, and neither did Cameron when we spoke earlier.”

“Cameron, huh… did you guys talk a lot while we were in town?”

Francesca seemed suddenly fidgety, and I took note of the reaction.

“We spoke for a bit, I guess,” I replied casually.

“So… what do you think of her?” Francesca asked.

I eyed Francesca, trying to gauge her expression while I chose my words carefully.

“Uh, we didn’t really talk that much, but… I guess I’d say, she seems pretty smart.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. She’s sharp; picks things up quickly. And she’s a good leader too; not too pushy, but she takes charge when she needs to; and everyone pays attention when she speaks.”

“Oh? Sounds like you’ve been paying really close attention to her,” Francesca said.

I could feel her eyes on me, observing me with intent as I shrugged in response.

“I’ve been paying close attention to everything,” I replied.

“Even me?”

I looked over, and as our eyes met, Francesca held my gaze.

I was about to reply, when-

*Clang!

We both jumped as the panel which led outside suddenly slid open, and I gasped as a lone figure clambered in.

“You,” I muttered, as the light revealed our intruder to be the mystery girl from earlier, and she grimaced as soon as she caught sight of me.

There was a long trail of blood along her left hand, and her right hand, which was holding onto the walls for support, was white and shaking.

She took one more step into the hall before collapsing, and Francesca and I quickly moved to her aid.

We moved her over to the area where our other infirm group member was resting, still apparently unconscious, and Francesca examined her while I rushed outside.

It was dark, and even as I looked over in the direction of where the town should be, I couldn’t make out anything save for a couple, scattered, dim lights.

I listened for any signs that someone might be nearby, but after a minute or so, I headed back inside.

After closing the door, I quickly went over to wake everyone else up and relay the situation to them.

Jordan was about to head over to give Francesca a hand with the girl, but I stopped him.

“Before we go over there, there’s something I think we need to consider.”

I led the group over to the console, then brought up the weapons section of the catalog.

“She’s wounded, so someone might be after her. I think it may be time to purchase a weapon, like this,” I said, as I indicated to the projection.

“A hunting knife?” Cameron asked.

“It’s basic, but versatile. We can use it as a weapon right now, and eventually, later on, if we do need to hunt for our own food, it’ll be useful for preparing whatever game we can score. We’ll need something for cutting things up anyway, like to turn some of these clothes into bandages. Stuff like that.”

“That’s true,” Nolan said, and Jordan quickly nodded in approval.

“But for twenty credits?” Cameron replied. “That’s just as much as every other starter weapon.”

She bit her lip, as she deliberated the idea internally.

“Most of those are battlefield weapons, tailored to a specific combat purpose that we aren’t even sure we’ll ever need. This weapon is our safest choice.”

“Okay,” Cameron relented, but as I stepped forward to make the purchase, Nolan this time intervened.

“Let me,” he offered, and I thought about it, before giving him the okay.

He purchased the weapon, which, materialized with a snug sheath and a convenient belt, for easy carry and use.

Nolan offered the weapon to me, but I instead wrapped his own fingers around it.

“Hold onto it for now,” I replied, and he shot a quick glance at Cameron, who paused, then gave a quick nod of approval.

“Put the belt on, and try to keep the blade concealed beneath your shirt,” I added, and Nolan cast a furtive look back at our new ‘guest’, before complying.

After that matter was resolved, we quickly headed over to Francesca who was attending to the girl.

“Who did this to you?” I asked, and she shot me a nasty look.

“None of your business,” she spat.

“We need to know if we’re in danger right now,” I countered, and the group all nodded in agreement.

“No-one’s coming, if that’s what you’re asking.”

“Look, we can treat your wounds. We can take good care of you, if you let us,” I offered. “But you need to co-operate. At least tell us how you got hurt?”

She shook her head defiantly.

“I’m not telling _you_ anything,” she countered, and I clicked my tongue at her in annoyance.

“What should we do?” Cameron asked, pulling me aside.

“I’m not sure, but we need her.”

“Do we? We don’t know who or what may be on her tail.”

I sighed, and Cameron studied me.

“There’s something I need to tell you,” I began, but before I could continue-

“I’m ready to talk!” the girl suddenly called out.

“Another time, I guess,” Cameron muttered, and I gave a quick nod.

Everyone gathered around her, and with all attention on her, she began:

“I’m willing to join your group, but before I do, I have certain demands which must be met.”

“Are you serious?” Jordan scoffed. “What position do you think you’re in to make demands?”

She looked at Jordan and smirked.

“Because I know more about this place than any of you could possibly imagine.”

“And why is that?” Cameron asked, shooting me a quick sideways glance.

“Because I worked for the people who sent us here,” she replied.

Jordan plopped down, and Nolan ran his hands anxiously through his hair.

“You _work_ for them?!” Jordan asked, and I readied myself, in case I needed to get between them.

“Worked. Past tense, idiot,” she spat, but that didn’t seem to make much difference to him.

“Can you undo this, then? Can you make them send us back?” Nolan asked, and she laughed in response.

“There is no _back_. You morons have no idea what this place is, do you. You weren’t sent here to be heroes; you were sent here to die!” she exclaimed.

Panic was beginning to spread through the group.

I needed to defuse the situation, but how?

“Whoa, there,” I cut in. “Maybe you should explain a little clearer, so that we can understand.”

“I’m being crystal clear,” she countered. “The survival rate of otherworlders is less than two percent. _That’s_ why you all need me. I know more about this place than anyone. I can raise those odds.”

Cameron shot me another look, and I replied with an understanding nod.

I could tell that she didn’t want this girl anywhere near us, but I was still certain that we needed her.

Ever since I’d guessed her connection to everything that was going on, I knew she’d be a game changing asset.

“You mentioned demands,” I offered, and she shot me a quick glare.

“Yeah. Just one, actually. If I join this group. You leave.”

She stared right into my eyes, and everyone looked around with confused stares, before they processed what she was demanding.

“What the fuck? Why?” Jordan asked.

“Not negotiable!” Francesca retorted, but Cameron was now studying me with that peculiar look that I’d seen in her eyes from earlier.

“Why him?” Cameron asked, her gaze lingering on me for some kind of sign.

I let out a long, deep, sigh.

“Have any of you ever heard of the Hare Psychopathy checklist?” I asked, and everyone turned towards me.

“Psychopathy checklist?” Nolan asked.

“It’s a list of personality traits and behaviors that psychopaths exhibit,” I explained. “If you score more than thirty out of a total possible score of forty, then you can be formally declared a psychopath.”

“Yeah, and guess who’s got a score of thirty-three on that test?” the girl interjected.

Everyone’s eyes turned towards me.

“Is that true?” Cameron asked, and I nodded.

“It is.”

“What does that mean,” Nolan asked.

“It means, he’s a freaking psychopath,” the girl answered.

“Wait. Has he ever hurt anyone?” Francesca asked.

The girl shook her head.

“Not as far as his record showed,” she replied. “Not yet, at least.”

“Then it doesn’t matter, right?” Jordan cut in. “It’s just a score on a list.”

“Yeah,” Francesca added, backing Jordan up. “So, he’s a non-violent psychopath? Lots of those live normally, right?”

I shot Francesca a quick thankful look, and she smiled, supportively.

But the girl was livid.

“Are you all fucking stupid? He doesn’t _feel_ things like empathy or guilt. He’ll manipulate you to get what he wants, and betray you without thinking twice! When you all woke up here, what did you feel? Fear? Confusion? Worry? Those are normal, human, responses, but he didn’t. He just coldly began calculating what he needed to do to survive.”

“How would you know?” Francesca replied, and the girl stared daggers at her.

I let out a sigh.

“Look, guys, I’ll be honest about this. She’s right about a few things; like, I don’t experience emotion in the same way that most of you do, and figuring out how to live here was my immediate reaction to our situation.”

Cameron sighed, and everyone looked over with interest, as she finally weighed in.

“I’ll admit, I was a bit worried by how quickly Nate adapted to this situation-”

“Exactly!” Casey interjected.

“-but that very instinct has helped us a lot so far,” Cameron finished.

“Are you serious? He cannot be trusted!”

“Who the hell trusts anyone right now?” Jordan replied. “Most of us are complete strangers to each other, but we need to stick together to survive. Besides, you’re the one who only bothered to look for a group after going off alone and coming back here injured. And you won’t even tell us what happened.”

The girl was livid, but the group seemed to be in agreement, much to my relief.

“It’s far from ideal, I admit,” Cameron said. “But under the given circumstances, Nate is an asset to us, and even if he is a psychopath, we trust him right now more than we trust you.”

With the discussion more or less over on that note, Cameron pulled me aside for another quick word.

“I really think we should make her leave as soon as possible,” she whispered, and I shook my head.

“No. We really need her. I admit, it’s risky, but I think she knows that she can’t survive on her own. Most likely, if we let her stick around, she’ll come around eventually. Besides, even if we make her leave, the damage was done the minute she decided to come here. Making her leave won’t stop someone from tracking her here, if that’s what the situation truly is.”

Cameron studied me, a little nervously.

“By the way, is this what you were gonna tell me earlier? That you’re a psychopath?”

I nodded, and she let out a nervous laugh, before studying me.

“Would you manipulate us? Like she said?” she asked, and I chuckled in response.

“If I would, I wouldn’t tell you just like that, would I?” I replied, and she let out a long sigh.

“Stupid question, I know.”

I could tell that she seemed unsettled, so I decided to offer an explanation.

“I guess it depends on what you think of as manipulation. I mean, technically I manipulated you by hiding the truth, but-”

“-but who the fuck would go around introducing themselves as a psychopath to complete strangers in this situation. Yeah, I get it,” she replied, and to my relief, she shot me a quick smile.

Cameron’s gaze returned to the group, and her eyes lingered for a moment on Francesca.

“Did you tell Francesca anything before this? About being a psychopath?” she asked, and I shook my head.

“No. You were the first person I was going to tell,” I replied, and she raised an eyebrow.

“Should I feel honored?” she asked, and I shrugged.

Francesca caught Cameron’s gaze, and quickly came over to join us.

“Hey,” she said. “Is everything okay?”

“About as okay as it can be right now, I guess,” Cameron replied, and Francesca bit her lip, nervously.

“Did you manage to get a name out of her?” I asked, nodding towards our new, uncooperative tenant, and Francesca shook her head.

“Are you gonna torture it out of her, Mr. psychopath?” she asked, and I chuckled.

“Teasing a psychopath? You’re fearless, aren’t you?”

Cameron rolled her eyes at us, before looking over to the girl.

“So, what now, captain?” Cameron asked, and I chuckled.

“Captain? I was sure I’d been demoted,” I teased, and Cameron let out a sigh.

“As much as that girl wants to think that she’s successfully driven a wedge between us, I’d rather not let her think she’s won. So, what do we do about our watch?” Cameron asked, and Francesca shot a worried look between us.

“What do you mean? Can’t we just go back to how it was?” she asked, and I shook my head in response.

“If her attackers followed her here, then we might all be in danger. We’ll need to stay on alert for tonight, and probably relocate tomorrow. I know the three of you might be tired,” I said, turning to Cameron, “but it might be best if at least one of you stayed up with us.”

Cameron nodded in agreement.

“Nolan can keep watch with you two while Jordan and I sleep; after a couple hours, you can wake me up and we’ll switch. Francesca,” Cameron said, turning to address her, “you didn’t exactly get a proper rest either. So, you can sleep then, and Nate and I will take the rest of the watch until morning.”

She looked to me for approval, and I gave a quick nod, so she headed over to Nolan and Jordan to relay the new plan.

Nolan let out a tired yawn, then nodded and headed for the exit panel, as Jordan and Cameron headed back to sleep.

“You know, Jordan went to bed before Nolan did. Shouldn’t he take the rest of this watch with us?” Francesca asked, and I smiled.

“You and Jordan were the most supportive when that girl tried to paint me as a villain. I doubt Cameron is gonna leave the two of you alone with me,” I replied in a low whisper.

“What? That’s not fair,” Francesca replied. “You’ve done nothing wrong,” she said, and I shrugged in response.

“It’s fine, really. I’m willing to do what it takes to establish stronger bonds within the group.”

Francesca frowned, unsatisfied with the response, but there was nothing that could be done.

“Well, unlike Cameron, I’m not afraid of you,” Francesca announced, and I smiled.

Maybe she was naïve, but that wasn’t exactly a quality that I disliked.

“Pretty interesting first day we’ve had,” Francesca noted, as we settled into position next to the console at the center of the room.

“Yeah. Looks like we’ve made it though.”

“How long do you think we’ll survive?”

“Hell of a question to answer,” I replied, chuckling a little. “We might have made it through day one, but we need info, and fast. If she doesn’t talk,” I said, indicating towards our unhappy guest, “then we’ll need to find another place to set up. If that’s the case, then tomorrow’s gonna be crucial.”

“It’ll be fine. I’m sure you already have some ideas,” Francesca replied, and I tilted my head at her in response.

“Really, now? Where’d the scared, worried little girl from this morning go?” I asked teasingly, and she shoved me in response.

“Maybe she’s not as much of a kid as you thought?”

It was such a curious thing, but she truly had changed a lot from the scared, timid, little thing that I met when I first woke up, hadn’t she?

As I pondered on the day’s events, and where things would go from here, I couldn’t help but wonder what her transformation would be like after surviving for several weeks in this high-pressure environment.

*******

“What’s the status?”

“All three teams were successfully deployed.”

“Good, good. Our ‘person of interest’ was in this batch, wasn’t he?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Any reports on how he’s doing?”

“He’s handling things remarkably well.”

“Indeed, they usually do. Too bad for the rest of their teams, though.”

“Sir?”

“Oh, I keep forgetting you’re new here, Joanna. Our ‘special assets’ might be some of our best investments, but they usually tear through their own teams on their way up the ranks.”

“I see… but, don’t most of them die anyway?” Joanna asked.

“Yes, but the carnage they leave behind just isn’t quite the same.”

“So… none of their teams ever survive?” Joanna asked, and the man chuckled a little.

“Well, there have been some instances. I mean, surely you’ve heard of Lilith by now, haven’t you?”

“Lilith? The Lilith? Wasn’t she an asset herself?”

“Oh gosh no. Lilith was a quiet little girl from Queens, but she was sent in with a particularly… nasty asset. God only knows what he did to her, but… boy, did she blossom.”

“So, Lilith survived an asset,” Joanna noted, and the man laughed in response.

“Survived? That’s a mild way of putting it. But yes, she lived. Then went on to become worse than any of them could ever be.”

“I see. Will that be all, sir?”

“Yes, oh- Joanna. I want regular updates for the first week.”

“Of course.”

Joanna bowed, and as she left the room, her mind momentarily went back to the reports she’d read about Lilith, and she suppressed a shudder.

 _If Nathan was anything like Lilith, then God help those poor people_ , she thought, as she headed out of the boardroom and down the hall.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nate and Cameron set out to find a place for the group to settle down.

“Ngggh,” Francesca groaned, as she stretched and let out a tired yawn.

I smirked, as it was the second time in the last minute.

“Admit it. You’re sleepy,” I stated flatly, but she shook her head with defiance.

“Am not,” she shot back, and I regarded her child-like resistance with curiosity.

Just a few short hours ago, I was marveling at how quickly she’d matured, but two hours of drowsiness and-

“I’m not tired. You’re tired!” she asserted, reaching at my face, and I swatted her hand away playfully.

-the child in her was alive once more.

“That’s it. Time for bed,” I chided, and she pouted, but as another yawning sigh slipped from her lips, I could see her resistance dissolving.

“Fine. But only if you carry me.”

She winked exaggeratedly, and I rolled my eyes, as I reached for her hand, and hoisted her up to her feet.

She wrapped her arms around my neck, then giggled, and I placed a hand on her shoulder, and guided her to an empty blanket, and as soon as she lay down, she was fast asleep.

I stroked her hair, studying her, as soft little sighs came from her partially open lips.

 _She really didn’t want to leave me alone with Cameron, did she,_ I thought, with some amusement.

I made sure that she settled in, before turning to Cameron.

Nolan had barely lasted an hour, and though I was supposed to wake her when he went to sleep, I opted to let her get the extra rest, which I knew she sorely needed; but as I approached her sleeping form now, an interesting experiment came to mind.

I reached for the back of my shirt, and unbuckled the belt, on which hung the hunting knife that I’d relieved Nolan of, then crept upon her sleeping form.

I paused, making sure that she was out cold, then slowly, gently, I shook her awake.

“Hey,” I whispered, as her eyes fluttered open, and as I held the weapon out to her, her eyes flashed quickly between it and me in a moment of panic, before she came to her senses.

“That is _not_ funny,” she croaked, her voice still gruff in its post sleep state.

“Tell that to the look on your face,” I teased, and she grabbed the knife.

“Fucking psychopath,” she cursed, shoving me in the chest, but as I fell backwards, smiling, I noticed that she was smiling, despite herself.

“You scared the shit out of me,” she complained, but I was unapologetic, and for all of her complaints, she still had a huge grin on her face.

She buckled the knife belt on, then hid it under her t-shirt, as she rubbed at her eyes.

“I look like a mess, don’t I?” she asked, and I shrugged.

“Can’t exactly expect you to wake up from two-hour naps looking like sleeping beauty, can I?” I replied, and she sighed.

“A simple yes would have sufficed.”

As Cameron fixed her medium length, dirty blonde hair into a pony-tail, I couldn’t help but note that this look, although simple, quite perfectly suited her.

“You look fine,” I offered, and as she looked over at me, half-expecting my comment to be in jest, she seemed suddenly taken aback by the sincerity in my eyes.

“Uh, thanks,” she replied, quickly looking away. “So, what’s the plan?”

I turned my gaze away from her, and to the now sleeping, injured guest, that we’d more or less left unattended for the night.

“We talk to her,” I answered.

***

“Time to wake up, sleeping beauty,” I called, and Cameron rolled her eyes as I glanced, subtly, in her direction.

“Ugh,” the girl groaned, clutching her injured arm, as she stirred.

But as she looked up, her eyes met my own, and she slumped back down with a groan.

“Are you here to kill me, finally?” she asked, and I let out a sigh.

“Look, I’m not gonna hurt you,” I offered, and she shot me a dubious look.

“Wait, you’re not?” Cameron cut in, her tone of confusion so perfectly delivered, that for a moment, even I felt genuinely confused. “I thought we were gonna…”

She quickly looked away, as if she’d accidentally jumped the gun, but our captor seemed unperturbed.

“I know he’s not gonna kill me until he gets what he wants,” she countered, folding her hands, and stifling a grimace. “He’s not gonna kill any of us; not until our usefulness has expired.”

“Look, I think we’re getting off on the wrong foot here. How about we start with something simple, like your name?” I asked.

It seemed like a pretty harmless request, yet the girl angrily gnashed her teeth at me.

“I’m not giving you _anything_ ,” she growled.

I sighed, and she immediately turned to Cameron.

“You need to understand. Everything they do is an act of manipulation. He’ll act nice, ask all sorts of thoughtful questions, but that’s all it is. An act. A show. To get what he wants.”

I was about to signal for a strategic retreat, but Cameron shot me a look that said ‘hold on’.

“He’s trying to be nice, but I’m going to be blunt. If you don’t tell us how you were injured, we’re going to have to assume that whoever hurt you, is still looking for you, and eventually they’re going to track you to here. So, we’ll have no choice but to pack up, and leave what seems to be a pretty good starting base, and find somewhere else safe to camp out. Now trust me when I say that if it comes to that, I am gonna to tie you to that fucking console and leave you to the mercy of whichever otherworlder ends up wandering back here first. So, is it gonna be that, or are you gonna talk?”

The girl stared at Cameron for a moment, seemingly defiant, but the subtle shaking in her hands was unmistakable.

Cameron signaled to me, then stood up to leave when-

“Casey,” her voice finally came, shaking slightly. “My name is Casey.”

Cameron nodded, and we made a quick retreat from her space.

“I might be a psychopath, but you are fucking terrifying,” I whispered, as soon as we were out of earshot.

“Thanks!” Cameron replied, a huge smile on her face. “I have to say, that was exhilarating,” she confessed, a veritable hop in her step, and I studied her with curiosity.

“Can’t say I know what you mean.”

She stopped, and studied me, questioningly.

“You’ve never threatened anyone?”

I shook my head.

“Scout’s honor,” I replied, raising a hand, and she smirked.

“You know, I’m starting to doubt your psychopath credentials. Are you one of those ‘be all quiet, then just go berserk on some random person one day’ psychopaths?”

“I’m not sure that’s a psychopath,” I replied, with some amusement, and Cameron rolled her eyes at me.

“Should we wake Jordan?” I asked, and Cameron glanced over at him.

“I dunno. I’m still pretty beat, and he got just about as much sleep as I did.”

I nodded.

“Okay, well just watch her for a sec. I wanna see how it looks outside.”

I quickly opened up the panel, then cautiously stepped out, and after a few short minutes, I was back inside.

“That was quick,” Cameron noted.

“No lights, and there’s no sign of a moon, so it’s a pretty dark night. Although, there might not even be one here… I dunno, but I haven’t been able to make out any stars in the sky that I recognize.”

“Looking for stars?” Cameron asked, and I nodded.

“It’ll help when we start moving around, for navigation, and even telling time, I think. I’m not big on astronomy though, so I don’t know if I’m even looking in the right places.”

“You know, I think Jordan’s pretty big on stargazing. Maybe we can ask him?”

“Is he now? I’m not even gonna ask how that came up in conversation, but yeah, I guess we can get him to take a look sometime.”

I stifled a yawn, and Cameron shot me a worried glance.

“Need to get some sleep?” she asked, and I sighed.

“It depends. You and I have an important mission today, so we need to synchronize our waking hours.”

“Oh? Do we, now?”

I walked over to the console, which thankfully, displayed a sort of clock, that we’d been making use of.

“From this timer, I think we might have roughly four hours left before dawn.”

“Okay.”

“We need to wake through to that time, then wake the others. You and I can then sleep for about four hours, then it’s time for us to head out and try to make contact with whichever locals that we can.”

“Sounds good,” she noted, but I could see her fidget a bit. “Actually… I could keep watch on my own, you know, and you could sleep? Four hours? After waking all night? That might not be good enough, and we’re gonna need you at your best.”

It was a decent suggestion, but Cameron seemed fidgety.

“That’s not a bad idea,” I lied, as if giving the idea some thought. “Are you sure you wouldn’t mind?”

Cameron quickly shook her head, and again, I noted her mannerism.

“Alright then,” I said, as I made for the blankets, and I quickly bunched a bit of the material at my head, then lay back, keeping my head propped up by resting my hands on them.

Cameron was definitely fidgety, and as I pretended to close my eyes, I could see her casting constant, furtive glances between me and Casey.

 _So that’s what you’re thinking_ , I thought.

Cameron was a smart girl, and obviously, I knew that sooner or later she’d ask Casey more about me.

Maybe about my past, or for confirmation that I was telling the truth about my own non-violent history, and I had no qualms about that because I knew my own record was impeccable.

After all, that was intentional on my part.

The thing is, I’d already planned to give her the space to have that conversation, eventually, but her actions right now were hurried. Rash.

And if she doubted me enough to act with such carelessness, then maybe she’d be susceptible to whatever Casey had to say, even if it were half-truths and twisted lies, which could be problematic.

Cameron’s influence within the group was significant.

As I continued to feign restlessness, I could see Cameron was becoming impatient, and eventually she began to approach me.

“Can’t fall asleep?” she asked, and I sighed, as she plopped down next to me.

“Nope.”

“Want me to sing you a lullaby?” she joked, and I snickered. “Well, that’s as much as you’ll get out of me. I’m not gonna come cuddle with you.”

“Actually,” I replied shooting her a wry smile, and she shot me a mock expression of shock.

But as she looked away, nervousness creeping back into her smile, an idea came to me.

I slowly moved my hand, over to where hers rested on the ground beside me, and she shot me a questioning glance as my fingers brushed the sides of her hand.

“Do you mind?” I asked, trying to sound as innocent as I could while maintaining some semblance of plausibility, and she quickly nodded, though seeming somewhat flustered.

I let my hand trace the outline of hers for a bit, before covering her hand with mine, and I quickly saw a flash of guilt cross her face, as she kept her gaze firmly cast away from me.

I let my hand move gently, in a steady rhythm, over hers, until eventually she took my hand in hers, and I let it rest there for a while, before delivering the deathblow.

“I think you should go talk to her,” I mumbled, doing my best to sound half-asleep.

“What?!” she exclaimed, before quickly regaining her composure,” Uh, I mean... why?”

“You made progress… before. I think you can get through to her,” I continued. “Just find out where we can stay… where’s safe.”

I let my hand slip from hers, as I rolled over onto my side, feigning sleep, and I silently wondered if this ‘peace offering’ would be enough.

Cameron remained still for a while, and as she got up to leave, I rolled over again, still feigning sleep, but hoping to get a better idea of what she was doing.

At first, she seemed torn between heading straight for Casey and waiting a bit, as she turned back to check for signs that I might not be sleeping, but her hesitation quickly gave way to curiosity, and she headed over to Casey.

Casey, however, seemed agitated, and their talk quickly escalated into an argument, which quickly got heated.

I raised a head, pretending to stir at the disturbance, and Cameron shot me a panicked look.

“Is everything okay?” I mouthed at her, from across the room, and she quickly shook her head, so I rose, with some effort, and headed over to them.

As I got there, I rubbed at my eyes in a show of shaking off my sleepiness, and Casey shot me a wicked stare.

“What’s wrong,” I asked.

Cameron seemed momentarily flustered, and to my surprise, Casey was the one to speak.

“This idiot keeps threatening me,” she spat, and I raised an eyebrow at Cameron.

_This one is quick, but her lie, too obvious._

Cameron on the other hand was smart, but she really needed to work on her reactions in these clutch situations.

“Well, she wouldn’t have to threaten you, if you’d be in the least bit helpful.”

Casey quickly glanced at Cameron, who I noted was looking on with a helpless, pleading expression.

_Play along? Is that what you’re trying to tell her?_

Part of me wanted to just out the plan and be done with the whole façade, but that would be a stupid move.

A word of advice to the youngsters out there; even if you’re right, it doesn’t matter, because unless you’ve got hard, physical proof to back up what you’re saying, people will lie, and you’ll just end up looking like the crazy one.

But… maybe there was another way to handle this.

I guess this was a good time as any to see if Casey really would ‘play along’.

“At least tell us how safe it is to stay here?” I asked, and Casey’s gaze, again, flickered between me and Cameron.

“It’s risky,” she finally answered, and I let out a sigh of relief.

“There. That wasn’t so hard, now was it?” I asked, and she frowned, her expression glum. “So why exactly is it risky?”

She had a glum look on her face, as she considered the alternatives, and after a moment of deliberation, she spoke:

“There are two types of guild halls. Starting halls, and random halls. This one is a starting hall, because new otherworlders appear here. There are otherworlders, newbie hunters, we call them, that hunt new recruits for quick profits. They like to frequent starting halls like this one.”

Fuck.

How many people were they sending here?

The two percent survival rate Casey mentioned had me thinking that otherworlders were fairly rare, but if there were numbers enough to go around newbie hunting, then this was way worse than I thought.

“So, where can we go? Are there places in the towns where we can stay?”

She shook her head.

“Locals hate us… fear us. You’d be lucky if they didn’t attack you on sight. Otherworlders have done more terrible things to them than you can imagine.”

“So, our biggest worry is others like us…”

“Others like _you_ ,” she corrected, and I sighed.

I pulled Cameron aside, now that she’d had some time to regain her composure.

“This is worse than I thought. We need to leave here as soon as possible.”

“So, what’s our next move then?” Cameron replied. “Do we take our chances, and find a camping spot somewhere, away from the towns?”

“I dunno. The area outside of this hall is just open fields and sparse patches of wood; nothing to provide us with ample cover. We might have to do some serious trekking to get to a good spot, and even then, without maps, it’s basically down to luck. Plus, we’ll need to spend everything we have now, since we won’t know when next we’ll be able to have access to a guild hall.”

“That sounds bad,” she agreed.

“Yeah. I’d wager our odds of survival would be less than ten percent. That would have to be our absolute, last resort. We’ll need to push forward with our plans. You and I need to get some sleep.”

“Is this for our special mission?” she asked, and I nodded.

She bit her lip, glancing back at Casey for a moment, before nodding in agreement.

“Okay. Let’s wake up Jordan. He can take the rest of the watch.”

As Cameron went over to wake Jordan up, I headed over to the console to check on a few things, but as I set about my task, I noted something interesting.

Cameron was whispering something to him, and he quickly glanced in my direction, a worried expression on his face.

 _Star gazing,_ I thought, suddenly remembering my earlier conversation with Cameron.

I’d suspected that there was a connection between Cameron, Nolan, and Jordan; but now I was certain.

Judging from Jordan’s reaction, though, maybe he wasn’t entirely a lost cause, but I’d have to remember to be careful around all three of them, nonetheless.

So… Francesca is all I have?

That’s not bad. I could work with that.

Still, this was an unnecessary annoyance.

Our situation was dire enough without conspirators within the group to worry about.

Maybe I would have been better off on my own? I wondered.

I made a mental note to consider re-visiting that plan.

As Cameron came over, I noted that she was now holding a rope coil in her hand.

“Easy, cowgirl. I don’t usually do the kinky stuff until at least the fourth date,” I teased, and she rolled her eyes at me.

“If Jordan’s gonna keep watch alone, I think we should probably tie her up. I don’t want her making off in some distraction, or something,” Cameron explained, and I gave a nod.

“Did that come with the survival pack?” I asked, and Cameron responded with a quick nod.

Casey wasn’t happy about it, but Cameron kept shooting her looks that said ‘please, behave?’ so we managed to get her tied up, without a hitch.

As we settled down to sleep, I noted that Cameron was trying, again, to get a word in with Jordan, but I was careless this time, and she caught my eyes on her.

“I’m really not cuddling you,” she called, and I replied with a shrug.

“Your loss.”

It was probably okay to leave them to chat, I thought, as I got myself into a comfortable position next to Francesca’s sleeping form.

_You know, if you didn’t wake for so long last night, I could have probably woken you up to help me right now!_

Well, the chances of them killing me in my sleep were slim anyway. I was more worried that Casey might try something if the person watching her got careless, but now that she was securely tied up, I could sleep with some sense of ease.

Not to mention, I couldn’t wake Francesca to watch over me without alerting Cameron to the fact that I was on to her.

It’ll be fine, I thought.

…probably.

And if not?

Well… then, I had a good run anyway.

I turned towards Francesca as I closed my eyes, and drifted off into a troubled sleep.

***

“Sir. I have a call from Joanna.”

“Joanna? It’s a bit early for an update, isn’t it? Patch her through,” the man replied.

“Very well.”

A space on his desk opened up, and a little glass tube rose up from somewhere under the desk’s surface.

A blue light momentarily filled the tube, before a projection of his new assistant flickered to life.

“Joanna! I wasn’t expecting to hear from you so soon.”

“We have a problem,” she replied.

“Problem? What kind of problem?”

“Uh, I’ve just found out that an undesirable was shipped out with the asset.”

“What kind of undesirable?”

“A former employee.”

“Are you fucking kidding me? Which moron authorized that?”

“I haven’t been able to find out. The operative came from a source with a class four or higher level of authorization, but she’s already revealed the asset’s nature to his placement group.”

“Fucking fuck!”

The man went berserk, grabbing a glass from his desk and hurling it into the wall across the room.

“Sir… there’s something else,” the girl added, with trepidation.

“What?!”

“A newbie hunter seems to be on the move in the asset’s placement zone.”

“Who is it?”

“Raul Garcia-Hernandez.”

“Christ. Don’t those Hispanics have their own planet to fuck up?”

“He’s an English-speaking Americ-”

“Yes, I fucking KNOW.”

“What do we do, sir?”

The man slumped back into his chair.

“What’s the current survival probability?”

“Less than one percent,” Joanna answered.

The man rubbed his forehead, agitatedly.

“If it’s a class four action, there’s nothing we can do for now. Find out who gave that order, and we’ll take it up with them in person.”

“But sir. I can’t investigate something with that level of clearance.”

“I don’t care how you do it, Joanna. Just get it done.”

The man dismissed the projection, then picked up the phone on his desk.

“Elena?”

“Yes sir.”

“Send someone in for cleanup,” he ordered. “And more scotch.”

“Right away, sir.”

***

“Hey, wakey-wakey.”

I stirred from sleep to Francesca’s effervescent greeting, and I gave a silent vote of thanks to the powers that be for sparing my life.

“Ugh,” I groaned, as I stretched out a sore spot on my back, and rose, with some discomfort, to a sitting position.

Cameron, I noted, was fast asleep beside me, and Nolan and Jordan were over by the console, doing some reading.

Casey also appeared to be resting, but as I surveyed the room, I suddenly noted that there was another person, standing in the room.

“He woke up?” I asked, and Francesca nodded.

“His name is Vince,” she said, “and he’s having a _really_ hard time with all this.”

As I studied him, I noticed that he seemed to be muttering something to himself, and I let out a sigh.

_He might be the first to crack, but he certainly wouldn’t be the last._

As I studied Cameron’s sleeping form, I cast a careful glance over to Nolan and Jordan, and sure enough, Nolan was casting subtle, furtive stares in our direction.

Come now, Cameron.

I’m not stupid enough to make the same mistakes you did.

Sure, I would need to talk to Francesca eventually, and get her firmly on my side, but I was in no rush.

“Did Cameron ask you not to wake her?” I asked.

“No. But Nolan said I should wake you first, and wait for your instructions.”

“Okay,” I responded, as I got up, and headed over to the two.

“Is it light out?” I asked, and Jordan nodded.

“About three hours now,” he replied.

I looked over to Cameron.

“Did she say not to wake her?” I asked, indicating to Cameron, and Jordan shook his head.

“I just thought I’d let you decide if to wake her, since you two were up together.”

I nodded, then turned to our sleeping captive.

“Did anyone get any more info out of her?” I asked, and again, Jordan shook his head.

“I don’t think anyone’s particularly eager to talk to her,” he replied, and I rubbed my chin, thoughtfully.

Jordan shot me an interesting look, and I made note of it, before heading over to Cameron.

This time, as I gently shook her awake, I held both of my hands up in mock surrender.

“No knife this time,” I promised, as she stirred, and Francesca was studying the interaction with interest.

“No knife? What’s that about?” she asked, and Cameron rolled her eyes, as she sat up.

“Someone’s a practical joker,” she answered, indicating towards me, and Francesca regarded me with interest.

“Teasing everyone, are we?” she asked, and I gave a quick shrug in response.

“Did the world come crashing down while I was asleep?” Cameron asked, and I chuckled.

 _I guess I wasn’t the only one who slept uneasy_.

“Looks like our unconscious guild-mate woke up,” I said, indicating to the boy, Vincent.

Or just, Vince, was it?

“He does not look alright,” Cameron noted, and I helped her up as she got her bearings. “That floor is not easy on the back.”

I nodded in agreement, but Francesca seemed indifferent.

“Wasn’t so bad,” she added, shrugging, and Cameron and I both laughed, derisively.

“What a thing it’d be to be young again,” Cameron muttered.

Francesca beamed, as if it were a direct compliment, and I smirked at the response.

“So, what’s the plan today?” Francesca asked, and I glanced over at Cameron.

“How long will you need to prepare before we can leave?”

“Leave?” Francesca asked, looking between us.

“Apparently, Nate and I have a date,” Cameron teased, and Francesca looked between us with genuine concern.

“Quit teasing the child,” I chided, and Francesca pouted in response. “Cameron and I are going to do some recon,” I explained, but Francesca seemed thoroughly displeased with that explanation.

“Can I come?” she asked, and I shook my head.

“We’re not just going to the town this time. It could be dangerous.”

Francesca pouted, but as she noted the serious look in my eyes, her childishness seemed to abate.

“So, what do we need to do in the meantime?” she asked, and Cameron studied us with renewed interest.

“You can probably try to fix that broken robot over there,” I indicated towards Vince. “Or see what you can get out of our ‘lonesome captive’.”

“Actually, I’m not sure we should approach her so lightly,” Cameron cut in, but I waved away the concern.

“Francesca will be fine. She can handle herself,” I added, and Francesca beamed as Cameron shook her head, disapprovingly.

As we walked over to where Jordan and Nolan were, I kept a subtle eye on them as the two gave Cameron a quick greeting.

 _Nothing weird there_ , I noted with some relief.

“So, what’s the plan?” Jordan asked, and Cameron turned to me, expectantly.

“We’re gonna start with the keep.”

“Lord Grumpy-pants?” Francesca asked, with some amusement, but the faces around us were anything but.

“Is that a good idea?” Nolan asked. “I mean, the town already gave us a pretty cold reception.”

“Yeah, but nobles and peasants don’t usually see eye to eye. Maybe, he might give us an ear.”

Cameron was studying me, unable to suppress her misgivings.

“He basically told us to fuck off or die,” she commented, and I bit my lip.

“I know. But that was yesterday. When we met him, we were like fish, fresh out the water. Now we have an understanding of where our kind stands in this world.”

“So, assuming he doesn’t have us imprisoned and executed, we do… what?”

“Make him a trade offer. Have any of you checked out that knife?” I asked, and everyone shook their heads. “Nolan? If I may?”

Nolan shot a quick look at Cameron, and she stared daggers at him, before he quickly produced the blade.

 _So, you have spoken to him,_ I thought.

I drew the blade from its sheath, then holding it up, for everyone to see, I placed my finger, just barely, towards the tip, and everyone gasped as a little trail of blood began to run down my finger.

“Damn. Is it really that sharp?” Jordan asked, and I shook my head.

“Not just sharp. Take a look at this.”

I walked over to one of the metal railings that surrounded the console area at the center of the room, then, taking the knife, I made two quick slices in opposing directions on the bar, and gasps followed, as the bit of metal slid, perfectly cut, onto the floor.

“The fuck?” Jordan exclaimed, and the group quickly came over to inspect the damage.

“If we can do this with a T-one, low grade, knife, then I can only imagine the havoc we’ve wreaked here.”

Everyone seemed amazed by the knife’s capabilities, but as they took turns examining it, I noted that Cameron seemed particularly disturbed.

She seemed on the verge of saying something, then decided against it.

“So, we demonstrate the knife to the Lord of the keep?” Cameron asked.

“Given his reactions to us yesterday, I’d assume he knows what our destructive capabilities are.”

“Then what?”

“I think we need to show him that we can offer something more than just tools of destruction.”

Cameron considered my suggestion, but as she did, I could sense something else in her eyes as she looked at me.

Was it… anger?

I wasn’t sure.

“So which group keeps the knife?” Cameron asked, finally.

“I think we should take it,” I replied.

She looked to the rest of the group, and everyone seemed in agreement.

“What if they get attacked?” she asked, and I sighed.

“If we get attacked right now, by anything more than local, badly equipped robbers, we’re fucked.”

“Then let’s buy weapons,” she replied, and again, I shook my head.

“Weapons can help us defend against two possible threats, total; Caleb’s group, and Vanessa’s.”

“So? Is that security not worth it?” she asked.

“It’s not that it’s not worth it. It’s just that, I doubt either group will attack.”

As we spoke, I noticed Francesca’s eyes on us, observing intently.

 _Good girl,_ I thought. _Watch well. Pay very close attention._

Cameron deliberated the problem for another minute, before finally agreeing to the plan.

“I think we should change into the clothes from the survival pack,” I suggested, and Cameron nodded in response.

Cameron headed off to the other side of the room, while Jordan, Nolan, and myself, stayed on the other side of the console, to give her some privacy.

 _Jeez, what I wouldn’t give for a bath,_ I thought, as I quickly stripped off my cotton shirt, but as I was about to replace it with the black, padded leather shirt from the survival pack, I felt a hand brush my shoulder.

“Whoa, nice pecs,” Francesca called, and I raised an eyebrow at her questioningly.

“Have you ever heard of privacy?” I chided, but she ignored the complaint, as she continued to examine me.

“Didn’t peg you for a fitness buff,” she continued, and I sighed.

“Quit teasing me. I’ve probably never exercised a day in my life,” I replied, and at this, Jordan raised an eyebrow.

“What?”

He walked over, and to my surprise, placed a hand at my ribs, poking a bit.

“Bullshit,” he said, and I as I examined my own stomach, I noticed, with interest, that the soft bit that I had been accustomed to, was indeed, noticeably firmer.

It wasn’t as if I’d gone from complete flab to muscle overnight, but it was… different, for sure.

Where was a mirror when you needed one? I thought, as I tried to get a proper look at myself.

“Hey Nolan, take off your shirt,” Jordan called.

Nolan tilted his head in confusion, but as he noted that we were serious, he complied.

“Whoa. Guys, he definitely didn’t look like that yesterday.”

Francesca and I both turned to Jordan, with questioning stares.

“What? No- he thought there was a spider in his shirt, and took it off. Fuck,” he cursed, and Francesca giggled.

“So, you’re certain. He wasn’t like that yesterday?” I asked, and he nodded.

This was interesting.

Was it this place, transforming us?

Or was it something they’d done.

“What are you thinking,” Francesca asked.

“They did say we were experiencing memory loss from the _transference_ … maybe we went through some kind of training program before coming here?” I answered, shrugging.

As we talked, Cameron came over, dressed in her changed outfit.

It was sleek, black, with long sleeves, and a belt pack strapped diagonally across the chest.

“Why aren’t you dressed,” she asked, and I got changed as the others explained our discovery to Cameron.

She seemed somewhat doubtful of our find, but since we had more pressing matters, we decided to leave that discussion for another time.

As we got ready to leave, Nolan unbuckled the knife belt.

“So, who keeps the knife?” he asked, and Cameron reached out, taking it.

“What? You know it’s better for Nate to keep it,” Francesca cut in, and I chuckled.

“Lesson one, young padawan. You don’t leave your only weapon with the psychopath,” I replied.

“Oh, come on. He’s always the first to react to everything that happens, and he keeps a cool head.”

I chuckled again, waving her complaints away, but as I headed towards the exit, Cameron stopped me.

“Francesca’s right,” she said, holding the belt out to me, and I studied her carefully as I considered the offering.

 _Learning to play the game, are we?_ I thought.

It was a risky move, on her part, but I was glad to play along, so I accepted the belt, and shot her a thankful nod.

We headed through the panel, and the others gave us their final wishes of ‘good luck’ before we closed the panel shut.

“Okay so, where do we-”

Her words trailed off as I stepped towards the panel, examining something.

“What is that?” she asked, and I held up my find; a little note, written on something that felt like… animal skin?

The words were badly scrawled and barely readable, but it read:

Stay the kill

To coming extermination

Make us God

The death

“What the fuck is this?” Cameron asked, as I handed her the note.

I took a quick look around, but there was no one in sight.

“Where was it?”

“Stuck to the panel,” I replied, and as she examined the back, I could see that there was some sort of sticky substance coming off on her fingers from the back of the note. “Wait. What’s that?”

I noticed there was something on the back of the note as well…

What was that?

A map?

“A map,” she confirmed.

She held the drawing up, then turned it, so that the map faced up, the same direction as the writing, then she took a step forward, and looked at the dirt pathways in front of us.

“These roads… this is it, isn’t it?”

There was a road which ran along the exit to our guild hall.

To the left, it went downhill to a fork in the path; the path left from here, was a road which continued uphill, towards the keep, while the road on the right made a V-like turn, running parallel to the road on which we stood, but heading down, eventually, to the village below.

I studied the lines she indicated, and indeed, it did appear to match.

“Then if we follow this path, there should be a bend going that way,” she pointed beyond the rocky outcropping, where the keep stood.

We quickly made our way down the hill, towards the fork, and as we cleared the rocky area, we noted that there was indeed a bend going away from the keep, and towards some hills in the distance.

“Those hills,” she said, pointing to the hills I’d mentioned. “That’s where the map would take us.”

I considered the development.

“This might be a better lead than the keep,” I offered, and she studied me, with some interest.

“This note, though. ‘To coming extermination’? ‘The death’? Some of this sounds… ominous.”

I rubbed my chin.

“I don’t understand it one bit, but… it kinda looks like if someone machine translated a message,” I offered. “Maybe none of that is really what we think it might.”

“Yeah, but aren’t we just grasping at straws here?”

“To be honest, trying the keep was grasping at straws… we have a good deal to offer them, but the chances that they’ll hear us out are slim to nothing.”

Cameron shot me an annoyed look, and I shrugged.

“What? It was all we had,” I replied, and she sighed.

“So, we forget the keep and just… follow this random thing? What if it’s a trap. We don’t know anything for certain.”

“Actually, we do know something. This note was placed on the entrance to the guild hall. That seems pretty intentional. Whoever put it there wanted to make contact with us, and they showed us how to do it.”

As Cameron considered the dilemma, I offered a solution.

“If you’re worried, I actually don’t mind going alone,” I offered.

“No. No, it’s fine. I’m curious about it as well,” Cameron answered.

She held up the map once more, to confirm the location indicated, then we headed off.

The road was flat, and straight, and after walking for something like fifteen minutes, I noted that we were nearing the hills that we’d seen in the distance.

“This looked a lot closer, from back there,” I noted, and Cameron nodded in agreement.

As we paused, I took a moment to look back at the keep behind us, and noticed for the first time that the structure stood, quite impressively, casting an imposing shadow over the surrounding landscape.

“That’s odd,” I noted, and Cameron followed my gaze back to the keep.

“What?”

“There’s no mountains around us,” I thought, looking around, and Cameron raised an eyebrow at me, questioningly.

“And? Oh, I’m sorry, did Gandalf promise you mountains?” Cameron teased, and I smirked in response.

“No, but… those rocks. I mean, that outcropping that the keep was built over. I don’t see them anywhere else except over there. That’s odd, isn’t it?”

Cameron thought about my observation, her interest piqued.

“You think it wasn’t naturally formed?” she asked, and I shrugged.

“I’m no geography major, but I don’t think rocks just spring up out of the ground like that, do they?”

Cameron nodded in agreement.

“The keep’s position seems perfect. In the middle of these huge plains,” she added. “You know, now that you mention it, this area seems… weirdly empty.”

“Empty, how?”

“Like, back there, there’s the town below the keep, and like, three or four villages spread out beyond?”

“Hmm. You’re right,” I concurred, as I took a look around.

I mean, the road we were on was dusty and dry, but the plains all around us were green and lush.

Even the hills that we were fast approaching were covered with greenery.

“Maybe something drives people away from here,” I suggested, and Cameron gulped nervously.

“Like, whoever left that note?” Cameron asked.

“We should probably be careful,” I suggested, and Cameron gave a quick nod.

We continued on for another fifteen or so minutes before we climbed the first hill, and we stopped as Cameron consulted the map.

“This is where we go off-road, I think,” she said.

She passed me the map, and I noted that it had indicated a place, on the other side of a hill, that rose up, off to our left.

“Would sure be nice to have a compass,” I noted, taking a look around.

I mean, sure. The keep was very much visible from some distance away, so we should be fine. But it was risky, and I cursed myself for not thinking of checking for one on the catalog.

“So, do we proceed?” she asked, “or should we come back when we’re better prepared?”

I shook my head.

Honestly, as risky as it was, the others were in as much danger as we were.

After all, this newbie hunter could show up there at any time.

“The clock is ticking. We need to go back with something solid, or our next move will be a death march into the unknown lands beyond these hills,” I answered, and Cameron nodded.

We made our way over the hill, but was we came to what appeared to be the spot indicated on the map, we found-

“Nothing! There’s nothing here,” Cameron said. “Ugh!”

She kicked at a tuff of grass, as I looked around.

“Let’s not lose heart just yet,” I chided, as I studied the bare hill face.

Was this just an elaborate prank?

The chances of that seemed quite unlikely.

We were just missing the link.

I was still studying the grassy surface around me when I heard it.

“Psst.”

I turned to Cameron, who was sitting down, her head in her hands.

“Psst!”

There it was again. I turned this time in the direction of the sound, while trying to signal to Cameron.

“Auslander,” the voice spoke. “Don’t kill. Just want speak.”

The voice seemed to be coming from a tuft of grass, and my eyes went wide, as the little bit of shrubbery, suddenly moved, and a face peeked out at me.

“Uh, Cameron,” I called, and she looked up at me, questioningly.

I motioned towards the bush, and she jumped to her feet, ready to react to whatever was happening.

“No kill, Auslander! No kill,” the voice pleaded, and I quickly raised my hands, showing they were empty.

I kept watch on Cameron on the periphery of my vision.

I wasn’t sure if she had caught sight of our quarry, so I hoped that she wouldn’t do anything rash or stupid.

“No kill,” I repeated, displaying my hands. “No kill.”

_This was kind of bad._

I had the only weapon, and if something happened to me, Cameron would be defenseless.

I didn’t sense hostility, but this… person, or creature, or whatever it was seemed scared.

If they attacked; could I reach my knife in time?

I took a cautious step toward the bush, still holding my hands up, and now that I was closer, I could clearly make out what appeared to be the face of a young boy, his features very much that of an ordinary human’s, with the exception of his skin which was a hue of pale green.

Was that camouflage?

“Help?” I offered, indicating subtly, towards myself, and at this, the boy’s ears perked up in response.

“Help. Yes, help!”

He seemed excited, and for a moment, I had no idea if he wanted help, or if he was excited to help me.

He stepped forward, but some movement from Cameron spooked him again.

“No kill, Auslander. No kill, please.”

He cowered, almost to the floor, and I studied the reaction with interest.

Casey wasn’t kidding.

We must be monsters to these people.

“No kill,” I offered again. “Promise.”

His ears perked up at this again, and I hoped that meant that he understood.

“Friend,” I said, indicating to Cameron, and the boy’s eyes darted between us, before he gave a nod, indicating, I hoped, that he understood.

I signaled to Cameron, and she began to walk, cautiously, over to me.

“This is _not_ what I was expecting,” she whispered, as soon as she was next to me.

“Really? I mean, you did see the message.”

She sighed.

“Can they even be of use to us,” she asked, and I nodded.

“If they have a village, and they’re willing to offer us shelter, then they might as well be our fucking saviors,” I replied.

The boy was studying us with a conflicted expression, when suddenly, I remembered the note.

“Lemme see the note for a sec,” I said, and Cameron, slowly, retrieved the item from the pouch that was slung across her chest.

“Message?” I asked, holding the note up, and at this, the young boy’s face brightened.

“Ahh. Einladung! Yes, Auslander.”

Wait, wasn’t that German?

 _Invitation_ , I think, right?

He began speaking quickly, much too quickly for me to understand, and I signaled for him to slow down.

Well, my German might be rusty, but guess I’ll give it a go.

“Uh, this was an invitation?” I asked, in what I was certain was terribly pronounced German, and Cameron shot me a questioning stare.

“Ja. Yes, Auslander. Einladung!”

He began speaking again, too rapidly for me to understand, so I cut in-

“Slowly, uh- langsam?” I said, hoping I’d remembered the right word, and again, he nodded, and began speaking a lot more slowly.

“What the fuck is going on,” Cameron asked, her frustration getting the better of her.

“He’s speaking German, I think… or something like it. It’s weird, just- hold on.”

The boy spoke, and I listened, trying my best to understand.

“It sounds like this was an invitation. I’m not sure I get it. I think he said his uh… ‘Garbung’? I think it is, sent this in the hopes that we would meet with him.”

“What’s ‘Garbung’? Something in German?” she asked, and I shrugged.

“If it is, it’s a word I’ve never heard. It could be a title, or something from a different language.”

“Why would it be a different language?” Cameron asked.

“That’s the weird thing. Some of the words he’s speaking are German, but some of the words aren’t at all, and there’s some English in between. Have you ever heard of Patois?”

“I’m sorry, what?”

“Patois. It’s spelled like, P-a-t-o-i-s, but pronounced, pat-wa.”

“No. What is that?”

“During French colonization of the Caribbean, the slaves developed a language that incorporated the French that they were forced to learn, with the grammar and sentence structure of their native languages. The languages blended more and more over time, until it became basically its own unique language.”

“Weird segue, but okay…”

“Sorry. This language is basically like that. German, mixed with some English, and something else that I don’t understand at all.

“By the way, can we address the fact that you speak fucking German?” Cameron asked, and I chuckled.

“That’s a long story,” I replied.

The young boy was now looking between us with a worried expression, so I figured it was time to get back to the task at hand.

“Will you take us to your, uh, Garbung?” I asked him in German, and he quickly nodded in response.

He began to climb the hill, though making sure to keep very low, and we followed, carefully behind.

As he got to the top of the hill, he signaled for us to wait, as he climbed the rest of the way on his stomach.

He took a proper look around, then after he was satisfied that the way was clear, he stood up, and I noted, now that I could finally see him standing properly, that he stood just under five feet tall.

He appeared to be young, like, maybe the equivalent of a twelve-year-old human.

“Diesen weg,” he called, as he pointed to us to an adjacent hill.

We walked, and as we got to the hill, the boy stopped, then began to stomp around a particular spot.

As soon as he hit a spot which produced a hollow sound, he stopped, and I watched with interest as he lifted what appeared to be a somewhat flat rock, covered with tufts of grass that were designed to look like the rest of the hill face.

He pointed towards the hole, and I shot Cameron a worried look.

“Fuck me, we have no lights,” I muttered, and she frowned.

“This seems risky,” she said, a worried look on her face.

“If you want, you can head back, and get the rest of the group to meet up here, maybe?”

“And if you don’t come back, we wait?”

I shook my head in response.

“There’s a patch of woods over the hills, in that direction,” I said, indicating as subtly as I could. “If I’m not here, by say, four hours to sundown, head that way and find a place to make camp. Just make sure to plan your purchases. Spend everything, get at least three weapons, and as much supplies as you can.”

Cameron studied me, a strange look on her face, until she let out a sigh.

“Fuck it, let’s just see where this goes,” she replied, and I shrugged.

“Well then, ladies first?” I touted, and she rolled her eyes at me.

She stepped up, then climbed carefully into the hole, which was quite spacious enough for an average sized person.

The green boy nodded to me, and as I followed her down, he came in, though, from what I could tell, he seemed to be closing the space with the rock, as he climbed in.

He struggled for a bit, then the light disappeared as the rock went into place with a dull ‘thud’, but as the sunlight disappeared, I noticed, with curiosity, that I could still see.

“Is it just me, or is there some kind of light in here,” Cameron asked, and I nodded, looking around as I did.

We seemed to be in a hollowed-out space, large enough for about five people to stand comfortably, and the space lead to a narrower corridor, which, like the larger space, wasn’t exactly a tight squeeze.

“Diesen weg,” the boy said again, and we followed him as he led us down the corridor, though as we walked, I noticed that boy still seemed on edge.

 _Strange_ , I thought. _If they built this passageway, shouldn’t it be safe?_

I considered enquiring about the peculiarity, when the boy suddenly froze, and he put a hand up to stop us.

Cameron and I came to a halt, and as we stood silently, I suddenly noticed that Cameron had grabbed ahold of my hand.

We waited, our eyes on the boy, until suddenly, his expression changed.

“Auslander. Kill?” he said, and Cameron’s hand quickly tightened around my own.

I tilted my head, feeling confused, until the boy indicated ahead, but as I looked on, I saw nothing.

I kept my gaze forward, straining my eyes to see, until finally my eyesight began to adjust to the darkness, and then I saw it.

A large creature.

If I didn’t know I was on another planet, I would have immediately guessed that it was a bear, but whether or not earth animals even existed here, I didn’t yet know.

The creature, nonetheless, was hairy and large, standing about as tall as the tunnel was.

Seven feet, maybe?

It cut an imposing form, and as I studied the scene, I saw that it seemed to be occupied with something on the floor.

“Do you see it?” I whispered to Cameron, and as she did, her hand went to her mouth as she muffled a shriek.

She nodded.

“What do we do?” she asked, and I now noted that the boy seemed to be looking at me, expectantly, a confused look on his face.

_Fuck._

We were supposed to be super-monsters, weren’t we?

I reached towards the knife on my back, and traced its length around its sheath.

The blade’s unique sharpness would no doubt slice the creature with ease, but was its length enough to make a thorough enough slice?

On a good note, it was short enough that I could swing it within the tunnel’s narrow space.

There was no doubt.

I would have to go for it.

I withdrew the blade slowly, and as I did, I could see the young boy’s eyes light up.

He shrank back, giving me room to move forward, and as I did, I felt Cameron’s hands, clinging to me.

I looked back, and she shook her head, her face frightful.

She bit her hand, and as she looked forward, I followed her gaze to where the creature was, and now I saw that its head was visible, as it bit into… something, on the floor, with rows of wicked looking teeth.

Shit.

This was the moment.

I shook her hands off of me, then moved my hand slowly in the arc that I imagined I would have to swing, making sure I had enough room to deliver the blow.

Then, without another word I dashed forward as fast as I could.

Shit.

How far away am I?

 _Too far idiot!_ I thought, as the creature looked up, clearly catching sight of me.

But whether it was the assurance it felt in its space, or the lack of danger it perceived from me, it seemed to barely move, only growling as I neared it, and I swung, my blow aimed at the neck.

 _Did it land?_ I thought.

As I sliced through, I skidded to a halt, but a new thought suddenly occurred to me.

_Shit, what if it swipes at me with those claws?_

I immediately leapt several feet back, but the counter strike I anticipated didn’t come, and instead a stream of blood burst from its hide, and the creature slumped to the ground, its body twitching as it bled out.

I stood in spot, a feeling of exhilaration rushing through me, and as I looked back at Cameron, I remember the feeling she’d described after threatening Casey this earlier in the day.

Was this what she meant?

I wasn’t sure.

But fuck, if it didn’t feel good.

As the creature went still, the green boy rushed past me, examining it, a stream of exclamations coming forth, as he stared between the creature’s corpse and my blade.

“Holy shit, you killed it,” Cameron breathed.

She placed a hand on me as she looked over my shoulder, studying the scene.

“You actually killed it.”

As I stared at the creature, I held the knife up, glancing over at Cameron.

Sure, I may have killed it, but that was ninety percent the weapon, and ten percent me.

“What’re you doing?” Cameron asked, as I approached the dead creature, knife drawn.

“We’re supposed to collect energy cores from these things, aren’t we?”

I tried to turn the creature over, but it was heavier than I imagined, and Cameron rolled her eyes as I shot her a ‘wanna help?’ look.

After some effort, we got it lying face up, and I examined the body with interest.

Where would the energy core be?

My first instinct was at the heart, so I sliced the blade along the chest, but after making several incisions, all I found was flesh, bone, and organ.

The little green boy was studying us with interest, and as I glanced at him, he gestured to his left wrist.

I studied the spot, where the implant in my hand undoubtedly lay, but the boy gestured to the same spot on the creature, and I suddenly understood.

Quickly, I made an incision along the length of the creature’s forearm, and Cameron gasped as we caught sight of the glowing, blue thing.

“Are you serious?” she breathed, as I dug the thing out, then held it up.

The external shell was hard, but smooth like glass, and inside, a series of rings of varying sizes seemed to be in perpetual orbit around the objects core, as little pulses emanated from it.

I passed the object to Cameron, and she studied it with serious interest.

“How much do you think it’s worth?” she asked, and I shrugged.

“We’ll find out when we get back, I guess.”

She offered it to me, and I shook my head, pointing to her own pack, and she stowed the item as I sheathed the knife, and the boy led us along, excitedly now.

The tunnel wound along for quite some time until, finally, we saw a bit of sunlight, far off in the distance at the end of a long stretch of tunnel.

We continued along, and as we exited the tunnel, we found ourselves in the midst of what appeared to be a forest.

“Holy shit,” Cameron said, in marvel, as her eyes looked upwards to the forest canopy, and as I followed her gaze, I let out a gasp of my own.

The forest canopy seemed to form a dome over the area, only allowing sunlight, in little beams, to sneak through the little spaces in the dense canopy of branches and leaves.

But the impressive part wasn’t the way it covered the sky, but the height at which it did, ascending for what seemed like stories upon stories, far above us.

“How tall do you think it is?” I asked, and Cameron looked around, unable to control her amazement at the scene.

“Fuck. Three, maybe four hundred feet?”

As we took in the scene, the boy now studied us; a prideful, though somewhat bemused, expression on his face.

He gave us time to take it all in, and when it looked as if we were ready, he led us along again, though this time, finally, he seemed much more at ease than before, so I took the opportunity to start some conversation.

As we spoke, Cameron looked at me, expectantly.

“Gunter?” I said, as I caught her gaze. “His name is Gunter, I think.”

“Nathan,” I said, pointing to myself, before introducing Cameron.

The boy nodded excitedly, repeating our names several times, to make sure that he was getting it right.

“Have you figured out where we’re going?” Cameron asked, and I nodded.

“It seems they have a village, or something like that.”

“Something like that?”

“Yeah,” I rubbed the back of my head. “I can’t really remember the German words for town, village, or any of the stuff like that.”

Cameron smirked a little at this.

“So, are you gonna tell me why you know German?” she asked, and as I glanced over at her I could tell that she wasn’t going to drop it.

“I’m worked for investment bankers,” I began, and she nodded. “The group I worked for have ties all over Europe. They got the opportunity to expand into Germany, but they needed to send someone over to help set up a base of operations. It sounded like a promising opportunity, so I went for it.”

“Really. Why?” she asked.

“I dunno. I was young. It was a chance to live in a different place. Besides, my employers were supposedly English speaking, and I’d been told I could get by reasonably well without needing to learn the language.”

“So, what changed?”

“My… boss.” I sighed, as I recalled the memory. “He, uh, seemed to not speak English at all. All of my clients did, and so did most of the people around where I stayed and everything else. But my boss didn’t, and even if he did understand me, he refused to do anything unless I tried to speak in German, and he always gave all of his orders and instructions in German. So, I basically I had no choice but to learn. By the end of the year, I could hold a fairly decent conversation in German.”

“I see.”

“Get this though; on my last night, they decide to throw me a little going away party, and my boss decides to give a speech. So, he gets up, and says something like, ‘A thank you, Nathan, for your service and contribution. I hope you’ve learned a thing or two in your time here, and I wish you a long, and fortuitous future in investment banking.’ His English was flawless. Perfect pronunciation, perfect accent, everything.”

“Oh, that’s brilliant!” Cameron burst out laughing, and I let out a deep breath, as the green boy stopped, studying her with curiosity.

She laughed for a bit, and we continued on.

“So, have you figured out what they want with us?” she asked, wiping tears from her eyes as she simmered down from laughing at my expense.

“He’s tried to explain, but what I think he’s saying either doesn’t make sense, or I don’t get it.”

“Huh. Example?” she asked, and I thought about it for a bit.

“He’s saying something that translates to like, make a god? Make us gods?”

“As long as they don’t throw us into a volcano, that should be fine, right?” Cameron asked, and I bit my lip.

“I dunno. From what he’s saying, they basically consider us to be gods already.”

“Then why the need to even make us gods?” Cameron asked, and I shrugged.

“That’s why I don’t get it. Maybe he means, make us into their god? I dunno.”

As we walked on for a bit, I saw no sign that we were nearing this village of theirs, so indicated to him that I wanted to stop for a bit.

The boy seemed perplexed, but consented nonetheless.

“What is it?” Cameron asked, and I rubbed my chin, thoughtfully.

“We’re walking too far,” I replied, and she arched an eyebrow, questioningly.

“This doesn’t seem that far.”

“I don’t mean in terms of distance. If this happens to go south, I’m not sure we can find our way back on our own.”

“Seriously? This seems like a fairly easy path to follow,” she replied, indicating to the trail on which we’d been trekking, but I shook my head.

“From here, I think we can get back on our own, but if we keep walking, I’m not sure we’ll be able to pin-point the exact spot that we accessed that tunnel from. This path has branched a few times already, and I’ve spotted a few more openings like that tunnel along the way. If we’re not careful, we could get lost.”

Sure, it was a straight shot back from that tunnel, but if we couldn’t find that tunnel, then without knowing where, or how large this forest was, we could easily get lost in here perpetually, and without a compass or any means with which to navigate, that was a real possibility.

“So, what are you thinking?” she asked.

“We could keep going. Or, we could cut our losses now and head back. Inside of here, our group’s survivability with weapons and tools from the catalog would be pretty high. The biggest risk is not knowing what the forest’s inhabitants are like.”

Cameron bit her lip.

“I don’t like that idea. If there are things lurking in here like that… creature, we could be overwhelmed in one night.”

I nodded, conceding that that was indeed a risk, given that there may be even more dangerous things in here than that bear-thing.

“What do you think we should do?” Cameron asked.

“Head back,” I replied, and she considered it again.

“I dunno, Nate. If they’ve got a village, then that would offer us some real comfort and security. And if they think of us as gods, letting us stay is a real possibility.”

I sighed.

“The gods part actually bothers me. What if they test us to see if we are gods? We could probably fight a monster, but bring a dead child back to life? Make a volcano erupt? There are a lot of misunderstandings that can arise.”

Cameron shook her head.

“I don’t think the risk outweighs the benefits,” she replied, and I nodded.

She was right, but I needed to make sure she understood that there was indeed, an element of risk.

So, I indicated to Gunter, and we continued forward.

It was another hour almost before we stopped again, but this time, I could see a veritable look of excitement on Gunter’s face.

We were close.

We walked, a little more cautiously now, until suddenly, Gunter held up a hand, and we came to a halt.

“Oyeoyeahhhhh!” a call came from somewhere, in the trees ahead.

Gunter returned the call, then we waited.

“What’s going on?” Cameron asked.

I tried asking, but whatever Gunter was trying to say was beyond my comprehension.

We waited for what felt like a long time, when a small group of green skinned folk came approaching us from beyond a thick cluster of trees up ahead.

As the group approached, I suddenly noted that Gunter seemed really nervous all of a sudden, and I shot Cameron a quick look that said, ‘keep your eyes open’, and she nodded in response as the group neared.

A man at the head of the group, wearing what appeared to be something like a toga, shouted something, as he came to a stop before us, and Gunter quickly stepped forward, and pressed his head to the floor.

The man was speaking to him, quite agitatedly, and as Gunter replied, the conversation became more and more heated.

“What’s going on?” Cameron asked, but I held up a hand, trying to silence her.

As they continued to speak, I noticed that a few more faces, all green like Gunter’s, had begun to peek out around us.

 _It’d be bad if we were surrounded_ , I thought.

The conversation before us also appeared to be going badly, and I found myself reaching for my knife, in case of an emergency, as the man appeared to raise a hand, ready to strike at Gunter.

But before the blow could be delivered, a thunderous shout came echoing from the distance, and everyone seemed to go still, even the angry man.

I studied the scene, and slowly, in the distance, I saw the emerging figure of a man.

Despite the difference in his features, I could tell that he was old with age, as his skin was wrinkled, and more of a pale grey, than the greens I saw all around me.

He walked with the aid of a stick, and as he came forth, everyone seemed to regard him with reverence, and even, perhaps, a bit of fear, but to my surprise, he walked right past the man and Gunter, and instead, approached Cameron and me directly.

“Auslanders! Herzlich willkommen bei uns,” the man called, and I nodded, courteously, indicating to Cameron to do the same.

As he spoke to me, I was relieved to find that he spoke what appeared to be closer to German than whatever the boy was speaking, and I quickly relayed his words to Cameron.

“He welcomes us to their lands,” I relayed, and she let out a relieved sigh.

“Jesus. Was starting to think they were gonna eat us,” she replied.

“Don’t relax just yet. There’s still time,” I teased.

The older man spoke to the boy, and as the boy explained something in that strange mixed German tongue, I lost track of what was going on, but the older man seemed pleased, to my relief.

“Un Garbung,” the boy said, and I snickered, as I finally understood.

“Garbung,” I said, bowing my head slightly. “Nathan,” I replied, introducing myself, before turning to Cameron.

“Cameron,” she offered, glancing me for confirmation that an introduction was in order, and I gave a quick nod.

The man led us, and as we walked along the pathway to the thicket from which the earlier group had also emerged, I noticed that all eyes were on us, looking on with wonder.

As we stepped into the thicket, the path turned left, and as we emerged from the bush, we were greeted with a most unexpected sight.

“Palancar,” the man announced, raising his hands in a gesture of introduction.

“Whoa,” Cameron mouthed, almost too dumbstruck to get the words out, and I could see why.

Before us was a sprawling city built into a clustered network of massive trees.

The trees themselves were not only tall, but with massive diameters, easily exceeding hundreds of feet, and a multitude of huts lined its outer rims, supported by wooden brackets.

The city seemed also quite well connected, with rope bridges connecting some of the smaller branches, but for the larger branches, and between the tree trunks themselves, an impressive network of surprisingly sturdy looking wooden bridges created connections between everything.

“Are those people, inside the trunks?” Cameron asked, I noted, with interest, that the trunks appeared to have windows and exits carved into them, creating story upon story of rooms within their very frames.

Everyone seemed to be going about their way with such briskness and purpose, that the place felt more like a metropolis than the tribal village I’d expected.

If we could stay here, this could be more than we could have ever hoped for.

I glanced at Cameron, and I could see, from her expression, that she was thinking the same thing.

“Auslander,” the man began, and I turned towards him as he began to speak in German.

“What’d he say?” Cameron asked, as soon as he was done.

“He wants to take us to his place, to discuss their… plan? I think. But before he can, we have to be presented before an important person.”

“Can they understand English at all?” she asked, keeping her voice low.

“Not sure. Haven’t seen any indication that they do, but you never know, so for now, let’s just keep the conversation kosher.”

She nodded in agreement.

As we followed Garbung, I noticed that more eyes seemed to be turning our way, and the city’s inhabitants seemed to be abandoning their own goings, to look on.

The numbers quickly increased until a veritable crowd was gathered, though keeping some distance, to look on as we passed through their town.

“These ‘people’… do we even call them people?” Cameron asked, and I shrugged.

“By the usual accepted definitions, most biological, sentient bi-peds fit the term, ‘people’.”

Cameron rolled her eyes before continuing.

“What do they call themselves? Do you know?”

I relayed the message, and the initial answer came from Gunter, who, I realized, was following along closely with a quite smug expression on his face.

“Gobbo gobbo!” he replied, somewhat enthusiastically, which prompted Garbung to shoot him an annoyed look.

He offered an expanded explanation.

“Kobalt?” I repeated, making sure that I had gotten the word right, and man nodded in response, before continuing further, and I in turn, began to relay the explanation to Cameron.

“Kobalt is what they have called themselves since, uh, some event thing that I didn’t quite catch. Humans call them goblins, but they find the word offensive.”

“Hmm,” Cameron responded, thoughtfully.

As we walked, I took note of the structures of the trees around us.

Their roots, as one would expect, were massive, standing some ten to fifteen feet high, and walkways appeared to have been carved into them, forming some aesthetically pleasing arches and passes.

We walked past the first few trees that we’d noted when we first entered _Palancar_ , and now, with walkways and balconies lined along the trees around us, we could see that the initial stir that our intrusion had caused had now evolved into a spectacle.

“Where exactly are we going?” Cameron asked.

I relayed the message, and Garbung pointed at a tree, which I now noticed, seemed to stand out amongst the others; not for its impressive size, but rather for its diminutive nature, off in the distance.

As we approached the tree, I noticed that it’s trunk did not extend towards the canopy that formed a sort of natural dome over the entire city, but rather, seemed to have been lopped off at the top, and stood as if it had been decapitated and left standing, in death.

As we neared the tree, I also noticed that the tree’s bark seemed healthy.

It was unusual to say the least.

“What could even do that to a tree that big?” Cameron asked.

I decided to pass the question on to Garbung, and he considered the question with a look of scrutiny.

He spoke for a while, and I gulped.

“It seems the treetop was severed by an otherworlder,” I said. “The first of the gods that they’d encountered. I don’t think he was impressed by the fact that we didn’t know that.”

“Shit,” she cursed. “Do you think an otherworlder really did that?”

“I dunno. I have no idea how it’d be possible. Could be a myth passed down to them?”

“Fucking hell, Nate. How long have they been sending people here?”

It was a hell of a question.

This technology couldn’t possibly be that old, could it?

He led us on, nonetheless, to the tree, and as we entered through a grand main hall, I was fascinated to discover that on the inside, it seemed very much like a building.

There were walls, and corridors, and as we walked, I could see many _Kobalt_ going about their various tasks, stopping only to marvel as we continued on past them.

“Those are desks. And chairs,” Cameron noted, with some amazement, and I nodded.

They were eerily reminiscent of what a modern-day office looked like, weren’t they?

This couldn’t be an accident.

Maybe this otherworlder had a bigger part to play in the building of this city than we imagined.

We followed Garbung until we came to a huge pair of doors, where another Kobalt, this one younger, and her features distinctly feminine, approached us.

She and Garbung conversed a bit, though in the same peculiar language that Gunter spoke in, and as they did, I noted that she wore the same toga-like outfit as the man who’d first approached us outside of Palancar.

As I listened in on the conversation, my eyes wandered over to the Kobalt girl.

She was a bit shorter than Garbung, and her frame was quite slender, but as she spoke, she raised her hand and for a moment, I caught sight of the swell of a breast, momentarily visible out of the side of her loose, toga sleeve.

Her skin was that same pale green as Gunter’s.

Would it be soft, and smooth, as I imagined a girl’s might be? I wondered, but as I did, I found Cameron shooting me a disapproving stare.

“Would Francesca approve of you ogling a goblin girl?” she chided, her voice barely a whisper.

“My curiosity is purely professional, I assure you,” I responded, and she shook a head disapprovingly.

“Sure… you were just checking out her boobs for science, right?”

As Cameron finished speaking, however, the doors before us burst open, and Garbung and the Kobalt girl quickly stopped speaking as they bowed deeply, and kept their gazes downcast as an elderly Kobalt woman walked towards us.

“Lucilla Màter,” Garbung began, but she quickly lifted a hand, silencing him.

She walked, with some difficulty past him, turning to Cameron, who I now noted, had bowed just as Garbung and the other girl had.

She spoke in German, and I quickly translated her message for Cameron.

“She says that Auslanders are never to bow to a Kobalt.”

Cameron stood up, and as she did the woman spoke again, and I gulped, as I understood her words.

“She also kindly requests that you refrain from using the word ‘Goblin’, at least, while you are here.”

The woman turned, then walked back, and after speaking to Garbung, he lifted his head, and the two began to speak.

“Shit, she heard that?” Cameron whispered, moving closer to my side, and I shot her a worried look.

“Apparently. Let’s try to keep the conversation to a minimum,” I replied, and she nodded.

After all, these people might speak perfect English for all we knew.

I tried to follow the conversation as Garbung and this ‘Lucilla Màter’ spoke, but it seemed they spoke in that same peculiar tongue.

Several times, during their conversation, Garbung indicated towards us, and the old woman seemed unhappy, wrinkling her brow, and speaking in what sounded like disapproving tones.

Eventually, however, their conversation came to an end, and she raised a hand, seemingly dismissing Garbung, who bowed deeply again, as she turned to leave.

Garbung turned now to address me, and I quickly relayed the message to Cameron.

“He explained that Lucilla is the matron mother of the Kobalt, and that she has given him leave to hold a discussion in private with us before the council officially convenes.”

“Jeez. Do you have any idea yet what he wants from us?” Cameron asked, and I shook my head in response.

Garbung motioned us forward, and we followed him again past the large chamber to a stairway, which took us several stories up to a new floor.

Here, we were met with a corridor, with doors lined along its length, as it twisted and turned about, no doubt snaking its way around the rooms that lay around us.

Eventually we came to a quaint looking door, vines strewn about it, and with bits of rot eating away at the corners, and the old man withdrew a key, opening the door up, and ushering us inside.

Once inside, I noted with interest that the room was quite large, and seemed to have all of the necessary elements of a cozy, little living space.

There was a kitchenette on eastern wall, furniture for relaxation as well as a little table suited for meals, and across the room was an exit to one of those suspended balconies, which offered an impressive view of the town beyond.

“Whoa. Can we get an apartment like this, or what?” Cameron asked, and I nodded in agreement.

Whoever built all this did one hell of a job of replicating a modern urban living space.

Garbung led us a seat on what appeared to be a wooden loveseat, padded with a kind of fiber mat, before ringing a little bell, which prompted Gunter to come bursting through the door.

Garbung quickly gave him instructions, and he immediately nodded before heading off.

“He says that Gunter will return shortly with food and drink,” I relayed to Cameron, and she let out a relieved sigh.

 _I know what you mean_ , I thought, as it had now been about six hours since we’d eaten before setting out.

We settled in, and after making sure we were comfortable, Garbung took a seat across from us, and began to talk.

“He says he’s very grateful that we accepted his invitation, and he hopes we can get along. It seems, he’s aware of the fact that we are otherworlders who’ve just arrived here.”

Cameron regarded the revelation with concern.

“That doesn’t sound good,” she replied, and I shrugged.

“I had suspicions that he’d known as much. I mean, they did leave the note on the front door of a starting hall, didn’t they?”

I gestured to Garbung, and he gave a nod as he continued.

“It seems he has a proposition for us.”

The man spoke some more, and I tilted my head as he spoke.

We spoke back and forth for a bit, as I tried to get clearer explanations for the things I didn’t understand, and eventually, Cameron cut in.

“What’s going on?” she asked.

“Uh, it seems they know that many of the otherworlders perish quickly after arriving here. He thinks that we, meaning you and I, aren’t like them, that we’re strong, but if we wish to keep the others safe, younglings, he calls them, we could bring them here, I think?”

Cameron regarded the offer with skepticism.

“That sounds like exactly what we wanted. Isn’t this just too good to be true? I mean, what do they want in return?”

I posed the question to Garbung, and as he responded, I noted that his expression seemed to shift a bit.

“He says that as we grow strong, he hopes our strength can-” I paused, turning to Garbung for clarification.

“-uh, transfer our strength to their people. His exact words, I think. I’m not sure what he’s saying. He’s using a word, uh, zeugen… not sure what it means, if I’m honest.”

Cameron pondered the explanation.

“What do you think?”

“Unless this word, zeugen, means murdering and eating us or something, it’s a perfect deal. I say we accept it and figure out the rest from there. At least, it seems, that they know that there’s more of us, and they’re welcome as well.”

Cameron nodded, and as I relayed our acceptance to Garbung, he seemed relieved, though, a little perplexed.

I shot Cameron a look, to see if she’d picked up the reaction as well, but she seemed to be looking around at the room instead.

 _Stop counting your eggs before they hatch_ , I thought, but she only caught my gaze as I shook my head disapprovingly.

“What?” she mouthed, as Gunter entered the room, a tray in his hand which held two earthen cups, and an earthen tray laden with little slices of some kind of smoked meat.

We accepted the offering, and as I ate, I noted that the meat, while fairly juicy and smoky, seemed to lack any basic seasoning.

The drink appeared to be a kind of wine, which Cameron downed, quite eagerly.

I ate modestly, only taking a few sips of the drink, and as Cameron eyed my nearly full cup several times, I finally offered it to her, shaking my head as she accepted it readily.

“Got something against alcohol?” she asked, and I shrugged, taking a sip from my waterskin instead.

“Hate to drink on an empty stomach,” I replied, as the meat, while tasty, was barely filling.

As Cameron finished her second cup, Gunter returned with two more cups, and Garbung thanked him, before sending him off, if I’d heard correctly, with a message for the matron.

Cameron drank the first cup, nearly all at once, but before she could reach for the second, we were summoned, as the matron evidently sent the Kobalt girl from earlier, along with Gunter to fetch us.

We headed for the large council chamber from earlier, and as I peered inside, I now saw that a few new faces had appeared in there, one of which was the angry looking Kobalt man who we’d encountered when we first arrived.

He glared at Gunter, who cowered beside us, as he regarded the man fearfully.

 _I wonder what the story was there,_ I thought.

As the Kobalt girl led us to the center of the room, I noted that there were chairs, arranged in a circular pattern about the room’s perimeter, and as we took up our spots at the center, Lucilla Màter took her seat on a chair, which was somewhat elevated above the others.

Everyone began taking their seats, one by one around us, and Gunter bowed deeply, first to the matron, then to us, and finally his master, before scampering away.

The doors were closed, and as Garbung took his own seat, I noted there were no empty chairs in the room.

That meant… fifteen council members, with every seat being at all times filled.

I made a mental note of this, when Garbung stood up, and the Kobalt girl he had spoken to when we first came before this chamber, stepped forward, and Cameron shot me a warning look.

 _Jeez, I won’t ogle her_ , I thought, conveying the message through an annoyed look, which put a little smirk on Cameron’s face.

“Die Grusse, Auslander. Mine name, Gisela. If you permit, I may speak for our words onto you.”

A translator?

 _Finally_! I thought, my relief as palpable as Cameron’s.

“Yes, please,” I responded, and Cameron quickly nodded in agreement.

She turned to the matron, and nodded, and the older woman stood up, and began to speak.

“Our people have pride, and honorably we stand steady as the _kismet_ grove. Suns rise, and sink, and many Kobalt grow time-weary and pass, and starry-eyed sprouts come forth to replace them.”

Wait… come forth.

Garbung used that word when he spoke, didn’t he? But wasn’t the context completely different?

I brushed the thought aside as the matron’s speech continued.

“The sun-cycles give strength to saplings, but takes that strength as branches, once strong, wither away and fall, returning to the earth from which it sprung.”

The matron indicated to us now, as she spoke.

“But the strength of the Auslander is enduring. Before the sun-cycle, their strength neither wanes nor waxes, as the life-heart grows evermore, with power.”

 _Wait, was she implying that we don’t age as they do?_ _Surely that couldn’t be right_ , I thought.

As the matron spoke, she raised her left hand, wrist facing forward, and I shot Cameron a quick look, and she nodded.

 _Our wrist implant_ , I thought. _Just how much did these people really know about us?_

As our translator finished speaking, the matron banged her staff on the floor, as she made a declaration.

“Lucilla Mater requests that the princess stand before the council.”

Cameron shot me a questioning look, and I shrugged.

It was the first I’d heard of any princess, but it now made me curious about their system of governance.

A princess and a council.

As I pondered the matter, the doors opened up, and as I turned around, I saw her.

She was a petite thing, with a pretty, round face, much like Francesca’s, and dressed in robes which flowed down to the floor, and draped all around her.

Tribal markings had been painted on her face, adding to the spectacle that seemed to surround her entrance, and she wore an intricate headpiece which not only covered her hair, but framed her face.

As she entered the room, my eyes zeroed in on the headpiece, which stuck out, to me.

It was silvery, and clearly made of metal, with etchings of the great trees in which the city had been built, on its sides; and unless I was mistaken, it was the first item made of metal that I’d seen in my time at Palancar.

I eyed Cameron, wondering if she’d noticed it as well, but instead she seemed to be giving me a ‘don’t you dare ogle the princess’ look.

I was still trying to convey my message when to my surprise, and Cameron’s, the girl walked right up to me, then extended a hand, and brought it to rest on my cheek.

She stood on tip toe, as she leaned into me, bringing our faces uncomfortably close together, and our noses brushed as she nuzzled, somewhat affectionately against me.

“Götze,” she whispered, a desiring look in her eyes, and as she stepped back and took up her own place beside us, I glanced over at Cameron, only to see my own shock mirrored by the open-mouthed look of surprise on her face.

The princess then nodded to Garbung, and at this, he stood up and began to speak.

“The princess is offer her sanctuary to Auslanders, in discussion for power,” the girl translated, and murmurs could be heard around the council at this.

The murmurs continued for a bit, before the angry looking Kobalt man stood up, speaking with serious agitation, and as the gasps momentarily intensified, Lucilla herself banged her staff on the floor.

I looked to Gisela for a translation of what was said, but she averted her eyes, swallowing uncomfortably.

Cameron was shooting me a worried look, but the disturbance simmered down as Matron Lucilla brought her staff down onto the floor.

She yelled something at the man who’d spoken, and he seemed to be in genuine shock, immediately bowing deeply, and speaking, apologetically it seemed, to the matron, then to the princess.

 _Well that’s a relief_ , I thought. _If the matron’s authority is beyond question, then we’re good here as long as we stay on her good side._

A look of anger, however, remained in the Kobalt man’s eyes, as his gaze shifted between me and Garbung.

I made a mental note to enquire about the exchange later.

The matron spoke again, and this time, the council chanted in response, in unison.

“The council’s discussion is unanimous,” Gisela translated, and as I looked over to Cameron, she shrugged.

“Good job?” she mouthed, but her attention quickly turned to the princess, who it appears, was now ready to speak.

“The princess wishes knowledge of the Aulander’s name.”

“Nathan,” I replied, but the princess quickly crossed her arms, turning her nose up as she shook her head in disapproval.

“Götze,” she replied, stressing the word, and Gisela quickly translated.

“The princess wishes you be called, Götze.”

 _Wishes, my ass!_ I thought.

She might as well have just changed my name.

“I consent,” I replied.

The princess smiled happily, for a moment, before putting on an air of austerity.

“May I know the princess’ name?” I asked.

Gisela relayed the question, and the princess answered, a strange, mystifying look on her face.

“When it is due,” Gisela answered.

The princess studied my reaction, before speaking again.

“Before the council, Herr Götze, do you pledge your power unto the princess?”

I looked to Cameron who shot me a look that said ‘go with it!’

“I do,” I replied, a little apprehensively.

“Do you pledge unto her your loyalty,” the girl translated, as the princess circled me, pausing to hear my response.

I gulped.

This was becoming problematic.

After all, this was a contractual agreement to which I had no say in the terms, but what choice did I have but to agree?

“I do.”

“Do you pledge onto her, your honor,” Gisela translated.

“I do.”

The princess smiled, pausing before me this time as she spoke, and Gisela cleared her throat, speaking in a lower tone this time as she translated.

“Do you pledge to the princess, the seed from which Godlings of her own, will grow.”

The princess took my hand, and rested it suggestively on her stomach, swaying girlishly as her eyes remain locked onto my own, and I blinked several times, as my powers of comprehension seemed to momentarily fail me.

“I, uh…”

Bring forth godlings…

Fucking hell.

This is what they meant!

This is why my calm acceptance of their proposal was met with those dubious looks.

I glanced quickly at Cameron, who shot me that same warning look.

The princess’s brow wrinkled, as she waited, expectantly, and I gulped.

Gisela quickly spoke to her, and I caught enough of her words to understand that she’d told the princess my confusion was due to a fault in her translation, and I shot her a thankful look.

“They’re expecting you to accept,” Cameron said, in a hushed whisper. “Stick to the plan. Accept now, and work out the details later, right?”

“That was before I found out they wanted me to impregnate their princess!”

“Apologies, Auslander, but the princess’ patience is not well known.”

There was no choice, really.

I took a deep breath in.

“I do,” I replied, trying hard to contain my grimace as Cameron grinned with delight at my discomfort.

The princess’ annoyance seemed to evaporate instantly at my enunciation of acceptance, and now, she looked at me, that desiring look in her eyes as she spoke.

“Do you pledge unto the princess, the pleasures of your flesh,” Gisela asked.

“I do,” I replied again, and this time, the matron stood up, making a declaration as she banged her staff onto the floor.

“The matron declares you and the princess to be of one heart, one flesh, and one soul.”

Fucking hell.

I just got married, didn’t I?

The council erupted into a series of cheers, but even as the meeting seemed to come to an end, I noted that several council members, most notably the angry man, but along with several others, seemed thoroughly displeased with the development, and they remained seated even as the other council members surrounded us, offering various words in a congratulatory tone.

“Did I just get married to a Kobalt princess?” I muttered to Cameron, and she shrugged, almost unable to contain her sheer delight over the development.

“You took one for the team, and we appreciate your sacrifice greatly” she answered, winking and smiling widely.

We were ushered from the hall, and out of the old, decapitated tree, where a veritable mob awaited us.

As we emerged from the old tree, the princess took my hand in hers, lifting it to a thunderous rain of whistles and applause.

To my relief, I noticed that our translator had managed to remain close by, and I turned to her, trying to speak above the din.

“What happens now?” I asked.

“The princess will escort the gods to her grove. A temporary resting awaits until your own branch upraises.”

“That’s good, right?” Cameron called, and I bit my lip.

“The sun’s getting low,” I replied. “We need to get back to the others.”

Cameron nodded.

“Maybe you can get a word in when you get to her, uh, grove or whatever.”

We walked, quickly, considering the spectacle, and our parade finally ended as we entered a large tree somewhere off to the left and several trees away from the old tree where the council had convened.

As we entered the tree, the princess spoke to Gisela, and she nodded, quickly relaying some commands to the Kobalt standing around us.

They quickly rushed off, and I turned now to Gisela.

“Will Garbung be meeting us here?” I asked, and she nodded.

“He will be here shortly.”

As we waited, some Kobalt came rushing in, and I was surprised to find that they seemed to be bringing in pieces of furniture, which they quickly assembled into a modest, but comfortable, seating area.

The princess took a seat beside me, and offered Cameron a spot on a separate, single chair, beside us.

As we sat, the princess seemed to be answered questions from a group of Kobalt who, from their dress and manner of speaking, appeared to be of some kind of elevated status.

We waited for about ten minutes, when Garbung finally came hobbling in, with the Kobalt matron in tow.

Gisela signaled to him, and he quickly came over to me, bowing deeply.

“Meister Götze,” he addressed me, before speaking to me in German.

I looked to Gisela for a translation, but her attention seemed to be directed elsewhere.

“My friends,” I explained, in German, “when can we bring them here?”

He considered the request, and I noticed the princess was now also studying me.

“Godlings?” she asked, and as Garbung nodded, her eyes flickered first to me, then Cameron, with interest.

“Like this one?” she asked, and I bit my lip, taken aback by her sudden use of English.

Her accent was quite thick, with the ‘this’ sounding a bit more like ‘zis’.

“Uhh,” I replied, unsure of how to explain, when Cameron cut in.

“Like me, like him. Both,” she replied, gesturing to our bodies, and as the princess considered her response, I noted that her eyes now travelled up and down Cameron’s body.

“When?” she asked, and I let out a sigh of relief.

“As soon as possible.”

The princess didn’t seem to understand, and Gisela quickly translated.

Her response however, was of such surprise, that again, I became suspicious that there was something getting lost in translation.

“Tonight?” she said, and I looked to Cameron, trying to convey my misgivings, but Cameron was oblivious, and she quickly answered in the affirmative, shooting me a look of ‘well that went perfectly.’

The princess spoke, now to the matron, and the two spoke in hushed tones for a bit, before the matron made a declaration, clearing all of the other Kobalt out of the area.

She then spoke to us, and Gisela quickly translated.

“The princess says that it is not her place to prevent the introduction of new Godlings, but her presence is demanded in the bringing forth ceremony.”

“Uh… sure, that sounds fine,” I replied, and Cameron quickly nodded in agreement.

Gisela relayed the replies to the princess, and she clapped her hands together, speaking again, but now, quite excitedly.

“The princess wishes to prepare the Goddess for the ceremony,” Gisela relayed, speaking to Cameron, and as Cameron nodded, the princess rose up, giving an excited squeal as she took Cameron’s hand.

“What? Now?” Cameron asked, as the girl pulled her up.

She shot me a panicked look.

“I can get the others by myself,” I replied, but she didn’t seem pleased.

“How do I know you won’t run away?” she asked, and I sighed.

“Troubling, as these developments might be… you were right. This place is the best possible place for us to settle down. So, you can relax; I won’t run. I’ll fetch the others and be back here before you’re ready for this ceremony.”

Cameron sighed, but nonetheless agreed, and the princess quickly whisked her away, along with Gisela.

 _There goes my translator_ , I thought, as Matron Lucilla hobbled away, after them.

I turned now to Garbung, hoping that my rough German wouldn’t get me into more trouble.

“How soon can I leave?” I asked, in German, and the man seemed confused.

“Leave?”

“To fetch my friends. The other ‘godlings’?”

He furrowed his brow as he considered my request, and as I took in the reaction with some confusion, Gunter came bursting into the room.

Garbung quickly spoke to him, indicating to me, and the boy nodded enthusiastically.

He said something to Garbung, and the man nodded, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

“These gods. Are they of kin? Family?” he clarified, and I nodded quickly.

A lie, sure, but maybe this would convey the urgency.

Garbung deliberated for a bit, before finally, offering me an answer.

“We will dispatch a team in the morning to extract the God-kin.”

“It’s urgent,” I replied. “Can’t we go now?”

The man spoke to Gunter for a bit, then shook his head.

“The journey will see nightfall. It is too risky, Auslander. The forest beyond the grove is perilous at dark. One day you will see strength enough, but it is not now.”

This was bad.

Every second Francesca and the others stayed in the guild hall brought them closer to calamity.

The man, sensing my concern, spoke to Gunter again, and this time, the boy bowed, then headed off.

“There are hunters I can dispatch. They will spend the night looking over the God-kin, and Gunter will go with them. In the meantime, Auslander, you should eat. Rest. Prepare for the ceremony.”

I was about to ask how the ceremony to welcome my friends could still happen when if we couldn’t go get them until the next day, but Garbung waved away my concern as he left, apparently to attend to other matters that urgently needed seeing to.

He left me in the care of several capable Kobalt boys, none of whom, it seemed, spoke German, but instead that kind of pidgin tongue that most of them seemed to speak.

I was taken, first, to a room within the princess’ ‘grove’, where food was brought to me.

It was very much like the ‘apartment’ in which we’d spoken to Garbung.

After I ate, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that even running water was available, as my attendees urged me into taking a shower.

As I undressed, I was initially unsure of what to do with my knife as I was reluctant to leave it out of reach, so I decided to take the shower with the belt strapped on.

Water seemed to come through a system of bamboo like, hollow, wooden stalks, but I had little time to examine the mechanics behind it as my attendees, to my annoyance, pushed me to quickly wash myself, before dressing me in a new set of Kobalt style-garbs.

The robes, evidently cotton, were quite comfortable and easily allowed me to keep my knife concealed, and I was also provided with a pair of wooden sandals which were much easier to slip on, and unlike the leather boots that came with the survival set, really allowed my feet to breathe.

But now that I was changed, fed, and felt somewhat refreshed, I suddenly noticed that there seemed to be some intense conversation taking place between my attendees.

I tried to listen, to see if I could pick up any German, but between their unique accent and the rapidity with which they spoke, I eventually gave up, and instead, opted to lay down on the bed, made available, in my room.

I felt… tired.

It had been a long day, and as I found myself drifting in and out of a light sleep, I hoped that the now pointless ‘welcoming ceremony’ would not be anything particularly taxing.

Eventually though, it seems, I did drift off, as I stirred awake to the sight of the Kobalt princess, shaking me gently, and casting me that somewhat suggestive look she was so fond of looking at me with.

“Ugh,” I groaned, as I sat up with some difficulty, and I found myself, somewhat unexpectedly, alone in my room with the princess, Gisela, and Cameron.

Cameron seemed a little fidgety, and I rubbed the sleepiness from my eyes, as I took in the scene around me.

“Gisela, can you ask her? If I can speak to Nate alone,” Cameron asked, and the girl nodded.

As Gisela spoke, the princess looked at Cameron for a moment, and as Cameron shot her a nervous smile, she shrugged, then headed away from the bed with Gisela, towards the seating area just beyond.

“Jeez, I hope this ceremony isn’t some big hullabaloo,” I began, but Cameron quickly cut me off.

“Nate, we’re in trouble,” Cameron whispered, her voice low, but desperate.

“Yeah, I know, but hopefully it’ll be fine. It’s just one more day.”

“What do you mean?”

“The others? Bringing them over here,” I replied, my curiosity now piqued.

“No, you don’t understand,” Cameron replied, exasperatedly. “It’s about the ceremony.”

“Calm down. Explain,” I countered, sitting up and paying attention.

“We don’t have much time. Matron Lucilla is on her way here. They think we want to make Godlings, Nate. _Our_ godlings.”

Ohhhh.

Bring forth godlings, I thought, as realization dawned on me, and I let out a laugh.

“Oh, this is brilliant. That’s why they think we want sanctuary here. They think we wanna make babies!”

The princess cast a curious look our way, so I brought my laugh down to a low chuckle.

“This _isn’t_ funny Nate.”

“It is, a little. What’s the big deal anyway? It’s a misunderstanding. We can just back out. Just, say you’re not in the mood, or on your period or something.”

Cameron shook her head, tearfully.

“You don’t get it, Nate. Your princess is fucking psyched as hell about this. I’ve been trying to get out of it all evening but she’s not having it at all.”

Figures. She didn’t look like the type to handle disappointment particularly well.

Besides, as far as they were concerned, this was probably a rare chance for the princess to observe how us Gods copulate in preparation for her own venture in birthing Godlings.

My Godlings…

Sigh.

I didn’t mind so much bedding the princess.

That in itself was thrilling.

But mutant Kobalt-babies weren’t high on my list of priorities.

Anyway, back to the predicament at hand.

What should we do?

You know, now that I think about it… it kinda serves Cameron right.

I mean, she did laugh at my own situation with the princess earlier.

It’d make for a nice karmic revenge… well, maybe not.

She did seem pretty terrified.

Guess I’ll help her out.

“Let’s just fake it,” I offered, and Cameron studied me worriedly. “I mean, they probably don’t even know if the parts match right.”

Cameron quickly looked away, and I sighed.

“Out with it,” I said, and she bit her fingernails, nervously.

“Before I knew what they were about… they, uh, examined me, Nate” she replied.

I rubbed my temple, a headache starting to set in.

“I just thought it was a ‘curiosity’ thing!” she replied, her frustration and fear taking over.

“Okay, okay. It’s fine… we can still fake it, we just need to be convincing, right?

Cameron nodded, accepting that this was perhaps the best way out.

I glanced over to the other room as the door opened, and some more attendees ushered Matron Lucilla into the room.

“Fuck,” Cameron cursed, a brief look of panic in her eyes.

“Okay, think quick! Just… get on your knees, and I’ll get behind you, okay? Use our robes, to cover it up. We’ll just kind of grind on each other a bit. Just don’t rush, make it look natural.”

I quickly withdrew the knife belt from my back, and stowed under the bed, just within reach.

Cameron nodded quickly, and as Gisela signaled to her, Cameron gave a reluctant, nervous nod, and the group came over to us.

The matron’s attendees brought a chair over to us, and as soon as she was seated, they took off, leaving us with Gisela, the princess, and the matron.

As they looked to us, we gave each other a quick nod.

Cameron bunched up the base of her robe, allowing me access without view to her posterior, and as I unclasped my own robes, I let the material fall around us.

There, under the concealment of our garb, I withdrew my member, and after stroking it to some semblance of an erection, I acted, as if nestling myself within her.

I patted the bare skin on the inside of her leg, as a signal, and Cameron let out a moan, as if being entered.

The act, however was particularly unconvincing, and I could see clearly that the princess was thoroughly dissatisfied with the way things were developing.

Nonetheless, I began to move, roughly thrusting myself into Cameron’s rear, and she made more moans as we simulated, what I was now certain, would be the most comical sex scene ever.

I was about to check on how our show was being received, when the princess stomped her foot, bringing our act to a halt as she voiced her objection.

“The princess says the Gods are much hasty,” Gisela translated, “and that godlings will not come forth this way.”

The princess spoke some more, and Gisela nodded.

“She wishes that you learn by her. Herr Götze, relax backwards,” Gisela instructed, as the princess gently pushed me at the chest, and I quickly covered my shame as I moved into a sitting position, my back braced slightly by the wall behind us.

Then she turned to Cameron, who was struggling, it seemed, to keep it together.

“Frau Camryn,” Gisela began. “Your tension betrays you. Slow the breath. Breathe deep. Relax.”

Cameron nodded, and I noted, with some interest, that she’d actually listened to the princess’ advice.

The princess then directed Cameron into the position where she wanted her, sitting, off to the side of her leg, directly in front of me, and just at the edge of the bed.

“Look upon the god-mate. His form, outline. He is beautiful, but through you he will be majestic.”

The princess brought Cameron closer to me, and as she did, she pulled me back from the wall, and tutted at me.

“This goddess is your support. Lean on her, and she leans on you.”

I nodded, my hand reaching for Cameron’s, and she took it in hers, as the princess coaxed us again, closer.

She was breathing faster now, as the spaces between us vanished, and eventually, she lifted up, settling her legs on either side of my thighs, partially straddling me.

“Relax,” Gisela translated, as the princess spoke soothingly to Cameron.

She nodded, slowing her breathing down again, and the princess continued with her lesson.

“Look to the lips,” Gisela instructed.

For a second, I thought this had been directed to me, but the princess took Cameron’s hands, and guided her fingers to brush gently against my lips.

I had to admit, being the passive party here was quite unusual, but I didn’t find it unpleasant.

“These lips once suckled the teat of a god-mother, for sustenance, but now he will drink of you to nourish a new desire. Sustain him. Nurture the carnal impulse.”

Cameron gulped, as the princess unclasped the ties at the front of her robe, and pulled back the garment, slowly, over her shoulders, and her naked breasts spilled forth.

My eyes momentarily flickered to them and a pained expression flashed in Cameron’s eyes, so I quickly verted my gaze.

“No! No, no, no,” the princess scolded me, tutting at me as if I were a misbehaving child.

She began to speak to me, her tone impassioned, and Gisela quickly translated.

“The Goddess offers you her form, uncloaked. See her. Honor her with desiring eyes. She is not the helpless maiden in the bazaar. She is before you, chosen, burning with the need for godlings.”

Cameron bit her lip, shifting her shoulders uncomfortably, so I fixed my gaze on her eyes.

 _You are beautiful_ , I thought, willing the idea into a look of complete sincerity, and Cameron blushed.

“He desires you,” Gisela translated, as the princess coaxed Cameron forward. “Go to him, sustain his hunger with the body.”

I searched her eyes for some sign, and Cameron shot me a resigned look that said ‘do what you must’.

She leaned forward, and I released her hand as I placed a hand on her hip, and as she leaned, her breasts swayed subtly, so close that every breath I exhaled now caressed them, and if I wanted, I could have probably tasted them with my tongue.

I studied them for a moment; they were full, round.

Not the budding breasts of a girl, but the fully matured breasts of a woman.

 _Don’t hate me,_ I thought, as I leaned forward, brushing my lips against the swaying mounds of flesh.

Her skin was soft, and there was the slightly salty taste of sweat mixed with something that arose in me, desires.

I felt myself stirring as my lips kissed the side of her left breast, but as I looked up to her face, I saw that she still looked unsettled, and fearful.

I decided to soften my touches, and as I continued to plant soft kisses along the fatty sides of her breasts, I was eventually rewarded with a soft moan.

Cameron gave me a quick, consenting nod, and at that signal I really went at it, sucking one of her nipples into my mouth as I reached up with my free hand, cupping the right breast.

As I sucked and kissed her left breast, I took the nipple of the right between my thumb and forefinger, but as I twisted it, she winced, and I shot her an apologetic look.

I flicked the stiff nub, rubbing it a little more gently, and she nodded her approval as another moan escaped her lips.

“He is ready for you,” Gisela translated, as the princess continued to speak. “Go to him, now.”

Cameron looked into my eyes, and bit her lip nervously.

She shifted her weight onto her knees, and pushed away from me a little, and I quickly withdrew my stiffened rod from its confines.

Cameron’s gaze shifted to my part, and she stared at it as if entranced.

She allowed her robes to drape around us, concealing the areas where our areas would meet, much to the princess’ dismay, however, before she settled into place, she reached down, grasping my meat, and positioning it so that it fit snugly against her slit.

I shot her a questioning look.

“Let’s make it look good this time,” she whispered, and pleasurable jolts shot up my spine as she flexed her hips, sliding her sex against mine.

She was wet, and it only took a few gyrations before my meat was slippery with her juices and my own pre-cum.

 _We’re really doing this,_ I thought.

This wasn’t kissing, and petting, and a show anymore.

This was as intimate as sex; and as Cameron threw her head back, her hands running through her hair as she quickened her motions, I gave in to the pleasure as she did.

I placed a hand on her hips, and helped her to move as she ground against me, biting her lips, and building a steady rhythm.

It was pleasurable, and I had just begun to enjoy the sensation when she began to move quickly, much too quickly, and I looked, with interest as she began moan, a climax fast approaching.

It was surprising, and I felt somewhat disappointed as she let out a muted, orgasmic gasp, before slowing down her movements as she wound the orgasm down.

She panted.

Would this be enough?

This time, our lovemaking was real, but given how quickly Cameron climaxed, would it be enough to satisfy the princess?

I looked to her for some indication, but this time, it was the matron who spoke.

“The matron wonders if the gods know how to make godlings,” Gisela relayed, and the woman spoke again. “Godlings will not come forth, unless the stem is planted firmly within the Goddess’ fertile soil.”

The princess’ gaze quickly flashed to where our bare sex lay hidden beneath the robes, and Cameron gulped as the princess reached for the cloth, and withdrew the robe, exposing us completely, and studying us with a mix of fascination and lust.

At the princess’ urging, Cameron lifted her weight off of me, and the princess grasped my cock, aiming the head at the slit of Cameron’s sex.

I jumped as she brushed my sensitive tip against the slick, wet, place, parting Cameron’s lips just slightly to reveal the opening hidden within, and as she urged Cameron onto the erect thing, I could see her body shudder as it made contact.

“Relax, child. Ease yourself onto him. Do as you learned; combine the pleasures, and become as one.”

Cameron closed her eyes, her body shaking, and as she lowered herself onto me, her fists were balled tight, and I studied her with interest.

Something’s not right.

That reaction.

It wasn’t about who she was being made to do this with, it was about what we were doing, and it was triggering a full-on traumatic breakdown.

“Stop,” I began, as Cameron began hyperventilating, but she shook her head.

“No, I- uh, I just need to,” she shuddered again, this time more visibly, and as she tried to force herself down onto me, she finally broke down, and began to sob.

I wrapped my arms around her, and stopped her from moving, then slowly, withdrew myself from her within her.

“We’re done,” I said, directing my words initially at the princess, before speaking them again to Cameron. “It’s okay, now, we’re done.”

I offered the words, as soothingly as I could, and as the princess reached out, offering comfort of her own, the old woman held up a hand to stop her.

She signaled to the two, and as they stood up, preparing to leave, the princess shot me a look that was equal parts panicked and disappointed.

Thankfully, they left the room without complaint, but even so, Cameron held onto me, continuing to sob.

She cried for what felt like an eternity, and even as the sobbing eventually subsided, she remained in my arms, curled up as if in a cocoon, and letting out the occasional whimper.

I ran my hand soothingly through her hair, holding her, until eventually she went completely still, and as we remained like that, the light from the room faded, as dusk approached and night beckoned.

“You probably think I’m stupid, don’t you?” she finally asked.

“What?”

I had begun to think she’d fallen asleep, but the question was so out of the left field, it caught me off guard.

“Who has an orgasm then freaks out like that, right? Isn’t that what you’re thinking?”

She spat the words out with a tinge of venom, and I bit my lip as I now understood the nature of the question.

“That’d be a stupid thing to think. I mean, that’s not really how trauma works.”

It was as clear a case of PTSD as I’d ever seen.

Someone had abused her; of that I was now certain.

Cameron tilted her head at the comment, her interest piqued, so I continued.

“Having the capacity to feel pleasure doesn’t invalidate your trauma. I mean, it’s not like if you can feel traumatized one hundred percent of the time. Thinking that you’re stupid in this situation would be nonsensical.”

Cameron seemed taken aback by the comment, and she studied me for a moment, before leaning back with a sigh.

“Wish I could have found a man who thought that way before I got banished to this place,” she replied.

She was silent again for a while, before again, finding her voice.

“Do you mind if we stay like this?” she asked, and as I nodded, she adjusted herself, so that she fit more snugly in my arms.

“Still don’t think I’m stupid?” she asked, as I resumed my caressing of her hair.

“For what?”

“For asking for this,” she responded, and I smirked.

“What? Closeness? Comfort?”

She shook her head.

“For seeking it with you,” she replied, and I sighed.

“You really don’t like me, do you?” I asked, and she lifted her head up, looking up at me.

“It’s not that. It’s just, you’re a gigantic, walking, red flag.”

She thought about it for a bit, then looked away, a distant look in her eye.

“Maybe everything I know is wrong… Right now, this is the most comforted I’ve felt in… ever.”

“Well, if it makes you feel any better, I feel absolutely nothing,” I offered, and she smirked.

“Sadly, your honesty only makes me feel even more reassured.”

She shot me a wry smile, and I returned it.

“You’re serious though, aren’t you? You feel nothing?” she asked, and I nodded.

“Does that bother you?” I asked.

She shrugged.

“Kind of.”

“Why? Do you want me to feel something?” I asked, and she pouted.

“We’re naked and cuddling on an alien planet. Cut a girl some slack,” she replied, and I smirked.

“Well, sorry. But it’s not like I can help it.”

We were quiet for a few moments, when she spoke again.

“So, what _do_ you feel?” she asked, and I considered the question.

“You mean, in general?” and she nodded. “Mostly, pleasure. Desire. Sometimes excitement, happiness, comfort; but those are pretty rare.”

“So, you can’t feel negative emotions at all? Guilt? Anxiety?”

“I can potentially feel anything. Uh, I think the term used to describe me is ‘autonomically hyporeactive’. It basically means that it takes a lot for me to feel even a little.”

“So… you’ve never felt guilty in your whole life?” she asked, and I shrugged.

“Can’t say that I have.”

“Then how do you even know what guilt is?” she asked, and I laughed.

“If you saw everyone around you smiling, wouldn’t you know what a smile was?”

“Yeah, but I also would have probably smiled,” she replied.

“Well, even if you didn’t, you’d still know that it existed, and that people did it. You would even probably know that they did it when they were happy; and sometimes faked it to make people think that they were. There’s a lot that we learn through observation. Think of it like this; even though I don’t feel guilt, I know that you felt guilty this morning when you approached Casey behind my back, and she tried to convince you to murder me in my sleep, didn’t you?”

“Jesus,” Cameron breathed. “There’s no getting anything past you, is there?”

She was silent for a bit, before speaking again.

“If it helps, I am sorry,” she said, and I chuckled in response.

“It’s fine. It’s not like I don’t understand why you did it. You were trying to protect everyone, and yourself. I never held it against you.”

She let out a long, deep sigh.

“Casey said you would do everything to make me trust you. Even things like this.”

“Well, I do want you to trust me,” I answered.

“Is that why you comforted me just now?”

I shook my head.

“I did that because it was what you needed.”

“So, would you hurt me?” she asked, finally.

“I dunno. Would you give me reason to?” I replied, and she pouted in response.

“If you’d tried to kill me this morning, I would have defended myself,” I explained, and she conceded the point with a nod.

“So, if I never gave you a reason to, you’d never hurt me?” she asked coyly, and I considered the question.

“I wouldn’t say never. People hurt each other all the time without meaning to. But I guess, I would probably try not to.”

She went quiet again, resting her head on me, but I sensed another question was brewing.

“If I came to you, and asked you to hold me like this, would you?” she asked.

“If you needed me to, and there wasn’t something else preventing me, then sure. I mean, if you were a complete bitch to me that day, then maybe not,” I added, smirking, and she shot me a wry look.

“You know, I did kind of betray you this morning. So, why are you still being nice to me now?”

“I guess I have some investment in this, right now. I mean, I hope the others are fine, but if the worst happens, you’d be all I’ve got.”

“Not the princess?” she asked, and I chuckled.

“I’m a glorified sperm bank to her. She’s in control of that relationship. By my calculations, this relationship between us, is mutually beneficial, and more beneficial than anything else on offer.”

“Calculated, huh? Way to kill the mood,” she replied, sarcastically.

“Wasn’t aware there was a mood.”

“There is,” she confirmed, shooting me an interesting look. “Guess your powers of observation aren’t infallible after all.”

I considered the suggestion with interest.

“You know, in _my_ calculations, there might be something in this for me if I treat you well, right?” she said.

She raised her upper body off of my chest as she spoke, and her breasts hung enticingly on display in front of me for the second time that day.

“There might be,” I responded, taking in the view in earnest.

It was dark out, and I now realized that there seemed to be a light of some kind in the room, as I gazed upon Cameron’s partially illuminated, naked form.

It was that same soft glow that I’d noticed in the tunnels, yet here, it seemed more pronounced.

I made a mental note to enquire about this later, as I drank in the mesmerizing view on display before me.

“You can touch them if you like,” she offered, nodding towards her bosom, and I shook my head, as I leaned back.

“Your God-mate demands to be fed,” I replied, smirking, and she laughed.

“They’re so quirky, but I know they meant well.”

She leaned forward nonetheless, dangling her breasts in front of me, and she swayed a bit, allowing the soft fleshy mounds to brush deliciously against my face.

I opened my mouth, and took one of her breasts in, nipple first, and she moaned as I sucked.

“You might think I’m crazy, but I don’t remember them being this big. Or firm, and round.”

I released the breast from my lips.

“You’re not. It’s not just you, its everyone. My stomach was never this muscular,” I replied.

She reached down, shifting her weight onto one hand, tracing the lines formed along my abdomen.

“Lucky me,” she replied, as she shifted her eyes back to mine.

She leaned towards me, and for the first time, our lips met, but as we kissed, my stirring member momentarily brushed against her own place, and she jumped.

“You alright?” I asked, and she quickly nodded, replacing the momentary panicked look with one of sheer determination.

She dove for my lips this time, a statement of intent on her part, and I had trouble matching her intensity as she mashed her lips against me.

Cameron adjusted herself, resting her weight on her knees as she positioned herself over my pelvis.

Our bodies ground together as we kissed, and she let out little gasps as if little jolts of electricity were jolting through her every time her sex made contact with mine.

Finally, she paused, her stare fixed on me intently, as she brought my head to her entrance.

She hesitated, and I could see that her intense expression was a mask for the terror hidden beneath.

“Whoever hurt you… he’s not in control anymore. You are. You’re stronger now,” I said, and she nodded.

Her breathing had taken on that irregular, panicked pattern, and she closed her eyes tight as she pushed my length, slowly, into her opening.

“Nate,” she whimpered, her body shivering, and I held her tight.

“You are in control,” I whispered, just letting her take things at her own pace as I supported the weight of her fears in my embrace.

She nodded, grimacing a little as she lowered herself again, and she repeated the process several more times, slowly, until her eyes shot open at surprise as she bottomed out on me.

“You’re… inside of me,” she said.

“You did good,” I commended her, planting a comforting kiss on her shoulder.

She moved, cautiously, slowly, against me, and she let out a sudden laugh, as she opened her eyes, and looked into my eyes, smiling.

“You’re inside of me, and it feels so fucking good!” she announced.

She pulled my head into her bosom, as she lifted up, bringing my cock to the cusp of her tunnel before impaling herself on my full length.

“Suck them,” she commanded, and I lapped at her breasts, stopping only to suck the delicious mounds into my mouth, as she rocked, rhythmically along my shaft.

Moans escaped her lips every time she brought herself down on my length, and I reveled in the sensation of being smothered by the fatty, succulent mounds of flesh while her inner walls slid delightfully around my shaft.

The feeling was heavenly, and having been teased all evening without a proper release, I found myself quickly approaching the point of no return.

“Cameron,” I said, placing a hand on her hips, and she slowed her movements, momentarily delaying my climax.

“Nate… these people,” she panted, in between crests, “expect us to make Godlings. If it’s not me… then Francesca…? She’s not ready...”

I stared into her eyes, as I processed the implications of her words, and she cupped my face in her hands as she brought our faces close together.

“Put a baby in me, Nate,” she panted, and I realized for the first time that that might just be the single most erotic phrase in the English language.

I nodded, almost reflexively, and Cameron picked up the pace of her rhythmic riding as I gave in to the euphoric sensation of my impending climax.

With the hand still on her hip, I guided her movements, helping her into fuller, deeper thrusts, and she threw her head back, her body arched in the throes of her own budding ecstasy just as the first stream of cum spewed forth from the tip of my cock.

My hand tightened around the bedding beside me as my seed spewed forth in rope after rope, deep inside her womb as she continued to ride me, stimulating me through my orgasm into a state of near bliss.

I felt limp, but Cameron was close to an orgasm of her own, and as soon as I recovered from the intensity of my climax, I reached for her breasts, kneading them, and rolling the nipples between my fingers as she bounced on top of me with abandon.

“Kiss me, everywhere,” she called, and I tried to meet her sensitive spots with my lips, but her movements were too quick.

Instead, I began to flex my hips, timing them with her thrusts to deepen the penetration with each bounce, and the effort was quickly rewarded as she cried out, and I held her, helping her movements to continue as she came.

Eventually, she stilled, and she shuddered a little in my arms as my softening rod slid from her slippery embrace.

“I can’t believe we just did that,” she breathed, rolling onto her back, beside me.

She stared up at the ceiling, breathing rapidly as she tried to catch her breath.

“Honestly, I don’t think we really need to go this far to please them,” I replied, and Cameron shoved me.

“Then why’d you cum inside of me, dummy?”

“I think the rational part of my brain died when you said ‘put a baby in me’,” I said, and she turned her head, studying me with a look equal parts excited and disbelieving.

“We must be crazy,” she laughed. “That felt incredible, though.”

I nodded in agreement, and she smiled.

I gave the bedding beside me a little pat, and she studied me for a moment, before scooting beside me, and I put my arms around her, pulling our bodies close together.

“Jeez. All these years on earth, I could never get a man to stay awake for five minutes after he’s spent, much less cuddle with me, and here I am, cuddling up next to a psychopath who may have just impregnated me.”

“You know, the chances of conception from just one coupling is pretty slim,” I pointed out, intently observing her for a reaction.

“Well then, I guess we’ll just have to do this again, and again. And again.”

She punctuated each again with a kiss, eventually turning towards me, and we kissed several times before breaking apart.

“You know, I might feel nothing for you, but when I think of the possibility of my child growing inside of you, something inside of me feels like hugging you tight.”

I traced circles around her stomach with a finger, and she giggled.

“Well, you did say it takes a lot to make you feel a little,” she replied, laughing. “This is nice though.”

“Even if I feel nothing?” I teased.

“Even so,” she conceded, as she nestled herself comfortably in my arms. “I’ve spent all my life thinking I needed to find someone who loves me to make me feel special, but… maybe it doesn’t matter as much as I thought.”

“Maybe…”

My eyes closed as exhaustion finally caught up with me, and I drifted off to sleep dreaming about ‘baby making’ sessions with Cameron.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trouble ensues, as Nate returns for the rest of the group.
> 
> Trigger warning: Non-consent scene in this one.

***

**April 22nd, 2019.**

**Location: Earth.**

**Three days prior to the disappearance of Nathan Van Dyke.**

“Julie?”

I checked my hotel key, making sure that I was at the right room.

The door was open, but the room was dark, so I called out again before taking a tentative step beyond the door.

Crunch*.

I lifted up my foot, as I felt the broken glass being crushed beneath my feet, and as I opened the door all the way, I saw a single stockinged leg, waving enticingly over the back of the couch.

“Will you stop making that racket and just come in?” the woman’s voice called, and I sighed, pulling the door closed as I stepped in, and finding nowhere to step where the crunch of broken glass couldn’t be heard beneath my feet.

“Nuh-uh,” she called, as I took another step forward. “Shoes; off!” she commanded, and I sighed again.

I slipped one shoe off, then winced as the foot, covered only by a thin cotton sock, came down painfully on the litter of shattered glass, then taking off the other shoe, I threw the two shoes angrily towards the wall in the corner.

“Happy?” I asked, a little sarcastically, and the woman gave a little ‘hm’, in response.

“Oh, you know I never happy, Natey.”

“You can’t keep doing this, Julienne… every room you trash just goes right back to dad.”

“ _My_ dad, Nate. In case you keep forgetting. He’s _my_ father. And I can do whatever the fuck I want, as long as he’ll keep letting me.”

I sighed.

“Get on your knees,” she commanded, and I scoffed.

“There’s glass everywhere,” I countered, and the body attached to the leg, rose up from over the couch, and I finally got a good look at her.

She was wearing stockings; and a frilly, long skirt that had a slit which ran all the way along the leg, and a corset fitted top that amplified and displayed an impressive amount of cleavage.

Her long hair was wrapped up into a bun at the top of her head, with little curls hanging about the sides of her pretty face.

She stepped around the sofa on which she’d lain in wait for me, and perched herself up on the headrest of the sofa, her legs pointed towards me, and as she stared me right in the eyes, she began to part her legs, displaying her bare pussy to me briefly, before closing her legs shut.

 _She never did like to wear panties,_ I thought.

“Crawl,” she commanded, and I sighed, undoing my tie and tossing it into the corner with the shoes before rolling up the long sleeves of my shirt.

I winced as my knees went to the ground, meeting the copious shards of glass that lay hazardously on the floor, and I took a deep breath as I let my weight sink down onto them, placing my hands as lightly as I could on the ground.

Smiling, as I went to the floor, she re-opened her legs, and beckoned me enticingly.

“Good boy,” she urged, and I took a step forward with my hand.

“Mhn,” I winced, as the shards cut my palms and stuck into me, but even as I clenched my teeth, fighting back the urge to just get up and walk over, and strike her as hard as I could across the face, I swallowed down my pride, and crawled.

“A good little doggy would stick his tongue out,” she chided, and as I took another painful step, I rolled my eyes, then complied.

“Good doggy. Now come to mama. Come right here,” she said, placing two hands suggestively above her cleanly shaved, bared cunt.

I came close; so close that I could bite her toe if I wanted, and as she dangled a leg close to me and I took another tentative step, the leg swung back, and kicked me viciously across the face.

“Hahahaha,” the woman’s vicious laugh echoed across the room, and I took a deep breath in, as I tasted the blood on my lips.

“Come,” she said, displaying herself again, and as I leaned up to her, partially expecting another strike to come at me, she lay a foot on my shoulder, and pulled me towards her exposed mound.

She pulled me in, slowly, until I was so close I could smell the pungent odor of her arousal, and I could see the little glistening beads of wetness on her pussy lips.

“Eat. Like a good doggy,” she commanded, and I nodded, planting my lips on hers and sucking on it, trying my best to slurp every drop of her dew from the wet, slippery folds.

“Lick doggy, lick!” she commanded, grasping a handful of my hair and tugging on it mercilessly, as she shoved my face into her cunt.

I licked, long full strokes across the full length of her slit, and she rubbed my face into her sex as I did, smearing me with her juices.

“Stick your fucking tongue in me, you useless fuck. You’ve wanted this pussy, haven’t you? Begged for it? Lick, you fucking little prick. Suck on it like the little worthless parasitic leech you are.”

She hurled insult after insult at me as I licked, sucked, and tongued her hole; immune to the harshness of the words, because within this slit was a paradise that was only opened to me on the rarest of occasions, and if I did what she wanted, maybe, just maybe, I would get access again to that most sacred place within her midst.

Her insults gave way to screams, unbridled, and uncaring who might hear her, and as she finally came she ground her pussy mercilessly into my face, smearing my lips, nose, and cheeks with the slick juices that now poured out.

She was panting, but there was still that look in her eye.

Always wanting, and never satisfied.

I reached toward her with a hand, and she kicked me.

“Don’t FUCKING TOUCH ME!” she screamed.

She kicked me in the stomach, and as I rolled over, she stood over me, and rested a foot wickedly on top of my crotch.

I groaned, shards of glass cutting into my back, and the pain intensified as she sat on top of me.

She unbuckled my pants and fished my cock out; grasping it, and aiming it at her hole.

She was squatting over me, on her feet, her legs sprawled out obscenely in a partial split, and she impaled herself on me, in one swift move.

_There it was._

_Paradise._

I moaned; as the pleasure I felt in that moment was worth all of the pain I’d endured, and she punched me in the face.

“Don’t you dare fucking moan, you piece of shit!”

I bit my hand, and she rode me quick and hard, quickly coming again, but riding me nonetheless.

The stimulation was too much for me to enjoy the moment in all of its complexities, but the monumentality of the occasion was itself enough, and I gave in to the feeling of pleasure as she rode me.

She came, again, and again, and again, and when she was done, she stood up, and kicked me in the crotch.

“Don’t ever talk to me again,” she said, as she straightened her clothes, and put on her shoes.

And just like that, she walked out of the room, without ever looking back.

I groaned, partially from the pain, and the added anguish of the release that I never got, and as I stared at her hips swaying as she walked, enchantingly, away from me, in that seductive way that she walked, I reached for my cock.

Two pumps along the shaft was all it took, and my seed spewed out, unceremoniously, on myself.

There was no pleasure in that orgasm, and as I looked at the mess in which I was left to lie, I felt myself slipping out of consciousness.

*******

**Date: Unknown**

**Location: Kepler-452B**

**Three days after Nathan Van Dyke was seen on earth for the last time…**

*******

As I stirred awake, I reached out instinctively, and found an empty place where a warm body should have been.

I sat up, but it only took a brief look around to spot her by the window.

She was sitting on the window frame, looking out into the darkness beyond, and as she noticed me stirring, she glanced over and smiled.

“Hey,” she said.

There was no moonlight, but that same faint glow that seemed to come from the very walls of our wooden room illuminated her naked form, and bathed it in a pale, greenish-gray light that made her seem enchanted; like a faerie or some other mythical seductress.

“You’re comfortable in your own skin, aren’t you?” I noted, and she smiled, looking out the window again.

“I’ve always wanted to be, but never had much opportunity to. I figured you wouldn’t mind, though,” she added, a little cheekily, and I smiled.

As I got up, I let the robes from the bed that were draped over me slip off exposing my own nudity, and as Cameron’s eyes darted towards my dangling thing, she licked her lips instinctively.

“That thing was inside of me last night,” she noted.

“It was,” I concurred.

“I asked you to put a baby in me,” she continued, and I walked over and placed a kiss on her shoulder, before wrapping my arms around her.

“You did.”

She buried her head into my shoulder, seeming suddenly embarrassed.

“Fucking hell Nate, that was such an irresponsible thing for us to do.”

I snickered.

“You seemed to have it pretty well reasoned at the time,” I joked, and she slapped my shoulder playfully.

“You’re supposed to be more rational than that.”

“Usually I am, but… I’m not sure what happened. In that moment I saw you having my baby and I really wanted it.”

She frowned at me, and I shrugged.

“It’ll be fine. The chances of conception from a random single act of unprotected sex is between two to four percent anyway.”

“Why do you know the statistics of that? Never mind, maybe I don’t wanna know the answer to that.”

“I actually don’t mind explaining. You shared a lot last night; I should share things as well to improve the bond and trust between us.”

Cameron smirked.

“You know, if you tell someone you’re doing something just to make them trust you, it doesn’t usually help your case,” she joked, and I smiled.

“I know; but I don’t need to pretend with you, do I?”

She shook her head, resting against my shoulder again, so I continued.

“There was someone special to me; back home. But she didn’t want us to be together, because the relationship would cause her problems. So, she came up with a kind of game; have unprotected sex from time to time, and if it resulted in a pregnancy, then we’d be together.”

“Wow. Are you sure _she_ isn’t a psychopath?” Cameron asked, and I snickered.

“No. She’s a lot worse.”

“How many times did you play that ‘game’.

“Seven times,” I answered.

“And I’m guessing you never won?” Cameron asked, and I shook my head.

She paused for a bit, studying me, before asking another question.

“Did you love her?”

I sighed.

“I dunno. I’m not even sure I can love, honestly.”

Cameron smirked.

“So why did you play her game?”

“Because she was the only human I ever experienced any feeling of closeness to… before now.”

Cameron blushed.

“Oh? And how do you know that this feeling isn’t love?” she teased, and I shrugged.

“I guess I can’t say for certain. Maybe it is? I feel closeness with you right now, which I want; and when I leave to go get Francesca and the others, I think I’ll be thinking about you.”

“Well, I dunno if it’s love, but for me, it’s enough,” she replied, and as we leaned into each other, our lips met in a kiss.

We kissed for a while, until we noticed that there seemed to be movement about us, outside of our tree perch.

“They’re getting up,” Cameron noted, and I headed for our bed.

I retrieved the knife from under it, and strapped it on, but as I was about to don my leather survival pack clothing, I remembered the water system that I’d used to shower earlier, and I decided to check it out.

“Whoa… are those pipes?” Cameron asked, as I led her to the shower room.

“They’re some kind of stem, like bamboo. Hollow on the inside,” I explained.

I examined one of the stems, which was fit into a socket of some kind, and as I dislodged it, water began streaming out.

It was cold, but fresh, and Cameron’s eyes lit up.

“No way. Running water? This place fucking rocks!” she exclaimed in excitement.

“Didn’t they ‘cleanse’ you for your ceremony in one of these?” I asked, and she shook her head.

“They took me to something like a bathhouse.”

I frowned, and Cameron snickered at my response.

We took quick showers before getting dressed, and heading down from our room.

On the way down, we passed several Kobalt, who greeted us with looks of intrigue and interest, but none seemed to speak proper German, so we headed down to the bottommost floor, where to my relief, we found Gisela.

“Auslanders. You awaken?” the girl noted, and I nodded in response.

“I’m worried about my companions,” I replied. “How soon can we leave to go get them?”

Gisela rubbed her hands together then turned to look around, and as she did, I noticed again the visible swell of breast out of the side of her loose, toga sleeve.

Cameron shot me a knowing look, and I bit my lip.

“For ‘science’?” she teased, and I nodded.

“In case you forgot, we’ve promised my baby seed to their princess. Wouldn’t hurt to know what to expect, anatomically.”

She smirked.

“It’s fine; exclusivity wasn’t exactly part of our deal anyway. You know, she might have sex with you if you asked,” Cameron whispered, gesturing towards Gisela as she spoke to a nearby Kobalt girl, and I shook my head.

“It could insult the princess if I took one of her close servants. You know, you could help me on this one. Take a bath with some of the females or something? Get a look at them up close.”

“All this to justify ogling her boobs?” Cameron asked, and I smirked.

“Fine. But they do look nice,” I replied, and Cameron rolled her eyes at me.

Gisela eventually signaled to another Kobalt girl, and after speaking to her in their tongue, the girl headed off.

“The princess wishes to discuss,” Gisela explained. “Auslanders must eat. Is this timing acceptable?”

I nodded.

I was pretty hungry, and Cameron probably was too.

I glanced around, expecting Gisela to lead us to a meal hall or something similar, but instead, some servants brought out some furniture, as they had the day before, and we quickly found ourselves seated at a table, as food was brought to us, right there in the entrance chamber.

Cameron dug in without a second thought, and as I tried what appeared to be a bit of dried fruit, I noticed Gisela cast a quick look at the spread.

“Will you join us?” I asked, signaling to Gisela, and she appeared hesitant, before eventually taking a seat.

She didn’t touch the food, however, until I began to offer her bits of the things that she was shooting brief glances at, and I studied her with interest as her eyes seem to light up with every bite she took.

“I don’t think this is their typical diet,” I whispered to Cameron.

“Mmf?” she replied, her mouth stuffed with some roasted strips of meat, and I shook a head disapprovingly.

I gestured subtly towards Gisela, who was taking tentative bites of only the things I offered her, and casting furtive glances towards the entrance before even accepting anything that I’d passed her way.

“Do you think they’re fattening us up to eat us?” Cameron asked, and I chuckled.

“They’d have a tough time doing it on bits of dried fruit and meat like this. I think this stuff might be considered pretty gourmet,” I explained, and Cameron frowned.

“I mean I am hungry, but if that’s the case, what do you think they eat normally?”

I shrugged.

“Won’t know until we spend a little more time here.”

After we ate, there was nothing to do, really, so I decided to start up some conversation with Gisela.

“The room upstairs. Is that where we’ll be staying? Until, uh…”

“Until your branch is upraised?” Gisela offered, and I nodded, forgetting the exact term that they had used. “Unless it displeases the Auslanders, then yes.”

She seemed to look to us for indication that it did, so I quickly cleared up that we were satisfied.

“The princess,” I continued, “she never gave her name.”

“The princess’ name is yours alone to utter; you are her _wertvoll_ ,” she explained, but I wasn’t sure what the word meant, and to my disappointment, I still had no idea what to call her.

Cameron caught my eyes on Gisela again, and she shot me a teasing look this time.

She leaned in to Gisela, and said something that I couldn’t quite catch, but Gisela’s eyes went wide, momentarily flicking towards me, and I shot Cameron a sharp look.

“Relax,” she mouthed, and I bit my lip as she continued whispering to Gisela, who now nodded.

The Kobalt girl quickly stood up, then took my hand.

“With me, Auslander,” she said, leading me away from the table, and down a corridor that we’d previously not used.

As I was dragged away, I shot Cameron a questioning look, but she shrugged, a mischievous smile on her lips.

Gisela led me a short way down the corridor, though as she looked around first, making sure the coast was clear, I bit my lip nervously, hoping that Cameron hadn’t done anything overly damaging.

Eventually, we came to a room, and as we entered, Gisela locked the door with a little key, similar to the one Garbung had used when we first accompanied him to his own place.

Gisela then walked to the center of the room, and after taking a deep breath, she slipped her toga off of her shoulders, and let the white cotton robe fall to her feet.

Her breasts were full, round, and unbelievably firm, and her waistline quite curvy, leading to legs that were thick and plump.

I momentarily felt the urge to reach out and grasp the delectable flesh, and caress her curves in my hands, but I shook off the thought as I noted the unmistakable irregularity in her breathing.

 _She’s scared_ , I thought.

“Goddess Cameron says you are nervous for the union with the princess. You may examine me,” she offered, and I gulped, as she folded her hands underneath her sizeable breasts, and turned her head, eyes closed, to the left of her body.

She stood up on her toes, offering her breasts towards me for my inspection, but as I stepped toward her, I could see the unmistakable signs that fear and anxiety were oozing from her very being.

“Just because Cameron tells you to do something, does not mean that you have to,” I said, and she quickly shook her head.

“This is my will, Herr Auslander. I desire the princess’ godlings come forth without disagreement. You may touch… even taste. The princess’ ears will not have knowledge.”

I stepped closer to Gisela, and her eyes peeked open as I knelt before her, but to her surprise, I grasped the robe at her feet, and brought the garment up to cover her nakedness.

“Am I insufficient?” she asked, a fearful look on her face, and I shook my head, as I adjusted the cloth to properly cover the large swells of her breasts.

As I did, my fingers brushed the sides of the mounds, and I noted the silky smoothness of her pale green skin.

_How delicious would they taste?_

“You do not need to do things that make you uncomfortable,” I said, and she shook her head.

“My discomfort is not for the worry of the gods,” she countered, and I brushed a hand against her cheek.

“I am not a cruel god. Your comfort is _my_ concern, because I make it so. Be more at ease to speak to me of your wishes from now on, okay?”

She nodded, an expression of stupor on her face.

I went to the door and indicated to her, and she quickly snapped out of her momentary shock, unlocking the door, and heading back to the table where Cameron waited, but as we walked, I sensed her gaze on me several times, studying me with trepidation.

“That was quick,” Cameron noted, a big smile on her face, and I shook my head disapprovingly.

“That wasn’t a bad idea, but the poor girl was so terrified; you need to remember that they see us as Gods,” I warned, and Cameron shrugged.

“So, did you ‘examine’ her?” she asked, eager for details, and I shook my head.

“She took off her clothes, but I didn’t touch her. She was really scared.”

I shot Cameron a look, and she quickly realized what I meant, so she looked away.

We didn’t talk as much after that, but the princess arrived soon after anyway.

“Herr Götze!” she called, hurrying to my side.

She wore another elegant dress; different from the previous day’s outfit, but similarly grandiose, and she tiptoed to kiss me on the cheek as I rose from my seat to greet her.

Her eyes darted between me and Cameron; a knowing smile on her face.

She spoke, saying something quickly, but Gisela seemed to have zoned out a bit, and as the princess shot her a sharp look, the girl quickly apologized before translating.

“The princess congratulates you on your successful union.”

The princess spoke again, this time, more to Cameron, and she shot me a questioning look as Gisela translated.

“The princess says your godling was conceived with unparalleled affections. Surely, the child will grow strong and reliant.”

Cameron’s eyes went wide, and as she looked at me, I shrugged.

There was no way they could know if we conceived a child last night.

Maybe this was just a customary exchange, after their ‘ceremony’ took place.

The princess spoke to me now, and Gisela seemed a bit worried by whatever she said.

She seemed to ask the princess something, and as the princess clarified, she still seemed a bit worried as she relayed the message.

“The princess will walk with Herr Götze. Alone,” she clarified, and while the princess seemed enthusiastic about the prospect, linking her arm in mine, Gisela looked worriedly after us as we walked towards the exit, and away from the tree where we’d stayed.

She spoke as we walked, though I could tell from her mannerisms that she did not expect me to respond to anything that she said, but as we walked, I could tell her mood was buoyant.

Eventually, we came to a tree which visibly appeared to be of a different species altogether from the others; perhaps a special tree that only those of royal blood used?

As we entered, I noted there were many Kobalt inside, but their reaction quickly raised my suspicions that my initial guess was incorrect, as our intrusion was treated as anything but ordinary.

The princess spoke to several Kobalt, who reacted with confused expressions and responded to her in tones that suggested to me that she was doing something quite out of the ordinary.

At first, I thought that perhaps the reaction may have had something to do with me, but the Kobalt appeared to not even really take notice of my presence.

Eventually, a Kobalt girl left the entrance hall in a hurry, which seemed to greatly annoy the princess, and after carrying on a bit more conversation, she stomped her foot on the floor angrily, prompting the Kobalt with which she was engaged to acquiesce to whatever her demands were.

She smiled, taking my hand again in hers, and leading me past what appeared to be a kind of reception desk, to a door which led to some stairs, that I noted with interest, wound downwards, and into the earth.

The wooden look to the walls eventually gave way to earth, until finally, we came to a grand doorway, which the princess ushered me through, and as I stepped into the room my jaw dropped.

“Holy shit,” I breathed, as I took in the room’s contents.

There were suits of armor placed upon wooden replicas of a human who I seemed to resemble quite a bit. I counted about fourteen suits, and as I examined the one closest to me, I tried to confirm whether or not these armors were of the type from the guild hall catalog.

I withdrew my knife, and gestured to the princess, and she nodded, so I pressed the blade into one of the suits, and the blade didn’t cut.

There was no way for me to confirm the tier or quality of the armor, but this was easily several hundred credits worth of gear, and enough to outfit our entire team.

_Wait… was the princess even allowed access to this?_

The reactions of the Kobalt upstairs quickly put me on alert…

Maybe these armors were the possession of her people collectively…

And maybe she was violating their own customs by bringing me here.

This was bad.

My hope was that we could integrate into their society without causing trouble… but maybe the princess had other plans.

I stowed my knife, then looked to the princess’ lead, and she took my hand, leading me past the suit of armors, to a line of podiums which seemed to display various glowing orbs.

Eventually she came to one, which she picked up, and she looked at me, then pointed to her heart, and then her lips.

I wasn’t sure what she was trying to tell me, but she held the object to her chest, then placed my hand over it, and I gasped as she began to speak in English.

“With this, I can speak your tongue; but only from the heart.”

She smiled excitedly as she observed my reaction to her voice, then held the object out, offering it to me.

I gulped, placing the object over my chest, and she placed a hand on it.

“I hope we can understand each other,” I thought, and the princess smiled.

“I understand you from looking at your eyes. You are powerful, here,” she said, placing a hand to my temple. “But in here, much longing.”

She indicated to my chest, and I tilted a head in confusion.

“You want much, because you feel little… You search for the feeling. Wanting.”

I pulled away, and the princess smiled.

“Do not fear, my Götze. I will make you filled. I do not fear the loose thoughts in your head.”

The princess seemed so self-assured.

Maybe I should test that resolve?

I took the orb, then placed it against my chest.

“You are just a tool to me,” I thought, and I watched with interest, as she took the orb from me, her smile not wavering in the least.

“For you, my Götze. I will be the most useful tool you need.”

She took my hand, and placed it onto the orb held against her chest, and she placed her hands on either side of my face.

“You will be my immortal, love,” and standing on tiptoe, she reached up to press our faces together, and she softly kissed my lips.

“I knew your name as soon as I laid eyes on you, mine Götze. Now I have shown you glimpses into my depths. Bestow on me, your humble tool, a name.”

With our faces close together, her eyes locked onto mine, I stared back into hers, thinking.

Have I ever named anything in my life?

Suddenly, I thought about the orb in my hand, and withdrawing it from her chest, I placed it against my own, before returning her gaze with conviction.

“Miriam.”

The words confused even me, but the princess smiled, taking the orb and placing it against her chest.

“Beautiful. I am your Miriam. This name is for your lips only, mine Götze.”

I nodded, and she smiled, before taking my hand and placing it against her chest.

“Say it,” she said.

“Miriam,” I said again, and I gasped as a blue light emanated from the princess as waves of energy seemed to pulse from her heart.

She took a deep breath, and as I lifted my hand, a blue glow momentarily surrounding it, I gasped, as I suddenly saw in my mind an image of the princess just as she stood before me, except shrouded in shadow.

_Wherever you go; you will see me in your heart._

I gasped, as the words seemed to be spoken directly into my mind.

 _Yes, my love. Even my thoughts I can now share to you, as well,”_ the princess explained.

_Interesting…_

So powerful weapons and armor aren’t the extent of our implant’s capabilities.

 _Garbung says that you must leave; that your important kin await you?_ she asked, and I nodded, as she took my hand, and led me back to the armor displays.

_He also says that evil Gods may threaten you, should you leave._

I nodded again.

 _Then you will wear this,_ she said, indicating to a suit of blue, gleaming armor.

I placed a hand on her shoulder, as I held the orb to my heart.

“Your people, my Maryam. I do not wish to anger them,” I responded, and she scoffed.

_They will not contradict me. You must return to me, mine Götze. They will not dare get in my way. It is my will, and one day, the way of all!_

Even as I protested, the princess was adamant, and eventually I acquiesced.

She took my hand and placed it, palm facing outward, against the chest piece, and as a blue light pulsed outwards from the item, I gasped as the armor seemingly split in two, and fell to the floor.

The princess regarded my concern with some amusement, as she retrieved the pieces, and after placing the first half of it against my chest, and ordering me to hold it there in place, she fitted the back plate into place, then secured the piece together with straps.

I examined the process with some interest, as while I had no previous experience with armor, I was fairly certain that this wasn’t the way armor was typically constructed.

Yet, as she secured the final straps, the armor emitted another blue pulse, and this time, I felt a kind of energy flowing between it and my own body, and I gasped as the metal plates on the armor began to fold, readjusting and reshaping the body of the piece itself with a quick series of metallic clinks, eventually fitting the piece quite snugly onto my body.

I examined the final outcome when it was done, and to my surprise, not only was the armor exceptionally light, but it was also quite easy to move in; and the two halves seemed to have bonded into place in the process of its transformation.

Evidently, I appeared to be quite impressed with the armor, and Maryam seemed quite pleased with the reaction.

With my help, she removed the armor from its resting place, and I knelt before her as piece by piece, she outfitted the armor onto my body; the pieces adjusted themselves into the perfect fit every time.

I rose as she finally placed the helmet onto my head; and she led me now to a rack, stacked with various weapons.

“You will wield this,” she said, retrieving what appeared to be a spear, with an axe shaped blade at the head, and a sharp point on each end.

The weapon was light, and I didn’t need to guess that the blade was like that of my knife.

 _This is too much,_ I thought, and the princess smiled.

“I am your tool; but you are my everything. Come back to me,” she said, and I bowed, before leaning in to kiss her again, to her delight.

The princess replaced the translation orb, and we headed out of the room and back up to the upper levels where the entrance lay; but as we exited the building, a crowd was gathered outside, at the head of which stood the angry Kobalt man from the council meeting.

He shouted at me, but as the princess moved to my front, he quickly bowed, his head practically touching the floor.

She began speaking to him, and to my relief, Gisela quickly rushed to my side.

“What’s going on?” I asked, and she shot me a quick glance.

She seemed to be trying to figure out whether or not it was okay to explain, when I noted a curious look in her eye, and she leaned closer to me, to speak in a low voice.

“Councilor Danebe opposes the princess’ assertion of her divine right,” she explained.

“He doesn’t look like he’s opposing,” I responded, and she shook her head.

“The princess is demanding that he remove himself; he’s bowing in defiance to her demands.”

“Interesting,” I muttered under my breath. “What do we do?”

“I called for Garbung and the Kobalt matron before getting here; hopefully they will be able to resolve the dispute.”

People were now gathering around us, and I breathed a sigh of relief as Garbung finally arrived.

He bowed beside the man, and the two began to speak as they remained prostrate before the princess, whose hands were on her hip as she studied them with a look of sheer indignation.

The two seemed to be speaking amicably, when suddenly, the man, or Danebe, as Gisela referred to him, swung something at Garbung, and the old man rolled over, clutching his side, and the crowd broke into a throe of hisses and boos.

I stepped toward Garbung, as I realized that the thing Danebe had swung at the old Kobalt man was a small, curved blade, but the old man raised his hand to stop me.

He said something to Danebe, and as the crowd continued to hiss, the younger man stared around, an angry look on his face, before he turned and stormed away.

The princess came over to us, and was speaking quite rapidly in angry tones.

When she was finished speaking, Garbung nodded, then spoke to me in German.

“If your friends are in danger, then it would be best if you depart as soon as possible, Auslander. Danebe is stubborn, so it will take some but we will resolve this matter by the time you return.”

I shot Gisela a questioning look, and she nodded.

I was about to leave when the princess spoke, and Gisela seemed unsettled.

They continued for a bit, before Garbung interjected, and Gisela finally nodded, though somewhat reluctantly.

“I will accompany you on your trip,” Gisela announced, and as I studied her carefully, the princess placed a hand on my wrist.

 _Götze_ , she said. _Protect her as if she were your own princess_ ; and I nodded, as she turned to leave.

Gisela directed me to where I could meet up with Gunter, where she would join me after making some quick preparations of her own, but as she left, I made the quick decision to head back, instead, to the tree where I’d left Cameron, and to my relief, she was in the entry hall where I’d left her, a worried expression on her face.

“Holy shit, is that armor? Like, legit armor?” she asked, and I nodded.

“It even deflects our weapons,” I explained, and she whistled appreciatively.

“What’s going on? Everyone seemed to be running around like the place was on fire… for a second, I thought it was trouble related to us.”

“It might be,” I answered. I quickly explained what had happened, and she bit her lip nervously.

“What do we do?” she asked, and I sighed.

“I’m not sure. If it’s not safe here, I don’t wanna leave you, but...”

Cameron shook her head, patting me on my shoulder plate.

“I think it’s best if I stay. It’ll leave a better impression on our part. Besides, I’m pretty sure we’ve got most of the most important people on our side. Garbung, the matron. Your princess.”

I sighed.

“Ooh, worried about me, are we?” she teased, and I bit my lip.

“I’d just rather not get separated,” I said, and she shook her head.

“Relax… there’s no riot outside; just a cranky noble at best. I’m sure it’ll be fine.”

“Take this, then,” I said, as I unclasped the belt that held my hunting knife from my hip.

As I offered the weapon to her, she hesitated.

“Are you sure? That thing looks big and unwieldly,” she responded, indicating to my new weapon.

“Honestly; I prefer the knife for its short reach and easy use, but this thing isn’t bad either. It’s lighter than it looks, and the pointy tip makes it useful even in tight spaces. Besides, you can hide the knife easy enough, and it’s best if you have a way to protect yourself.”

I still felt a bit anxious as Cameron saw me off, and as I got to where I was to meet up with Gunter, I found Gisela waiting for me already.

She was wearing sandals, and a more practical set of robes which were a bit more tightly fitted, and fastened with belts around her waist and arms to keep them from flowing about her.

The robes only reached as far as her thighs, and I glanced with silent appreciation at the bare expanses of flesh along her legs.

“Is the dispute with Danebe settled?” I asked, and Gisela gulped.

“It will be some time before he will appear before the elders to speak.”

I nodded, and Gunter excitedly led us out of the city, to where a small group of Kobalt outfitted for travel awaited us.

There were four of them, and Gisela introduced the group to me, before we set out with Gunter in the lead.

“Does Danebe often behave like that?” I asked as we walked, and Gisela sighed.

“He stands with the customs; whether it is for good, or bad.”

“And the princess?” I asked.

Gisela gulped, then leaned closer to me, making me wonder if there was another English speaker amongst the group.

“The princess will one day decide the future of our customs.”

“And when will that be?”

“When she gives birth to her own princess; she will become matron,” Gisela answered. “A fate she has entrusted to you.”

“So, Matron Lucilla… she’s the princess’ mother?” I asked.

“She is mother to all Kobalt,” Gisela answered, a bit confused.

“No- I mean, did she give birth to the princess?”

Gisela shook her head.

“Lucilla Mater gave birth to three sons, before selecting the princess as her inheritor.”

“How was she selected?” I asked.

“When the matron first becomes pregnant, all women who are pregnant become matron-adjacent, and the girls who are birthed; princess candidates. The princess was selected by Lucilla Mater herself from that group.”

“I see… and what happens to the rest of the candidates when the princess is chosen?” I pressed.

“Some sit on the council, and become lifelong companion-servants to the princess.”

I studied Gisela as she spoke.

She and the princess were close, weren’t they? Or else the princess wouldn’t have asked me to protect her like that…

I silently wondered if she was, herself, a candidate.

“So, can a princess candidate ever become princess?”

Gisela shook her head.

“Once a princess is chosen, the other girls become companion-servants for life.”

“Then what do you do if something happens to the princess before she can produce an inheritor?”

Gisela eyed me carefully.

“A ritual is performed to reveal the new princess.”

I processed the information as Gisela studied me.

Their system seemed to inherently prevent potential inheritors from gaining control of the tribe through murder; but something about Danebe’s behavior still bothered me.

“You said Danebe stands with the customs, right?”

Gisela nodded.

“Then would he attack the princess if he believed she would one day change the customs significantly?”

Gisela’s eyes widened a bit, and she shook her head.

“No one would attack the princess. Not from amongst our people.”

“Even if he believes I will corrupt your princess? Or threaten all of your kind?”

Gisela considered my argument, then shook her head.

“Danebe is the Matron’s first prince. He would have to strike at the one who birthed him to do this. No Kobalt would act with such treachery.”

I rubbed my chin, thoughtfully.

Danebe would be a problem later on… but for now, I hoped that Gisela was right about him.

I tried thinking about the princess, as she’d demonstrated earlier, and sure enough, I could see the shadow of her form, sitting it seemed, quite comfortably.

I also felt a bit of a pull in a particular direction, and I was certain that it was the direction in which I would find her.

 _That’s pretty handy_ , I thought.

As we walked on, proper daylight began to stream through the trees above us, and after about another half-hour, we encountered another Kobalt group.

They were outfitted similarly to the four we travelled with, and as they spoke, I noticed a look of concern on Gisela’s face.

“The scouts say that a god approached the sanctuary you came from just now. He entered, and left after a few minutes.”

_Fuck!_

“What did he look like?” I asked, and Gisela relayed the question, nodding as the scout responded.

“He wore a hand-bracer, and carried a battle axe,” Gisela translated.

_That could be one of Caleb’s people…_

“Can we move quickly?” I asked.

The Kobalt nodded, as everyone gathered themselves up, and Gunter thumped his chest excitedly.

“We fly, Auslander!”

Gunter took off at a slow jog, and as I matched his pace, he glanced at me, and gave a nod, so I decided to pick up the pace a little, and sure enough, he quickened his pace as well, and the group quickly moved into a formation around us.

I shot Gisela a quick look, to make sure she could keep up, and she seemed to be doing so without much difficulty, so we trotted along at that pace, quickly making it to the tunnel entrance that crossed over to the hilly plains.

Gunter took the lead, and as we made our way through the tunnel, I noted that the carcass of the bear-like creature had been completely moved, and I made a mental note to ask Gunter about it later on.

When we got to the hill exit, however, Gunter again took much care to make sure that we weren’t seen.

“Auslander,” Gisela began. “Our people cannot be seen near this realm.”

She indicated towards the keep in the distance, and I nodded.

“I can go alone,” I responded, and she shook her head.

“I will not leave your side. But the rest will wait here, if it pleases you.”

I nodded, and Gisela quickly relayed her orders to the rest of the guard.

Gunter seemed to protest, but she spoke to him sharply, and he dejectedly moved back towards the tunnel entrance, to my amusement.

“We go,” Gisela offered, as she unclasped the belts that secured her robes, letting the garb fall about her, draping her entirely, and wrapping a headscarf about her face, concealing her green skin, almost entirely.

As I studied her, however, I began to feel quite self-conscious about the shimmering blue armor that I wore, as it shone like a beacon in the daylight sun.

I quickly relayed my concern to Gisela, who agreed.

She spoke to the rest of our group, and after some deliberation, some of them disrobed smaller bits of their own clothing, which Gisela used to create a make-shift covering for the more reflective pieces of armor.

It was rough work, and when she was done, I felt a bit like a vagrant knight; but we took off nonetheless.

“How many are your kin?” Gisela asked, as we moved quickly across the road toward the keep.

“Five,” I answered, and she nodded.

As we got to the keep, we took the road down to the guild hall, but just as we got within sight of the entryway, I felt a weird sensation, as the hair along my neck suddenly stood on end, and I grabbed Gisela, and leapt backwards towards a bush that grew just off the path.

She shot me a questioning look, and I signaled to her to be quiet, and sure enough, several seconds later, a man walked past, wearing a full suit of armor that very much resembled my own.

 _He’s not from my group_ , I thought, and for a moment I reached for my weapon, but the movement seemed to alert the man, who immediately assumed a defensive stance.

Fuck.

Had he heard me?

I was still trying to figure out how to respond, when the man began looking around.

 _Holy shit,_ I thought. _He sensed danger, but has no idea where it came from._

The man looked around, then suddenly, he took off at full sprint, and after waiting for a bit, I emerged carefully from the bushes in time to spot him sprinting off in the distance.

It was curious, to say the least; but my attention was immediately pulled back to the guild hall, and I ran to the entrance.

I held my wrist up to the scanner, opening the door and expecting the worst, but instead I found-

Nothing.

There was no one in the hall, and I quickly stepped inside to inspect the scene…

_No blood… no sign of a fight._

I breathed a sigh of relief, but the feeling was short lived.

If they weren’t here, then where were they?

I glanced back at the entryway, where Gisela stood, casting furtive glances inside.

“Can you come in?” I asked, and she gulped, before taking a cautious step inside.

“Amazing,” she said, as she studied the room. “But where are your God-kin?”

“I’m not sure.”

I quickly scanned the room for signs of Francesca and the others, when I noticed our survival pack, or what was left of it, lying in the same general place in which we’d slept.

I approached the spot, and as I removed the bits of cloth, I found something scrawled on the floor:

Caleb. Forced. Help.

FEB.

Francesca Emilia-Brown?

The message had been roughly cut into the steel floor.

I’d suspected earlier that no-one else was close enough to hear when she’d given her name; so, either this was a message that she knew I’d understand, or this was a trap, set specifically for me.

Either way, I’d need to find them.

As I covered the message, I walked over to the console, where Gisela was studying the large glass tube at the center of the room.

“Is this where it comes from? All of the Auslander relics?”

I nodded, suddenly remembering the energy core that I’d harvested from the bear-like creature.

With Gisela’s help, I retrieved it from my satchel, and holding it up to the display tube, a blue light flickered to life.

 **Exchange for 4 credits?** The message read, and I sighed.

Four credits?

Unless there was some way to mass-harvest these cores, it would take a long time to accumulate the fifty-five hundred credits needed to buy our way home.

Even the basic armor and weapons from the catalogue now seemed significantly difficult prospects.

No wonder newbie hunters existed… the fifty credits we started with was probably the easiest, quick payout that our circumstances afforded.

I sighed.

Was there anything I could buy, that would be of help right now?

I did a few searches and found a compass, worth twenty credits, and a mapping module for our implant worth five hundred.

The map would be a worthy long-term goal, but for now, I needed ways for us to navigate, so I quickly purchased the compass.

What else would we need?

If we did make it back to the Kobalt city with everyone, then most likely we could depend on them for food and medicine.

Suddenly, something occurred to me, and I turned to Gisela.

“Gisela. Do Kobalt women… uh, bleed monthly?”

“Month-ley? I don’t understand it.”

“Uh… women. When fertile? Bleeding in cycles,” I explained, and Gisela suddenly blushed.

“Yes, Auslander… we are not pure like the goddesses.”

I tilted my head.

“The goddesses don’t… uh bleed?” I asked, and she shook her head.

“The goddesses bodies repair ever constant. The bleeding never comes.”

For a second, I wasn’t sure if perhaps this was something that they assumed, or if it represented a gap in their knowledge, so I decided to push the matter further.

“So, do the humans bleed? The ones who look like me, but live out there?” I asked, gesturing towards the town, and Gisela quickly nodded.

“All tongued-folk do, Auslander. Only the gods are exempt from the natural cycles of life.”

She seemed fairly certain, and as I did a quick look-up in the catalog, I noted that searching for feminine hygiene products came up with nothing.

I looked around in a few categories that it might fall under, but after finding nothing, I figured Gisela must have been right… which brought me back to another question.

“Gisela. The princess seemed sure that Cameron was… uh, with godling. How was she certain?”

“Lucilla Mater confirmed that conception had occurred during the night. We were quite joyous at the news,” she said, and I studied her with interest.

“How did she know that, though?” I asked, and Gisela pointed to her heart.

“The matron can feel things; even hear things, in here. It is the power that all matrons possess.”

It was eerie, but for some reason, I believed her; and it made me feel… strange.

I shook the feeling away, as I returned to the catalog.

I had weapons and armor, and now, also a compass… what else would I need?

Maybe better robes to conceal my armor?

I did a quick check, and found what I’d wanted at a cost of five credits, and I was quite glad to find that the purchase included several robes, some of which bore crests like the ones we’d seen at the keep.

I donned a grey robe, and stowed the rest, before indicating to Gisela that I was ready to leave.

“What do we do now, Auslander?” Gisela asked.

“I need to find my friends.”

I studied the road for a sign that could point me in the right direction, but nothing stood out.

Where had Caleb’s group headed when they’d first left the hall?

They had taken the road towards the keep, hadn’t they?

If that was the case, then our best bet was the little bit of woods that lay beyond the hills where Gunter and the others awaited us.

“Let’s head back to the group,” I said, and Gisela nodded eagerly.

She’d seemed quite skittish ever since we’d come within range of the keep, and she seemed quite glad to be leaving.

We quickly returned to the others, and I had Gisela relay what happened.

“Do they have any idea where my friends might have been taken?” I asked, and Gisela scratched her chin, as she spoke to the others.

“They have not seen the Gods you describe, but a small team is currently tracking the axe wielding God. They will return here when this hill-face goes into the daylight’s shadow.”

From what I could tell, then sun had just risen, and its light was on the hill-face. That meant that they would not be back until evening.

That was a long time to wait.

“Do they have any other leads?” I asked, and after clarifying what I meant, Gisela relayed the question, then nodded.

“Gunter says he tracked another group that left your sanctuary two day-cycles ago; a group of eight, all goddesses.”

 _Vanessa’s group,_ I thought.

Wait, wasn’t Vanessa initially prepared to join up with Caleb’s group?

Maybe she was in contact with him.

Either way, making contact with her group could prove beneficial; and with this armor, they could hardly pose a threat.

“Can Gunter lead me to them?

Gisela spoke to Gunter, and he nodded enthusiastically.

“Are they also friends, Auslander?” Gisela asked, and I shook my head.

“They arrived here with me, but we are not friends. We should move with a smaller group.”

Gisela nodded, passing on instructions to the group, and everyone returned to the tunnel except for Gunter, Gisela, and one other Kobalt.

“Lead on,” I said, and Gisela nodded.

We moved from the hills, back to the road, and followed it until we came to the sparse bit of wood.

At this point, Gunter led us off of the road, and began to follow a rough trail that wound through the trees.

Eventually, we came to a steep slope, which slanted sharply downwards, and leading to a stream far below.

Gunter pointed towards the stream, and as I looked down, I quickly made out an encampment on the stream’s bank.

The encampment was nestled into a pocket formed by tall hills that rose to the north and east of the bank, with the stream flowing to the west.

“How safe is this place?” I asked, and Gisela relayed the question.

“Gunter says travelers stop by this stream frequently to let their pack animals rest as they travel between Saker and Norambe.”

“Norambe?”

“It’s another false-god keep, that lies to the east,” Gisela explained, pointing in the direction that the road followed, back where we left off.

Gunter spoke again, and Gisela nodded.

“Gunter says they are safe here from monsters, but that they are vulnerable to Gods and God-hunters. It is not a place that they should stay for long.”

I nodded, processing the information.

“I’m going to talk to them; you and the others should stay here,” I said, and Gisela’s brow wrinkled with worry.

“The princess said I am not to leave your side,” she countered, and I shook my head.

“They won’t speak to me as easily with a stranger around; besides, I don’t want to expose you or the Kobalt to them. They may one day pose a danger to your people.”

Gisela considered the argument, then offered a compromise.

“I am agreed, but with condition… if you do need us, a signal would be useful.”

“Alright. If I signal like this,” I said, holding my hand up with my forefinger pointing up, and my thumb sticking out to the side; “then you can come to me.”

But as I offered my weapon to her, she stepped back, her hands held up and shaking her head emphatically.

“You’ll need to keep this for me; they’ll see this weapon as a threat.”

“You must be able to protect yourself, Auslander. They are gods, too.”

“I know, but I’m not looking for a fight. Now, if you won’t take the weapon, I might have to give it to Gunter,” I joked, and Gisela gulped, then reluctantly accepted the weapon.

She stared worriedly after me as I headed down the hillside towards Vanessa’s encampment, and I made it within fifty meters of the first tent, when a voice called out.

“Hey! Don’t take another step! What do you want?”

“I just wanna talk,” I reasoned.

“Not another step!” the girl called again.

The voice came from a little bit of bush just outside of the camp, and as I listened carefully, I could make out two voices speaking in hushed tones.

“Go away!” she finally called, and I sighed.

“I have information to share. Just let me talk to Vanessa!” I called again.

There was a little pause, before the girl’s reply came.

“Wait there!” the girl ordered, and I spotted one of the two rushing off to the tent at the far end of the encampment.

I waited for a while, before Vanessa emerged from her tent, a spear in her hand, and some armor on her arms and chest.

“Talk,” she said.

“It’s not safe here,” I replied, and she smirked.

“And why is that?”

“Someone’s hunting us. A veteran. Someone like us from an earlier group.”

She pondered the information.

“Even if that was true, why are you telling us?” she asked.

“We need information to survive. Both of us. You’re worth a lot more to my group if you’re alive.”

Vanessa smirked, walking closer to study me.

“Your group, huh? Let me see your hands,” she called, and as I raised them, the sleeves of my robes fell back and my arm guards came into view.

“Where’d you get those?” she asked.

“From the catalog,” I lied, and she studied me.

“Weapons?” she asked, and I pointed to my hip.

“Just a small knife,” I lied, and she studied me, thinking hard.

“Bianca. Keep a spear aimed at him. If he tries anything funny, stick it through him,” she called, and a pretty girl with black hair stepped out of the brush, a spear raised firmly in my direction.

Vanessa beckoned, and I followed her, somewhat cautiously, to a few logs near the center of the camp.

She gestured to me to sit, and as I did, she took a seat across from me.

“So… I guess you followed me after all that day, huh,” she began, and I shook my head.

“No. We heard about some people camped out here from some traders,” I lied, studying her face for a reaction, and she cracked a smile.

“So, they won’t talk to us, but they will talk _about_ us. That’s nice,” she sighed. “Wait, how did you get them to talk?”

“I’m giving a lot of info for nothing; how about you tell your spear-girl to chill a little,” I countered, and she smiled.

She gave the girl a little nod, and the girl lowered the spear… but I could see her grip on the weapon was still firm.

“The people of this world are a lot more willing to talk when we don’t look like obvious outsiders. This cloak, for example, helps, because our armor spooks them like crazy.”

Vanessa snickered.

“Sounds fairly straightforward, except we had no armor when we tried to talk to them.”

“You need to lose the uniform, I said,” indicating to the clothes that we came in, that most of Vanessa’s group still wore.

“Is that all? Or do I have to trade you something for every little itty-bit of info that you know?”

I shook my head.

“I’m willing to share everything we’ve learned. A show of good faith, if you will.”

“Oh? And why is that?”

“Like I said. To help you survive.”

“To help us?” Vanessa asked, her tone a little teasing. “What makes you think we need help?”

I sighed.

“It’s been rough for us, and even though you’re putting up a tough act, I know it’s probably the same for you,” I said, and she laughed.

“We haven’t really had the same trouble, Nate. Maybe you all just really suck at this?”

I snickered, taking a look around.

“Let’s see; you’re next to a stream, so you have access to water; maybe even food, right? But what about medicine? I’ve looked through the catalog; the stuff on there’s pretty expensive, no? Are you sure you can collect cores fast enough to buy them when someone gets sick?”

Vanessa shrugged.

“It’s not exactly a pressing issue.”

“Oh? Then what about feminine products? Nothing listed on the catalog, huh? Do your girls know what they’ll do when that time of the month comes?”

The girl beside Vanessa perked up at this, and quickly moved to speak, but Vanessa cut her off, and shot her a dirty look.

“And what? You’re here to rescue us from our poor, little, womanly bodies, like a big, strong man?”

“No, but if we find out something, this is the first place I’d come to share it. I have girls in my group too, you know. They share the same concerns.”

“Girls in your group, huh? If you care so much about them, maybe you should focus on taking care of them and not coming here to try and scare us off of our spot.”

“I don’t care about your spot. I don’t even care if you want to stay here. I mean, it is a good spot, but you’re badly positioned; those cliff faces are too sheer to climb, and there’s a stream to your left. You’d be boxed in if something attacked.”

Vanessa shrugged.

“Easier to defend. Only one direction they can attack from,” she responded, and I laughed.

“Anyone can literally just throw stones at you from on top of either of those hills. And stones are the least of it. I’ve seen tar bombs and acid cocktails in the shops in town. What would you do then? Climb the hills to run at them? You’d be full of arrows before you reached close enough to attack.”

The girl beside Vanessa looked worried, and her hand began to shake a little.

“If trying to spook my girls is all you’ve got, then maybe you should leave,” Vanessa said, and as she nodded, the girl raised her spear again.

I lifted my hands up in surrender, as they led me to the edge of the camp; but as I left, I headed for a hill to the left of the one where I’d left Gisela and the others.

I walked slowly, and I’d not made it halfway up the hill when a voice called out to me.

“Hey, uh, Nate! Wait up!”

I turned around to see a thin girl with freckles and red hair tied up into a ponytail, her hair bouncing as she ran towards me.

“Please. Take me with you,” she said, as soon as she was close.

Her tone was pleading, but there was something visibly off about her facial expression.

“Why?”

“You said you found somewhere safe to settle down, right?

I studied her, trying to figure out her intentions, as she shot me a pleading look.

“Look, Vanessa doesn’t know what she’s doing, but you do. Please? I don’t want to die. I’ll do anything.”

I rubbed my chin, studying the girl.

“Anything?” I asked, and the girl quickly nodded.

“Anything! I’ll have sex with you. Whenever you want. You can use me for anything, just please take me with you.”

_A little too eager, but maybe I can work with this._

“Fine… follow me, uh… what’s your name?”

“Candace.”

“Candy, okay. We’ll be moving quickly, so keep up.”

The girl nodded, moving to my side.

She didn’t appear to be armed, but I was wary nonetheless.

“Nate, was it? Is that, like, short for Nathan? Or Nathaniel?”

“Just Nathan,” I answered, keeping an eye out for the expected tail.

“Where are we going?” the girl asked.

“You talk a lot, don’t you?” I asked, and she quickly fidgeted. “It’s fine, I’m just not used to the company. By the way- keep an eye out… there’s some nasty fiefers in these woods.”

“Fiefers?”

The pretend look of fear quickly turned into a real one, and I turned away to hide a smirk.

“Yeah… wait, you haven’t seen any yet?”

The girl shook her head, and I tilted my head in confusion.

“The traders say this place is crawling with them… I only saw one, but sheesh; talk about stuff of nightmares.”

“W-what are they?” she asked, moving closer to me.

“Uh... I guess a kind of bat-creature? They do hang upside down… wait no; bats don’t have venomous claws. I guess, flying, clawed, monster bats? Yeah, that sounds accurate. Except waay bigger than a bat. You can hear the trees creaking under their weight sometimes, if you listen carefully.”

I paused, just as a little wind picked up, and at the first sound of a ‘creak’, Candice jumped, grasping my hand.

“You got a weapon, Candy?” I asked, and she shook her head.

“That kind of makes you the designated ‘food’. Don’t worry, you can pick something up at the guild hall.”

“But I used my credits already,” she said, and I shot her a look that said, ‘was a pleasure knowing you, rest in peace’.

“Please don’t let me die,” she exclaimed, as I started walking again.

“Then keep up!”

I moved more quickly now.

Were Gisela and the others following me?

Hopefully they’d listened when I told them to stay put, because it would be bad if they ran into whoever Vanessa sent to follow us.

We walked for something like ten minutes, when suddenly, I froze.

“Don’t. Move,” I whispered.

I took a step away from her, and as she made to move towards me, I quickly raised my hands.

“Stop, stop. Stop. He’s watching me… not you.”

I waved a hand, then gulped.

“I’m going to have to draw him away… you need to stay very still, do you understand?”

Candace nodded; her eyes wide with fear.

“On three. One. Two-”

And I took off at a sprint, trying to put as many trees between us as I could.

I needed to obscure any line of sight she could have on me, and I stopped just as I rounded a large-ish trunk.

I stooped down, and panted, trying to regain my breath.

Was I clear?

I waited for a few minutes, and after looking around to make sure Candace was nowhere in sight, I raised my hand, my forefinger sticking up and my thumb pointed outwards, and I let out a sigh as Gisela appeared from a nearby brush, and quickly approached.

“Are you unhurt, Auslander?” she asked, and I nodded.

“I’m fine. I thought I told you to stay put?” I asked, and she looked away, timidly.

“I just couldn’t bear to leave you like that,” she replied.

“It’s fine. Was anyone following us? That girl and me, I mean.”

Gisela nodded.

“There was another goddess. A small one, with a black hooded robe.”

“Perfect,” I breathed, as I continued to catch my breath. “Where are the others?”

Gisela signaled, as I had, and I shot her a disapproving stare as Gunter came over from some bushes off to the left, accompanied by not only the other Kobalt man, but three others.

“I’m sorry, Auslander,” Gisela began, but I shook my head.

“It’s fine. This is perfect, actually.”

I quickly relayed my plan to Gisela, and she nodded, despite a slightly worried look on her face.

I offered a silent prayer to the powers that be, that the Kobalt would be able to perform as I hoped, before putting our plan into action.

***

“Are you sure it’s this way?” Candace asked her comrade.

The two walked noisily, seeming quite oblivious to the group tracking them from a distance.

I signaled to Gunter, and he nodded, moving with two of the other Kobalt men to the other side of where the two girls walked.

 _These robes sure came in handy,_ I thought.

The two Kobalt guards accompanying Gunter wore some of the robes from my set, while I switched into another robe myself.

The other two guards just covered themselves up as roughly as they could with whatever we had available, while Gunter and Gisela thankfully, already wore robes which allowed them to conceal themselves.

“I’m sure. Sheesh,” the girl responded.

“If you’re so sure, then how come you didn’t see what happened?” Candice asked, and the girl sighed.

“I wasn’t the one cowering in fear and pissing myself,” the girl replied.

“Ugh. I told you. There was _something_ there!”

“And where is it now?” the girl asked, and Candice stomped her feet angrily.

“Doesn’t matter if we’re _fucking_ lost!”

I smiled, feeling quite proud of myself for executing my plan so perfectly.

“On my mark,” I whispered, and Gisela nodded.

The first step was making sure the smaller girl didn’t have a weapon concealed within her robes.

For that, I’d have to engage her.

“Coo! Coo!” I called, and Gunter’s hooting call came back to me.

“Oyeoyeyeaaaaah!”

I charged out just as Gunter and his two accompanying Kobalt did, and the two others quickly surrounded the girls from the other side.

“Aaahhhh!” Candace screamed, holding onto the smaller girl, to her annoyance.

“Let go of me; I have the dagger.”

She pulled a dagger out from somewhere in her robe, and I shot Gisela a quick look.

The others backed up a bit, while still doing their best to act menacingly towards the two, as I charged in.

The small girl caught sight of me as I moved in, but as she swung her blade, my own armored forearm crashed into her wrist, and the blade went flying from her hand.

For a moment, the quickness of my strike left me feeling somewhat perplexed, but I shook off the feeling, as the fight was not yet over.

I quickly kicked at her stomach as hard as I could, and her eyes went wide as she fell to the floor, writhing in agony.

“Don’t hurt me!” Candace screamed, but as she made a run for it, I grabbed her, then grasping her by the ponytail, I threw her over to her slumped companion.

She was sobbing, and as Gisela quickly retrieved the knife, I signaled to the others to approach.

“Tie them,” I ordered in German, and one of the Kobalt guards quickly produced some woven reed rope.

We secured their hands, then bound their legs and placed the two girls, backs together, sitting on the floor.

“Well, what do we have?” Gisela began, as she inspected each of the girls. “You will make good slave for the Khal,” she continued, watching me to make sure that she’d gotten the pronunciation right, as she moved to Candace. “You… maybe food?”

“Please don’t hurt us,” Candace sobbed, and Gisela looked to me.

“Do it,” I mouthed, as I gestured with my fist.

She balled her hand up, looking to me again, and at my silent prodding, she took a deep breath, then struck Candance; hard.

“You speak when I tell you, little girl. Gag them,” Gisela ordered, and as the other Kobalt moved in, and the girls kicked and whimpered in fright, I hung back and Gisela moved to join me.

“I cannot believe I struck a goddess.”

Her hands were shaking, and I took them into mine.

“Look at me. She is _not_ a god.”

Her hands steadied a little, and she nodded.

“What do we do now?”

“I’ll tell you what to say in German.”

“German?”

“That’s what we call that language,” I answered, and she nodded.

We walked over to the two girls, and I whispered to Gisela.

She approached Candace and moved the bit of cloth from over her mouth.

“I ask. You answer. Got it?” she said, and the girl nodded.

“We’re looking for a man. Long, blonde hair in a ponytail. This tall. Carrying a sword.”

“Are you talking about Caleb?” Candace began, and the other girl nudged her with her elbow.

“Don’t tell them anything,” she mumbled through her gag, and I sighed.

I walked over to her, and slapped her across the face.

“No one spoke to you,” I said, trying my best to make my voice sound low and gruff.

I nodded at Gisela, and as she raised her hand to strike Candace, the girl began to speak.

“We saw him! We don’t know where he is, but he passed by us.”

I walked over to Gisela, and whispered to her.

“Who is this ‘us’?” she asked. “Is that the little group down by the river?”

She stared at Gisela, hesitantly, but as she raised a hand, poised to strike; Candace quickly nodded.

“Yes.”

“When?” I pressed.

“Yesterday. It was late. He had some people with him, tied up.”

I whispered to Gisela.

“How many people?” she asked.

“I dunno. I wasn’t there… I was inside a tent.”

I grasped her by the hem of her shirt, and Candace whimpered, closing her eyes shut tight.

“I swear!” she cried, and I paused, studying her intently.

“How late was it?” I asked.

“I dunno… like the sun was setting?” she said, and I pondered the info.

“And he just left? With the captives?” I asked, and she quickly nodded.

If it was that late, he couldn’t possibly be going far… and why was he even stopping there at all.

It didn’t make sense.

My eyes moved to the other girl.

I walked over, and grabbed her by the arm, pulling her up roughly, then dragged her away from Candace.

I pushed her up against a tree, and took off my hood, revealing my face.

“Look, I don’t care to play games with you people. I just want my friends back,” I said, as I pinned her gruffly.

“Bullshit. If you care so much about them, then why did you leave them?” she asked.

“In my assessment, at the time; the hall was the safest place to stay. When that changed, I headed out to find somewhere else that we could use.”

“Good luck with that. Nowhere is safe,” she said, and I scoffed.

“Yeah? Well there are better places than here at least. Now, where are they? Where did Caleb take them?”

“I’m not telling you shit. Anything you do to me; Caleb will do a thousand times worse.”

“Vanessa’s in league with him?” I asked, and the girl looked away.

_Guess it’s time to pay Vanessa another visit._

I took the girl back to where Candace was, then pulled Gisela aside to speak.

“The Kobalt with us. Can they fight?” I asked.

From what I’d seen, they carried no weapons; just tools and light packs.

I imagined they were something like scouts, but I needed to know exactly what they were capable of.

“They are no hunters, Auslander; just runners. But for you, they would die.”

I shook my head.

“I don’t want them to die. What I mean is; do they have experience fighting?”

“It is not their first skill, but they can.”

“Do they have weapons?” I asked, and she nodded, waving one of them over.

She spoke to the man, and he produced a little dagger from his pack for my examination.

I took the weapon into my hand; it consisted of some kind of bone tied roughly to a piece of wood.

I frowned, handing the weapon back to him.

If I was going to take Vanessa on, it would help to know what they had; but I’d pushed my captives as far as I was willing to. After all, they were just being manipulated by Vanessa.

I began a quick calculation in my mind. Vanessa’s group consisted of eight girls, so four hundred starting credits?

So far, I’d seen two spears in Vanessa’s camp, plus the dagger I’d taken from the smaller captive girl.

That would add up to sixty credits.

Then there was Vanessa’s breastplate, and bracers; so… thirty more?

There were also four tents, which I think belonged to the camping sets, which cost twenty credits each; so that was another hundred.

That left two hundred and ten unaccounted for credits, which could mean up to a maximum of ten concealed or otherwise existing weapons in their encampment.

So, what could I count on?

Their position was vulnerable for sure; but we weren’t launching an all-out attack. Our objective was subduing them, and the less violence we could do it with, the better.

Then there was also the weak-willed nature that it took for these girls to follow a person like Vanessa… I mean, she was hardly a convincing leader, and if my current two captives were anything to go by, then that was certainly an advantage I could count on.

Maybe they would fold if I took her down?

I called Gisela over.

“I want to storm their camp,” I said, and she nodded, as she bit her lip nervously.

“They are gods like you, no?”

“They are.”

“Then it may be dangerous. You sit back; the Kobalt will try to take them.”

I shook my head.

“She has at least two weapons. _God’s_ weapons,” I clarified, and she shifted nervously. “Here’s the plan. I think I can disarm or immobilize them one by one; I need the Kobalt to restrain them as I take them down.”

“You risk yourself, Auslander. Just let us handle it,” she countered, and I shook my head.

“My armor will protect me. No-one has to die. The others who were tracking the axe wielding God. Are they runners too?”

She nodded.

“How many?”

“Four,” she answered, and I nodded.

“We’ll meet up with them, then carry out the attack together. I want you and Gunter to take two of the Kobalt with each of you. Gather some stones, and climb the hills on either side of the camp; but don’t attack unless I give the signal. I don’t want to do too much damage to them.”

Gisela nodded, apprehensively.

“You take much risk, trying to let all live. It is… unlike what I know of the gods,” she said, studying me.

“Our ways all differ,” I offered, and she nodded.

“I like your way,” she said, and as I smiled, she suddenly seemed flustered.

She quickly headed off to relay the plan to the Kobalt, and we gathered Candace and her friend up, gagging them again as we set off.

We met up with the four runners who were tracking Caleb’s friend, but it seems they’d lost track of him pretty early on, and were laying low until the time to meet up.

Gisela relayed the plan to them, and we headed to Vanessa’s camp.

When we got to the camp, I signaled to Gisela, and she and Gunter headed off, and made their way around the camp to get into position.

I waited for a bit, then set off.

We got to within fifty feet of the first camp, where I’d stopped the first time, and I threw my captives down onto the floor.

“Come out, Vanessa!” I called. “And anyone who doesn’t want to fight, throw down your weapons.”

“Right… so you could disarm us and have your way with us? No thanks!” Vanessa called, and I scoffed.

“Just tell me where Caleb took my group, Vanessa!”

“Bite me,” she yelled, and I sighed.

I advanced on her, handing my halberd to one of the Kobalt as I did, and two of the girls charged out of the bushes towards me; one wielding a spear, and the other, a dagger.

I dashed toward the girl with the spear, and easily evading her thrust, I grabbed the weapon, and slammed my fist into her face, sending her sprawling. But the other girl stabbed at me with her dagger, and as I swung my other hand toward her, I deflected the blow and drove my knee into her stomach.

Two of the Kobalt were quickly at my side, restraining and tying up the two girls, and I tossed the spear in my hand to one of the others, advancing now on Vanessa.

“Stop him,” she yelled, but the other girls were rooted to the ground in panic.

She bared her teeth, seething with anger as I advanced on her, and she stood her ground, raising her spear. She jabbed as soon as I stepped into range, and I evaded, grabbing the spear just below the blade as I did.

I yanked, pulling her toward me, and as she fell onto her knee, I reached for her; but she had a dagger concealed on her leg, and she swung the blade, grazing a piece of exposed skin at my right shoulder.

I grimaced, then smacked her across the face with the back of my hand, and she fell over with a scream.

As she tried to crawl away, I pulled her back, and as she fell flat on her back, I reached for the neckline of her breastplate, and to my surprise; a strange glow filled my hand.

It felt as if an electric current was flowing between me and the piece of armor, and as I pulled at it, almost instinctively, I could feel the armor coming apart in my hand, and I stared in surprise as I ripped the piece right off of her, along with the cotton shirt she wore underneath.

Her breasts spilled out, and my jaw dropped as gasps broke out all around me.

She quickly covered herself up with her hands, her eyes wide with fright; but her expression quickly changed to one of anger.

“See? This is what they will do to you if you don’t fight!” she screamed, but as I looked around, no one moved.

The rest of the Kobalt converged, bringing all of our captives together to the center of the camp.

We quickly searched them for weapons, before leaving them in a heap, surrounded by Kobalt armed now with the confiscated spears and daggers.

“Where did Caleb take my group, Vanessa?” I asked, when suddenly, a call came from one of the Kobalt, as they searched through the tents.

“He says Gods are here, tied,” Gisela translated, and I rushed over.

“Fucking hell,” I cursed, as I peeked into the tent, and spotted Francesca, tied and gagged, along with Casey.

I quickly untied them, and Francesca hugged me.

“I fucking love you right now,” she exclaimed, and I held her as she squeezed me tightly.

“Did they hurt you?” I asked, and she shook her head.

“No, but…” her words trailed off as she shot a quick glance towards Casey, who was staring angrily at me.

“You came?” she said, and I nodded.

“Yeah. You’re my group. Of course, I’d come.”

“Not for me,” she spat, her eyes moving to Francesca, and I sighed.

“You’re right. I came for her. But… she never tried to kill me, so can you blame me?” I asked, and Francesca shot me a questioning look.

“You’re a psychopath, Nate. I’ll never trust you. I know what your kind is capable of,” she responded venomously, and I sighed, but Francesca walked over to her, and to my surprise, put an arm around her.

“Casey… Caleb and Vanessa weren’t psychopaths,” Francesca said, and Casey’s eyes teared up, and her knees began to shake.

She collapsed, sobbing, and Francesca consoled her, patting her back reassuringly.

There was a pitying look in Francesca’s eyes, and as I studied her as I began to suspect what happened.

As Casey calmed down, I quickly spoke to Gisela.

“How long do we have before night falls?” I asked.

“Five, maybe six hours,” she answered, and I nodded.

“We should set up a lookout. I have a feeling the ‘God’ your people were tracking is coming here sometime before then.”

Gisela nodded, then headed outside to carry out my instructions.

“Francesca. Where’s Jordan and Nolan? And the other guy.”

“Caleb took them with his group.”

“They’re coming back here, aren’t they?” I asked, and she nodded.

“We need to leave before he comes back. He has a full suit of armor, Nate. We can’t beat him.”

_Fuck._

Well isn’t that just fucking great.

“I’m not leaving without Jordan and Nolan,” I said, and Francesca bit her lip nervously.

“You don’t understand, Nate. The armor is resistant to the blades. Maybe we can come back for them when we’re better equipped,” she said, and I pulled off my robe.

“He’s not the only one with armor,” I said.

Casey was now staring at me.

She studied me for a while, before speaking.

“I wanna talk to him. Alone,” she said, and Francesca cast me a quick look, and I nodded.

She headed outside, casting a furtive look back, before disappearing outside of the tent.

“I’m sorry about what happened,” I began, and she cut me off.

“Save it. I’m still not buying your act; but I’m willing to cut a deal. Even with armor, a fight against someone else in full armor is difficult. I know things that can raise your odds.”

“I’m listening,” I said.

“I want. Fucking. Revenge,” she said, her teeth clenched tight as she spoke.

“We could organize a trial. Punish them,” I began, and she shook her head emphatically.

“Fuck justice, Nathan. I want you to bring that bitch in here and fucking rape her!”

“No. That’s not gonna make anything better,” I said.

“I don’t care. That’s what I want.”

“Let’s work something out, Casey. There has to be-”

“No. This is non-negotiable. It’s this, or nothing.”

I rubbed the back of my head, as I considered the grisly request.

“Look, Nate. You might beat Caleb; but there are things about this world, this situation, that only I know. You’ve known that since day one. You need me! I’m more useful than you could possibly imagine!”

“All your info isn’t worth what you’re asking me to do,” I said, and she cursed.

“But you don’t feel anything!” she exclaimed, and I sighed.

“No, but I still know what’s right and what’s wrong.”

“Look. I’ll show you something right now.”

She placed her hand on my chest, and her wrist implant began to glow.

“If I say your name, and pledge myself to you while holding my hand like this, then I become your slave for life. You can order me to do anything, and I would be forced to obey. Do this for me, and I’ll pledge myself to you,” she said.

My mind flashed back to when I’d done the same thing with the princess, and I studied Casey as realization dawned on me.

This was a lot of power to have over someone…

“You’re serious?”

“Deadly,” she answered, and I sighed.

“Give me a second to think,” I said, and Casey stared daggers at me as I stepped away from her, and out of the tent.

“I think you should do it.”

I jumped, as Francesca’s voice spoke suddenly beside me.

“Jesus,” I breathed, my hand on my chest, as she caught me off guard.

“It’s not just Casey… Vanessa made some of the other girls have sex with Caleb’s goons. I only escaped because one of the dumbasses took a look at my chest and picked someone with bigger boobs.”

I looked over at the girls, as I thought about the fate Vanessa had led them to.

 _Ironic_ , I thought. _She promised to protect them from rape, then led them to the slaughter herself._

Then image of _her_ flashed before my eyes… Julienne; her red, curly hair, and that wicked, unforgiving smile.

_Maybe I can use that._

“If I do this… this stays between us,” I breathed, and Francesca’s face lit up.

“Of course,” she promised, her eyes lighting up, and I shot her a sharp look.

I walked up to Vanessa, then grasped her by her hair, and she yelped as I pulled her to her feet.

“Let’s take a walk,” I said, and Gisela stared after me as I headed back to the tent.

I threw Vanessa down at Casey’s feet, and she smiled at me, and gave a nod.

“I expect that pledge,” I said, and she nodded, her eyes fixed venomously on Vanessa.

“Oh. Nice. Guess you found some use for your friend,” she said. “Just so you know, Caleb _will_ kill him… and we’ll do things to you that’ll make you wish you’d died too.”

“Look. You can smack her around a little, but Caleb might be here anytime. Save the main event for a safer place,” I said, and she shook her head.

“Do you feel your skin crawling?” she asked, and I shook my head. “Your armor grants you enhanced perception; when someone in full armor gets within a mile of you, you’ll feel it… and when he’s ready to attack, you’ll feel-”

“-the hairs on my neck stand on end?” I asked, and she nodded.

“As long as he’s far enough away, we’re fine; now hold her arms down, behind her back.”

I sighed, doing as she asked, and she reached forward, squeezing Vanessa’s breasts roughly.

“How does it feel?” Casey said, and Vanessa laughed.

“Good, actually.”

Casey gnashed her teeth, then looking toward the tent entrance to make sure she was in the clear, she quickly slipped off her cotton pants, and I raised an eyebrow at her, as she stripped off her underwear as well.

 _Why are you stripping?_ I thought; and the answer quickly came.

She grabbed Vanessa’s long black hair, and bunching it up in her hand, she grasped the hair and used it to force Vanessa’s face, roughly, towards her own pussy.

“How do you fucking like it now, bitch?” she cursed, rubbing and smearing herself all over Vanessa’s face, nose and mouth.

Vanessa snapped at her, trying to bite, and I twisted her hand painfully.

“Try that again, and I’ll knock the teeth out of your mouth,” I warned.

Casey studied me, and I gave her a quick nod.

 _Get this over with_ , I thought to myself.

“Lick,” Casey ordered, and Vanessa gritted her teeth, so I twisted her arm again.

“You’re gonna break my arm,” she complained, and I shrugged.

“Then fucking do what she says,” I replied.

She let out a long sigh, then leaned in and began to tentatively lick Casey’s pussy, and Casey moaned.

“Oh yeah, bitch. Eat it like you’re a fucking lesbian.”

Vanessa licked as Casey occasionally ground her face into her mound, which was quickly becoming slick with her juices.

“Tear her pants off,” Casey ordered.

At first, I moved to remove them, when I remembered the way I’d torn her clothes apart.

 _Was my armor giving me enhanced strength?_ I thought, so I decided to try something.

I grabbed the cotton pants, and pulled at them, hard; and to my surprise, the material tore loose in my hand.

 _Interesting,_ I thought.

“Now fuck the bitch.”

“Uhh, I’m not sure how…” I began, trying to figure out what to remove from my armor first, when Francesca darted into the tent, beside me.

“I can help with that!”

I shook my head disapprovingly, but Casey gave a quick nod, and Francesca examined me, then removed my belt-plate, and, shooting me an excited look, she fished my still semi-flaccid member from within my undergarments.

She began to stroke me, and as I shot her a warning glare, she shrugged.

“What? You need to be harder,” she said, as she continued to coax me to life.

As soon as I felt I was close enough to my full length, I gestured for Francesca to take off my gauntlet, and as she did, I chased her out of the room.

She shot me a pouty expression, before leaving, reluctantly.

I took my now freed hand and began to massage Vanessa’s clit, when Casey groaned.

“You’re not making love to her. Just fucking stick it in. Make her squeal like the fucking pig she is!”

I took a deep breath, then placed my head at her entrance, and Casey pressed Vanessa’s face down into the ground as I forced myself into her, impaling her in one fell strike.

“Gaaah!” she groaned, and Casey gloated.

“How does it feel now, you fucking piece of shit? How do you like it when someone else does it to you?”

Was this what Vanessa and Caleb had done to her?

I studied the look on Casey’s face. Was it rage, or pleasure?

It was a new expression, and probably one I wouldn’t get a chance to study very often, so I made a mental note to ask her about it some time.

“Fuck her brains out, Nate,” Casey ordered, and I obliged, slamming cruelly into Vanessa’s cunt as Casey forced her to eat her pussy.

Vanessa moaned into Casey’s pussy as she licked, and Casey laughed.

“Yeah. Moan like a bitch, you fucking pig! Nate. Take her ass,” Casey ordered, and I bit my lip.

I’d never done anal before, and as I slipped my cock out of her pussy, I poked at the little rosebud of her asshole.

It was so tiny; I had no idea how to even begin fitting my cock inside.

Casey studied me, then, as if understanding my confusion, she walked over to me, and she leaned down, and spit onto Vanessa’s ass, then grasping my meat, she pushed the head to the little puckered hole, and to my surprise, without much difficulty, I began to press in.

The space was tight.

Tighter than any pussy could be, and as her walls contracted around me, wrapping around my cock and squeezing it tightly, I felt a little wave of lightheadedness wash over me.

“Agggghhhhh,” Vanessa groaned, and Casey returned her attention to her.

“You want to scream? Scream,” she said, and Vanessa shot her a resilient look.

“Only because it feels so fucking good,” she said, but her words didn’t sound as convincing as she thought they did.

“Oh really? Fuck her, Nate. Do it hard and fast,” she ordered, and I obliged.

The obscene sound of skin slapping against bare skin filled the room, punctuated only by the guttural grunts coming from Vanessa.

“Want this to end? Huh? I have an idea… how about you stick your tongue in my ass?”

“Fuck… you,” she said. “No way.”

I grasped her hair, and as Casey got down on her knees, and positioned her ass towards Vanessa’s face, I forced her face down towards Casey’s rear end.

She tried to turn her face away, but my grip was strong, and as she resisted, I reached for her clit, and grasped it between my forefinger and thumb.

She shot me a panicked look, and I nodded towards Casey.

“Do it now,” I said, and I saw panicked tears forming in her eyes.

 _Would a normal person feel sorry for her?_ I wondered.

I knew that tears could elicit feelings of sympathy, but people often displayed anger towards those who cried after having done terrible things.

“I don’t feel that tongue in my ass yet,” Casey called, and I pinched at Vanessa’s clit in warning.

She whimpered, before reaching out, tentatively with her tongue, and Casey moaned exaggeratedly as it made contact.

“Eat it. Eat my ass, pig,” she said, and as I prodded Vanessa’s clit again, she began to lick with more conviction.

“You better bury that tongue in my ass,” Casey warned, and Vanessa gulped, before sticking her tongue out, and as I shoved her face hard, she finally pressed the wet, slug beyond the puckered bud, and into Casey’s anus.

“Wring her clit off if she takes her tongue out of my ass, Nate,” Casey said, and I flicked the knob in warning, as Vanessa continued to probe the inside of Casey’s anus.

All the while I continued to slowly pump my cock into Vanessa’s ass, enjoying the sensation of the warm, tight tunnel wrapped gloriously around my love pole.

Casey began to massage her own clit.

“Fuck. Nate. I’m gonna cum. Fuck her. Fuck her hard, and pump her slut hole to the brim with cum.”

I began to fuck Vanessa roughly, and even before Casey’s moans became orgasmic, I could feel the cum building up in my balls, and I grunted as it began to pour out.

Vanessa, I noted with some amusement, was moaning, and really _really_ tonguing Casey’s asshole out, and even as I emptied my balls inside of her, I began slamming into her again, this time rubbing the little nub of her clit more gently, and coaxing her towards an orgasm of her own.

The increased stimulation from Vanessa pushed Casey over the edge, but as she came, she looked back with interest as Vanessa’s moans caught her attention.

“What a fucking slut. Are you actually cumming from that?” she asked, and Vanessa lifted her face up, and spat at Casey in disgust.

She, however, made no move to dislodge my cock from herself, and as I pulled myself from her, a bit roughly, she let out a little whimper.

“Are you happy?” she asked, folding her arms under her breasts, and Casey glared at her angrily.

“Nothing will take back what you did to me,” Casey said, as she quickly dressed and left the tent.

I tucked myself away, then replaced the pieces of armor that I’d removed, but Vanessa kept her eyes on me.

“You really don’t give a fuck about any of this, do you?” she asked, and I shrugged.

“You reaped what you sowed?” I offered, and she chuckled.

“I think I’m starting to like you,” she said. “If you happen to kill Caleb tonight… how about we make this a thing? I can fuck like a porn star when I don’t have some bitch trying to bury my face in her cunt.”

“Oh? In exchange for what? Protection?” I asked, and she shrugged.

“I like fucking, and you fuck like a stud. Doesn’t have to be anything more than that, to be honest.”

I laughed.

“Still trying to play tough?” I asked, and Vanessa smirked.

“Casey’s a fucking dumbass. Her trauma, is to me, just a mild inconvenience. You don’t believe me? Take your cock out,” she said, and I eyed her; my interest piqued.

I slipped my belt off, and as I withdrew my cock from its confines, she crawled over to me, and taking it into her hand, she stroked it as she began to suck on my balls, all the while keeping her gaze locked onto mine.

She licked from my balls all the way along my shaft, pausing as she got to my head, which she sucked and kissed.

She moaned, sliding my cock past her lips, and swirling her tongue pleasurably along the sensitive underside of my meat.

“Got used to the taste of ass, I take it,” I teased, and she shrugged, slipping my dick out of her mouth.

“Not half as bad as I thought it’d be. Besides… my own taste is much better than that whore’s. It’s making my cunt drip, actually” she said, leaning back and spreading her legs to show me.

I snickered, then tucked away my cock to her displeasure.

“Aww… I don’t know if you’re gonna live, you know. This might be your last chance to fuck me.”

“You don’t seem to understand. I find you… intriguing, but disgusting nonetheless. So, you’re gonna have to offer me something more than just your body to keep me interested.”

I fixed my armor back on, then signaled to Gisela as soon as I stepped outside.

“Have someone tie her up,” I ordered, and she quickly summoned one of the Kobalt over.

“One of the Goddess wish to speak,” she said, pointing the small statured girl who we’d captured with Candace from earlier.

I walked over to her, and she looked up as I stood over her.

“Up,” I said, and she stood up.

We walked away from the rest of the group, before I gestured to her to speak.

“Where you’re staying… is it with them?” she asked, indicating to the Kobalt, and I nodded. “Is it safe?”

“Safer than here,” I said. “Look. I’m not like Vanessa, so I won’t sugarcoat anything. There’s a lot that can go wrong… we’ve got to learn their customs so we don’t accidentally do something to offend them, and they speak hardly any English so we’re going to have to learn some of their language eventually. But they offered us sanctuary, and so far, it’s relatively safe.”

She rubbed her foot against her leg, anxiously.

“Can you take me with you?” she asked. “I’ll… do some stuff, if I have to.”

“Okay, stop with that. I’m not looking for sex slaves. If you want to come, and they’re cool with me bringing more people than what I’d told them, then I’d be happy to take you in.”

She studied me.

“Just like that?” she asked, and I nodded.

“Jeannie,” she said, biting her fingernails. “My name is Jeannie.”

“Nate. Sorry about kicking you… earlier,” I said, and as she rubbed the spot on her stomach gingerly, she smiled.

“It’s okay,” she said timidly.

She cast a furtive look back at the others, and I let out a sigh.

“I’ll give them all a chance,” I said, as she studied me. “Stay with them for now, though.”

She nodded, and I walked her back to the group before joining Francesca.

“Did you really rip this off of her?” Francesca asked, as she examined the piece of armor on the ground.

“Yeah.”

She turned to me, then stood up, and began to examine my own chest piece.

“So, it’s not just one piece?” she asked, and I shook my head.

“There’s straps holding them together,” I confirmed, and she pondered the info.

“That doesn’t sound sturdy,” she said.

She pulled at my armor a bit, then frowned.

“I take that back. This doesn’t budge,” she said.

I looked around, then spotting Casey, I waved her over.

We explained our observations, and she shook her head.

“The straps are there to get the armor on; once the pieces connect, the bond is basically unbreakable until you take it off.”

“Then how did this happen?” Francesca asked, holding up the armor piece from the ground.

“Armor shredding. When you deal damage to someone’s armor, it weakens the bond. Then you can shear the armor off either with a weapon attack, or tearing it off once you’re wearing the right equipment; like those gauntlets.”

“So, is that the best way for Nate to take on Caleb?” Francesca asked, and Casey shrugged.

“If he’s a better fighter than Caleb, then sure; but they’re both using starter gear, so it doesn’t really matter. Real sneaky, buying that stuff and keeping it hidden, by the way.”

“I didn’t,” I replied. “We got this from our new friends.”

Casey’s eyes followed me to Gisela, who shot me a questioning look, before I conveyed to her that everything was fine.

“Wait… hold up your hand,” Casey said, examining my chip.

She pressed down on my wrist, where the little red light blinked, and a miniature holographic display came up.

“Holy shit. Nate, this is tier three armor. Medium to high grade, at least. How have you not realized that?” Casey asked, and I shrugged.

“What’s the difference in the tiers, anyway? Harder to shear off?”

“Uh, yeah, but it also enhances your physical and mental faculties. Seriously how have you not realized that?”

I suddenly realized why it seemed as if I was moving faster, and was stronger, than I thought…

It was the armor!

“I’ve never gotten in a fight before. I kind of just assumed adrenaline was making me better than I thought I was at it, I guess?”

Francesca snickered, as Casey studied me with open mouthed shock.

“Some psychopath, huh?” Francesca said, elbowing Casey, but she didn’t seem amused.

“There are other ways to get what you want, than violence. Right Nate?” Casey said, and I nodded.

“That’s how most people do it at least.”

Gisela came over to let me know that they had eyes looking out in every direction.

I quickly requested that she get Gunter to gather up some rocks, and hand them out amongst the Kobalt.

“Unlike with the Goddesses, we may need to hurt these in every way we can,” I said, and she nodded.

“What’s your plan?” Francesca asked. “Hide and ambush?”

I shook my head.

“Thanks to his armor, he’s gonna notice our presence before we can strike. Nolan, Jordan, and the broken robot might be at risk if we go at it like that.”

“Hmm. Maybe we could use some of the girls as bait?” she continued, and again, I shook my head.

“I’m not sure he’s gonna hesitate to kill them either. That armor probably makes him feel like a real God. I kind of expect that he will act like it.”

“So what? Are you gonna sit here and just wait on him?” Francesca asked, and I smirked.

“Yeah, actually.”

She shot me a dubious look, and I snickered.

“I’m serious. He probably won’t be able to resist if I challenged him to a duel,” I explained, and Francesca nodded enthusiastically.

“Casey. Can these guys use our equipment?” I asked, pointing to the Kobalt, and she bit her lip.

“To some extent. The weapons still cut the same way; but they don’t receive any of the enhancements that come with the armor and weapons, and the armor shreds off of them almost immediately too.”

I shifted my gaze to Francesca.

“Fancy yourself a fighter?” I asked, and her eyes lit up.

“Fuck yeah!” she exclaimed, and I smirked at her.

Casey and I helped her to don the breastplate we’d seized from Vanessa, and she gasped as the armor began to reconfigure itself, shaping to fit her lithe frame.

“Well that’s certainly something,” Francesca noted, and I nodded in agreement.

She also donned the arm guards, and wielded a spear.

The other weapons I decided to hand out to some of the more confident looking amongst the Kobalt, and to my surprise, Gisela herself took the spear.

“Can you fight?” I asked, and she gripped the weapon tightly.

“For you? With my life,” she said. “To the princess, I promised you safe return.”

As Gisela walked off, Francesca came over.

“Princess?” she asked, a teasing smile on her face, and I sighed.

“It’s a long story, but I might kinda be married to one,” I explained, and she laughed.

“Of course, you are; playboy,” she added, winking, and I sighed again.

“Do you really intend to duel Caleb?” Casey asked. “Even with superior armor, better fighters always win.”

“I’m not really trying to ‘fight honorably’ here, or anything. The duel will hopefully let the others let their guard down. As soon as the hostages are safe, I say we attack them with everything we’ve got.”

“That’s more like it,” Francesca said, winking at Casey, and Casey nodded, eyeing me carefully.

Francesca wandered off, doing a few lunges and getting herself acquainted with her weapon and gear.

“What?” I asked, noticing Casey’s eyes still on me.

“Nothing. I’m still trying to figure you out,” she explained.

“Are you gonna keep your promise?” I asked, and she sighed.

She took my left hand and placed it on her chest, over her heart, and my implant began to glow.

“Nathan, I pledge myself to you,” she said. “Assign me a name, in recognition of my pledge.”

“Can I just use your name?” I asked, and she shrugged.

“It can be anything, but it’ll be the name you use when you command me as your servant.”

I thought about it for a second, then nodded.

“Cassandra,” I said, and I gasped as the familiar feeling of Casey’s shadowy form appeared in my mind, just as it had with the princess earlier that day.

 _Was this what the princess had done?_ I thought.

_Pledged herself into servitude?_

“What exactly is the extent of my control over you?” I asked.

“When you think of my name, in your mind; you’ll see an image of me as I am, even if we’re on other sides of the planet from each other. Concentrate on any part of me, and you can cause me varying degrees of pain, unless I do as you wish.”

I studied her, as she explained.

“You must have really wanted that revenge, huh?”

She sighed.

“I dunno… maybe,” she replied.

She looked off into the distance, a sad look in her eyes.

“We’re never leaving this place. So… what does it even matter?”

Casey wandered off, and I took up my place at the entrance to the little encampment, but as time seemed to wear on, and eventually, the sun began to sink low in the sky, Caleb’s group never came.

“Auslander,” Gisela called to me, as she approached, cautiously. “If we are to arrive before dark, we should depart this place.”

I turned, looking around at the camp.

“If we had to stay here for a night, would we be fine?” I asked, and she rubbed her chin, apprehensively.

“I will consult the runners. There is better knowledge amongst them than mine.”

She walked over to a group of Kobalt, and after speaking for a bit, she returned.

“They say dangerous monsters do not venture near. The Auslanders can easily slay anything that could arrive. The danger is fake-gods. The robber, hunter, trader; often pass by stream.”

I nodded.

“Do we have enough supplies? For everyone” I asked, and she nodded.

“The runners carry enough rations for three nights march. It will be enough for tonight; and we can resupply tomorrow.”

As we passed the food around, Vanessa’s group seemed initially reluctant to eat, but Jeannie began speaking to the others, and soon enough, they began to come around.

“What do we do with the girls? Tie them up?” Francesca asked, and I pondered the matter as Casey came over to join us.

“No. I don’t want to cement our status to them as an enemy. One guard with a weapon should be enough to keep watch. I don’t want the Kobalt to do it, though… it might set a bad precedent about them as a people. Can you and Casey do it in shifts?”

Casey shook her head.

“Francesca is your second fighter. The two of you need to sleep at the same time. I can keep watch, and when the girls sleep, I can take a break, and you can let your green buddies keep a lookout. Just get them to wake me up if anything happens.”

“I guess,” I conceded. “What do we do with Vanessa?” I asked. “I get the feeling that she might cause problems if we keep her around the others.”

“Yeah… maybe you can get your goblin girlfriend to watch her,” Casey said, and Francesca shot me a suggestive look.

“Ooh la la. The princess, and her handmaiden? I can’t leave you alone for one night, can I?”

I pretended to ignore Francesca’s interjection, as I waved Gisela over.

I figured it would be best to set up a shift system for the Kobalt to keep watch as well, but she insisted that they would not require rest for the night.

“Even at your suggestion, Auslander; the runners will not rest for a journey lasting one day-cycle. It is the custom.”

Francesca was shooting suggestive glances between me and Gisela, so I quietly pulled her aside.

“The girl in that tent. Can you keep an eye on her?” I asked, and she nodded.

“She is dangerous?” Gisela asked, and I nodded in response.

“Don’t give her the chance to pull any stunts,” I said.

When Casey wasn’t looking, I also gave Gisela one of my cloaks to cover Vanessa up, and I noticed her looking at me uncomfortably.

“That ritual you performed… with the angry eyed goddess. Was that one of punishment?” Gisela asked, and I sighed.

“Yes.”

She shifted uncomfortably.

“I never imagined such rituals could be used to inflict suffering,” she said. “Is this the way of the Gods?”

I shook my head quickly.

“No. I was against it, but Casey… the angry-eyed one, as you call her. She has important knowledge. I did it to appease her.”

She glanced over at Casey.

“What did the dangerous goddess do to deserve the punishment?” Gisela asked.

“She forced Casey to engage in a ritual against her will,” I explained, and Gisela nodded, understanding.

“Then her punishment was her own crime? The Gods are truly wise.”

As we spoke, darkness fell, and Francesca came over to join me as Gisela set out to keep an eye on Vanessa.

“We should sleep, you know,” Francesca said, and I nodded.

We headed to one of the tents, and I inspected the inside.

Earlier I had noticed sleeping bags in a few of the tents, but as I began to prepare to get some rest Francesca offered a suggestion.

“You know, it’s not particularly cold outside… even at night. Can we sleep out there?”

I eyed her, questioningly, and she shrugged.

“My dad always promised me to go camping; to sleep under the stars. But we never did,” she explained.

“Sure. Why not?” I conceded.

We dragged our sleeping bags out to the elevated bit of land that jutted out just above the stream, and began to settle in.

As we looked up at the stars, Francesca made a little humming noise.

“I never looked at the stars like this before,” she said. “Eighteen years of life on earth and I don’t think I looked at the stars even once.”

“Where did you live? In a big city?”

I glanced over as she nodded in response.

“You can’t even see the stars like this from the cities,” I explained. “The lights hide them away.”

“Oh~. Did you and someone special take a romantic trip to the countryside and stargaze?” she teased, and I snickered.

“No… I kind of did the same thing as you, just for longer.”

“It’s nice,” she noted, and I eyed her as she literally stared off into space. “Do you ever feel as if you’re just… small, and insignificant?”

I shrugged.

“In reality, we probably are. But I don’t really feel that way most of the time.”

“Of course not,” she said, a little smirk on her face. “You know, I felt a lot smaller when you left. It’s like I just went back to being a scared, little kid.”

“Having the presence of mind to leave me a message was a pretty strong move. Besides, being scared in this situation is normal,” I reminded her, and she sighed.

“I know… I thought acting tough would make me seem cool, but I really am scared. You know… I was right there when they did those things to Casey. All I could think was that they would probably do that to me as well… Just that thought, and I was paralyzed with fear.”

“Oh? Is that why you supported Casey’s revenge case?” I asked, and she nodded.

“I wanted to see you break her… like they did to Casey. But it wasn’t the same at all. Even when you hurt her, you were nowhere near to the level of savageness Caleb acted with. Psychopath or not.”

“I think I feel a little insulted,” I replied, and she snickered.

“Well… we are gonna be fighting him soon. So, just keep it in mind?”

Francesca shivered a little as she spoke.

“You don’t have to fight, you know,” I offered, and she shook her head.

“I want to. I’ve depended on people all my life, just as I did with you on our first day here. I want to fight, to prove my worth.”

“You don’t need to prove anything to me,” I said.

“Not you. To myself,” she clarified.

She didn’t speak again, and soon enough… I drifted off to sleep.

*******

A familiar chill ran through my spine as I shot upright and into wakefulness.

“Francesca,” I said, shaking her awake, and she woke up with a start as well. “Go get Casey.”

She nodded, and I headed quickly towards Gisela’s tent.

“They’re coming,” I told her, and she nodded, darting off to signal the watchers.

All of the fighters gathered with me at the center of the camp, but as we waited, no-one seemed to come.

“Can he tell if they leave?” Francesca asked, and Casey shook her head.

“The ‘danger sense’ ability only detects approaching danger.”

We waited for several more minutes, when in the distance, we heard a cry, and less than a minute later, two of the Kobalt came towards us with Jordan and Nolan in custody.

The two wore expressions of fear, but as they spotted us, it was replaced by a visible look of relief.

“You came for us?” Jordan began, as Nolan looked around.

“Where’s Cameron,” he said.

“Safe. With their people,” I responded, gesturing toward the Kobalt.

Nolan seemed unsatisfied with the explanation, but quickly let it go.

“How did you get away from Caleb?” Francesca asked, and Jordan bit his lip, nervously.

“We didn’t. There’s another otherworlder. Like us. He killed Caleb and the other two.”

“And Vince?” Francesca asked.

“He left him at the edge of the town.”

“And he just let you go?” Casey asked, and Jordan shot Nolan a quick look, and he nodded.

“He wants you,” Nolan said, staring at Casey, and as she backed away, she bumped into me.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“He said he’s hunting Casey. He’ll let us all live if we give her up.”

“No… you can’t let them,” she began, hyperventilating, and I put a hand on her shoulder, trying to calm her down.

“Relax,” I said to her, before turning to Nolan. “How does he know she’s here?”

“He has a little tracking device,” Nolan explained, and I let out a sigh.

_There goes running as an option._

“A tracking fob… I’m fucked,” Casey said, falling to her knees.

Tears were streaming down her face, as she looked up at me, helpless and afraid.

“The otherworlder. He’s alone?” I asked, and Nolan raised an eyebrow at me.

“Yeah…

“And what kind of weapon did he fight with?”

“A spear… wait, you’re not seriously considering fighting?” Nolan said. “He killed Caleb and the others like they were nothing.”

“We have the advantage in numbers,” I explained, and he ran his hands through his hair in exasperation. “Casey. What tier are most survivors.”

“Two, to three,” she said, her voice sounding hollow and deflated.

“Gisela. Have the Kobalt hold off until I signal,” I ordered, and she nodded.

I turned to the Kobalt runner who had been chosen to fight with one of our spears.

“What’s his name again? The one with the spear?”

“Franz,” Gisela answered, and I nodded.

“Tell him to make slashing attacks with the spear, aimed at the chest,” I said, and she nodded, relaying the command.

“Francesca. Time your attacks to land just after he attacks, okay?” I said.

As I turned to Casey, I noticed her hands were shaking.

“Can either of you fight?” I asked, turning to Nolan and Jordan, and Jordan nodded, so I relieved Casey of her spear, which she relinquished without complaint, and handed it to Jordan.

“Attack in tandem with Francesca,” I said, and he nodded, gripping the spear firmly.

As I turned around, I caught sight of the approaching figure in the distance, his armor glowing a pale grey against the blanket of darkness.

 _It’s the man from earlier,_ I thought, as he came nearer, and I quickly put my helmet on.

“Two sets of armor? I fucking hate you guys,” the man called, as soon as he was near enough to catch sight of me.

He carried a sack as he walked, and as he came closer, he threw it onto the ground, and it fell with a noisy metallic ‘clank’.

“You can have your friend’s armor too,” he said, indicating to the sack. “Just hand over the girl.”

I shook my head, readying my halberd, and he smirked.

He spit at the ground, then without warning; he charged in, thrusting his spear at the weak point in my armor near my shoulder.

As the attack came in, everything seemed to slow down, and I easily moved out of the way, countering with a thrust of my own at his chest.

Sparks flew as the point of my halberd glanced off of the armor, and I leapt to the left, circling him a bit, and trying to position him between me and the rest of the group.

“Even the other guy knew better than to throw attacks right at this armor,” the man said, sneering at me derisively and thumping his chest with his armored fist.

His eyes darted momentarily to the rest of my group, as if anticipating an ambush from the sides, but as no attack came, he smirked, and charged at me again.

I got ready to evade the thrust of his spear, but this time instead, he closed the range, coming right up to me and using the butt end of his spear, he aimed a jab at my face and-

*Clang!

-my ears began to ring as the blow glanced off of my helmet, leaving a metallic ringing in my brain.

He followed up the surprise move with a slash at my knees, and I leapt backwards, just narrowly evading the blow; but he quickly followed me, and this time as he lunged, I evaded the tip of his spear and swung the bladed head of the halberd at his neck, and he leaned back, narrowly escaping decapitation.

He took a few leaps backwards, panting as he studied me.

“You’re quick… too quick. That’s no T-1 gear, is it?” he asked, and I smirked.

“Come kill me and you’ll find out.”

He grasped his spear, a different look in his eye now as he circled me.

 _Too late_ , I thought to myself, as I was now certain my plan would work.

I signaled to Gisela’s guard; Franz, and the man momentarily eyed that direction as Franz charged, and I moved in as well to attack.

He smiled, ignoring Franz as he kept his eye on me, but as I pulled up short, he stabbed at my shoulder again, and as I evaded, he took in Franz’s position, and spinning around, he stabbed at him.

Franz tried to evade, but he was much too slow, and the spear sliced through his shoulder; but even so, he sliced his spear in an arc, and the man cackled as he allowed the weapon to crash harmlessly into his breastplate.

Attacks from Jordan and Francesca immediately followed, and they both managed to strike, and get out of the range of his weapon’s arc, and I charged in, stabbing at his chest again.

His eyes followed the trajectory of my weapon, and he took the blow to the back, stabbing immediately at me, and I winced as the blade grazed my shoulder.

I signaled to Gisela this time, and the man grimaced, as he steadied himself in preparation for whatever new onslaught we had planned; but as the first rocks crashed into him, he grinned.

“Useless,” he muttered, and I signaled to Franz, as we all moved in to attack again.

I watched him carefully; one single counter attack was all it would take for him to end Jordan or Franz’s lives, since neither wore armor; so I waited until they were poised to strike, before firing my attack at him.

This time, however, he focused on evading us as we struck; but he continued to ignore the swings at his breastplate, opting to counter attack after each strike, and as his spear sliced wickedly at Jordan’s legs, I just narrowly managed to block the blow, allowing Jordan to retreat to safety.

The man tried to close in to me again, but this time I was ready, and as he jabbed at me, I slammed my own body into his breastplate, knocking him off his feet, and as he scrambled to his feet, stones striking him constantly, I stabbed at his breastplate; hard, and a blue wave of energy pulsed outwards from the piece of armor.

He seemed confused; overwhelmed. His eyes were flashing across to the various sources of attacks coming at him, but he was frozen in place; and as I sped in towards him, he didn’t move, so I grabbed him by the neckline of his breastplate, and tugged with all my might.

As I ripped the breastplate off of his body, his jaw dropped, and his eyes went wide; but the expression was short lived as a spear burst through his chest, then sliced out of his side, and a spray of blood gushed forth from the massive wound.

He fell, and Francesca stood over him, her eyes wide as she took in the outcome of her own strike.

The fight was over, and the man’s panicked eyes quickly darted between me, and the sack he threw down onto the ground.

“Heal… me,” the man said, clutching at his side. “Green… vial.”

I followed his gaze to his sack, and Casey quickly picked up the bag and rummaged through its contents.

Eventually she produced what appeared to be a syringe, containing a green, glowing liquid.

“I’ll pledge,” he pleaded, reaching his hand toward me, and I quickly looked to Casey for some guidance.

“He tried to kill us,” she warned.

“He’ll know a lot,” I countered, and she sighed.

There was no time to deliberate… his life was fading, and fast.

I placed my hand against his chest.

“Nathan,” I said, and he nodded.

“Nathan. I pledge… myself,” he said, and my hand began to glow.

“I name you ‘Walking corpse’,” I said, and as the shadowy image of the man appeared in my head, I nodded to Casey, and she jabbed the needle into the man’s chest, then injected the liquid into him.

He screamed out, seemingly in pain, and I stared with interest as the wound began to close up on itself.

He writhed about in agony as the wound healed, and when it was done, he went still, passing out.

It was done.

Francesca and Jordan were already on their knees, trying to recover from the heightened intensity of the fight; but Casey was rummaging through the bag, and this time, she pulled out a little, round device, attached to a chain.

“Well… how much are you worth?” I asked.

There were tears in her eyes, and she slumped down to the ground, letting the device slip from her fingers.

“Two thousand credits,” she muttered. “I’m dead…”

“They can track you?” I asked, and she nodded blankly.

I pondered the info, then studied the implant on my wrist.

“This? Is this how they track you?” I asked, and as she nodded again, her eyes followed mine to the little dagger she carried, and a different look appeared in her eyes as she held her hand up.

***

“Does it hurt?” Francesca asked, as Casey cradled her arm.

She shook her head.

“Just feels numb,” she said, and I studied her, as we walked.

Just above her wrist, and tightly wrapped in bandages, was a little stump where her left hand should be…

A small price to pay for her life, I guess.

“We’ve been walking for hours! How much further is it?” Francesca called out to me, and I glanced around.

“Not much longer,” I replied, glancing around.

We’d seen the massive trees from off in the distance for at least twenty minutes now, but I couldn’t quite tell which trees were part of the town and which weren’t just yet.

We walked for a few more minutes when finally, I caught sight of the little bush which led to the city entrance, but to my surprise, there seemed to be a small gathering there, and as I caught sight of Cameron among them, my stomach tightened.

“Holy shit. Did you get everyone?” Cameron exclaimed, as she rushed towards us, enthusiastically.

“Not quite,” I said, shooting Francesca a quick look, and she nodded, a little sad expression on her face.

Cameron greeted everyone, but as she got to me, we paused and shared an awkward ‘how do we behave in front of everyone’ kind of moment.

She smiled, then hugged me, though a little more reservedly than she probably wanted to.

“You’re safe,” she said, and I nodded.

She bit her lip, but as we lingered in our own little world for just a moment longer than we probably should have, Nolan cleared his throat, and as Cameron quickly went over to his side, his eyes remained on me, studying me quite intently.

“This place is neat,” Francesca noted.

As she looked around, however, the smile faded a little.

“Do you really think Vince will be fine?” she asked.

Ultimately, we decided it would be too risky to go back to the town, or the guild hall for that matter.

“Who knows?” I replied. “There’s good to be found everywhere, and if someone from the town took him in… then he’d be safer there than he is with us.”

As I cast a glance over at Cameron, and caught her eyes also on me, Francesca studied me with a smile.

“Hnn~. So, you two did get some bonding done,” she teased, and I looked away, trying to act as nonchalant as I could.

“It’s fine. We’re in strange place; our lives constantly at stake. I figured you two would probably get closer when you went off. Just… don’t count me out yet,” she said, and I followed her with my gaze as she sauntered off to check on Casey.

I was about to sit down, and take a rest, when Gisela’s voice suddenly caught my attention.

She seemed to be arguing with one of the Kobalt who stood outside of the town, and I went over to see what was up.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, and she let out a frustrated sigh.

“ _Wisenmanner Versammlung_ ; the council is convened for special deliberation, but despite my place on the council, I am not being allowed admittance. It is not the custom,” she said, her annoyance quite evident, and I pondered the development.

 _Miriam_ , I thought, summoning the image of the princess in my mind, and as the shadowy form appeared, I could see that she was standing in place, her posture exuding a feeling of pride and firmness.

The magnetic pull indicating her location told me that she was somewhere in the direction of where I believed the council’s tree to be, so it was reasonable to assume that she was at the meeting.

I relayed this information to Gisela, and she furrowed her brow, as her eyes began to glint with concern.

“This meeting… is it unusual?” I asked, and Gisela nodded.

“Reserved only for matters of upmost import,” she replied.

I took a seat, cross-legged, on the forest floor, then concentrated my vision on the princess.

She seemed to remain in that same position, but as I continued my observation, she finally began to move. She walked, slowly, almost as if in procession, down from the hall where the council met, and eventually out of the tree… and as I followed her movement, it occurred to me that she was nearing our own position.

I relayed this information to Gisela, who tilted her head in confusion.

“No. That can’t be right. The princess is to never leave her realm… unless-”

Her eyes went wide, and as I studied the reaction with interest, another Kobalt, this time a girl like Gisela, dressed in that toga that seemed to indicate one’s affiliation with the council, came running to us.

She spoke to Gisela, and as she finished speaking, Gisela fell to her knees.

“What is it?” I asked, and Gisela merely shook her head, her hand over her mouth and her eyes filled with tears.

“It is news of princess, Auslander. _Wisenmanner Versammlung_ has concluded; for the act of sending the Auslander forth from our land with the sacred apparatus of our immortal savior, Matron Lucilla has decreed that the princess be stripped of title, and henceforth, exiled from Palancar.”

 _Fucking hell_ , I thought, as I ran my hands through my hair, and plopped down, exhaustedly, to the floor.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group makes preparations for the long trip across the forest.

***

Gisela was shaking, but even as I considered offering her some comfort, I found my own body numb, and unwilling to move.

 _Think,_ I told myself. _We have Casey. The otherworlder. Gisela, and some of the Kobalt._

It’s fine, right?

I mean, that still gave access to tons of information.

As I pulled myself to my feet, Cameron came over to me.

“What happened?” she asked, and I quickly relayed the news.

“I’m sorry,” I said, glancing towards her stomach. “I guess we did that for nothing…”

She took my hand in hers, and shook her head.

“I don’t feel that way at all,” she said, and as she kissed my hand, I felt some of the heaviness lift from inside of me.

“Gisela. What does this exile mean?” I asked.

She took a deep breath.

“The princess will be uprooted from her grove, and forced from Palancar. She will take new seeds, and set down her own roots in the forest beyond.”

“New seeds?” I asked, and Gisela nodded.

“A grove-seed. The seed which springs the great tree.”

I cast a longing look beyond the grove to the massive trunks.

The trees made amazing cover, but growing one would probably take several lifetimes.

It was a loss we would have to accept.

“How far away will we be cast?” I asked, and she shrugged.

“The princess will decide.”

That worked in my favor; after all, the princess would do as I asked.

Now we’d just need to figure out where was safe, and a good place to settle.

As I took in all of the info, a call came from the bushes beyond, and Gisela led Cameron and me to the edge of the grove, and I reached, just as the princess appeared to be speaking, addressing a massive gathering of Kobalt.

She spoke passionately, and while some wept, everyone paid attention.

“What’s she saying?” I whispered to Gisela, but as the girl tried to speak, her voice cracked, and tears began to fall.

I nodded, placing a hand comfortingly over hers, and she accepted my gesture, grasping onto my hand tightly.

After the princess finished speaking, several Kobalt from the crowd came forward to her, and as they gathered around her, the rest of the crowd began to grumble with agitation; but the dissent was quickly silenced by Mater Lucilla, who moved forward, and spoke loudly.

When she was done, the Kobalt who had gathered on our side began to walk towards the brush that led out of the city, and as the princess spotted me, she quickly moved to my side, grasping my hands in hers.

Her eyes were sparkly, and if I weren’t aware of what was going on, I’d have been certain that the event was nothing but a celebration.

 _My love. You return_ , her voice spoke into my mind, and I nodded.

I tried to convey my condolences, but she quickly shook the gesture away.

 _They are fools. We are better for leaving,_ she said, and as I shot her a questioning look, she held her hand out, a tiny glowing, green orb, held within it.

_Our seed, my love. We will plant it, and our trees will dwarf their cursed grove._

I nodded, but even then, I wondered if perhaps she was placing her trust in a future that was quite far from assured.

Although… that glow.

It reminded me of the energy cores, and I quickly guessed that the seed was no ordinary thing.

What if they grew using some kind of technology beyond my understanding?

I made a mental note to ask about it, as the princess locked our arms together, and with pride, she strode from the city to a reaction that was a mix of stunned silence, and sadness.

As we stepped out of the grove, Gisela began to speak to the princess, but with one silencing gesture, the princess stopped her, and Gisela quickly wiped away the tears, and composed herself before speaking again.

The princess turned to my group, then shot me a look.

 _The goddesses are many,_ she noted, and I gulped.

“Tell the princess that they are free goddesses,” I whispered to Gisela.

She shot me a questioning look, but as she relayed the message, the princess smiled.

 _They will flock to you. I will see to it myself,_ the princess said into my mind, and I swallowed nervously again.

 _I desire a new council,_ the princess said, and I nodded, as she continued. _Gisela, and Myrinne; my two most trusted surrogates. Cameron, and another of your goddesses. The rest we will fill in time._

It was a sound composition… but wasn’t someone important missing?

“What about me?” I asked, and as Gisela relayed the concern, the princess chuckled.

_You stand above the council, my sweet. You will reign as the immortal supreme. The position of princess will henceforth be to advise, and guide your eyes to that which they cannot see._

I rubbed my chin thoughtfully, as I nodded.

Cameron… and one more.

If I needed someone trustworthy, Francesca was the obvious choice. But the council required the kind of character that was suited to someone more… mature.

I chanced a look at Casey, and as she shot me a questioning look, I decided.

 _Her?_ The princess asked, and she nodded as I indicated my agreement. _Then it is done._ _Summon them forth… we will need to chart our migration._

“What about my armor?” I asked Gisela, and she sighed.

“It is ours to keep, but at the cost of our home.”

I signaled to Cameron, and as she joined me, we headed over to where Casey was seated.

“I hope you girls don’t mind, but I just appointed you to the princess’ council,” I said, a little jokingly, and Casey sighed.

“As long as we don’t have to sleep with you, it’s fine,” she said.

Cameron’s eyes went side as she said this, and as Casey’s eyes quickly flicked between us, Cameron looked away, a little hint of a blush on her cheeks.

“What do we need to do,” Cameron asked, quickly trying to move on from the subject, and I gestured to where the others had gathered.

“We probably need to decide on where to go now; but I should probably talk to them first,” I said, nodding towards Jeannie’s group.

“I have some bad news,” I said, as I approached Jeannie, and she frowned.

“They won’t take us in?” she asked, and I shook my head.

“No, it’s not that. I had bargained with their princess for us to live here, but her actions have been… somewhat unfavorably received. They’ve banished her from their lands, as a result.”

“Damn,” she said, “so what’s the plan now?”

“We’re sticking with the princess, since she has a pretty solid following, and they have a lot of info on how to live inside this forest; we just need to decide on where to settle down. We’re deciding on where to go now,” I explained, indicating as the group began to gather.

“Okay. Well, keep us posted,” she said, and I nodded, but as I began heading towards the council gathering, I caught sight of Francesca looking over at the group, a sulky expression on her face.

“Hey,” I said, as I headed over to her side.

“Hey,” she replied, a little glumly.

“Do you think you could interrogate our sulky new member?” I asked, nodding towards the man we’d fought against, and she sighed.

“If that’s what you want, then fine,” she said, but as she sulked away, I reached for her hand, holding her back.

“Just because you’re not involved in everything, doesn’t mean you’re not important to the group, or to me,” I said, and she sighed.

She shot me a pouty look, and as I smiled at her, she replaced her gloomy look with her own little smile.

“Thanks,” she said, before heading over to the man, much less sulkily, and as I headed over to the others, I made a mental note to try to find a way to keep her more involved in things in the future.

“So, does the princess have anywhere in mind for settling down?” I asked, as I moved to Gisela’s side.

“The princess wishes to defer to your preference,” Gisela explained, and I shook my head.

“Your guidance is of utmost importance. Our knowledge of these lands is limited,” I explained, and Casey scoffed.

“Speak for yourself. We call this the ‘Forest of Eltari’ back at the company. It’s roughly the same size as all land on earth, combined,” she explained, and I rubbed my chin thoughtfully.

_That’s really fucking huge._

“What else do you know?” I asked.

“There are three main races dwelling inside of it; Aequum Druidae, Stilio sentiens, and Arbor Druidae, more commonly referred to by the outsiders here as wood elves, lizardmen, and goblins, respectively.”

“Wait, were those the scientific names?”

“Yeah,” Casey replied, acting as if I’d stated the obvious.

“Why do you know the scientific names?” I asked, somewhat incredulously.

“Because it was my fucking job to know them,” she answered, a bit defensively, and I tilted my head a bit at the revelation.

Casey moved to the center of the group, and with a stick, she carved out a shape that looked a bit like an oblong square with rounded edges.

“This is what the forest, generally, looks like. And here is where we are,” she said, pointing to a spot near to the southwestern edge of the drawing, and our newest council member, Myrinne, nodded in agreement.

“As far as I know, these areas belong to the wood elves, and these, to the goblins-”

“Kobalt,” I interjected, and Casey seemed to suddenly catch the grimaces that followed her use of the word.

Myrinne indicated a few places on the map, and Gisela now nodded.

“Yes. These are the homes of the two major Kobalt groves. Palancar, and Kara’din,” she explained, and Casey nodded.

“Also, this is the major river which supports this forest,” she said, drawing a meandering line horizontally across the map, which broke into two streams, one heading north-east, which passed by the wood elf section of the forest, and the other, a little southwards, which passed by the Kobalt cities.

Myrinne poked a series of holes around the two spots, before speaking, herself.

“These are most of the recognized groves outside of the main two,” she explained, “but along these sections…” she continued, as she indicated long swaths along the rivers course, “there are many smaller clusters of trees.”

“Would we be able to settle down somewhere between the two?” I asked, and Gisela bit her lip.

“It is difficult. The Kobalt will not see us until our grove is at least fifteen trees strong. That could take at least one solar cycle.”

“Solar cycle?” I asked.

“Their years are exactly three hundred days long… meaning three hundred of their days, which actually amounts to just ten days longer than an earth year,” Casey explained, and I gasped.

“Wait, you’re saying we can grow that many trees in a single year? From just that seed?”

Casey sighed.

“You need to forget everything you think you know about what earth technology is capable of. These implants can accelerate more than just healing, if you have the right implements.”

“So, fully grown trees?” I asked, and Gisela nodded.

As I pondered the information, Casey and Myrinne continued to make additions to the map, indicating smaller, known groves, as well as smaller rivers which diverged from the main river’s course.

“What’s in this section, between the two rivers?” I asked.

“A marsh. Mostly populated by the Lizard-folk,” Casey said.

I studied the new information.

Palancar and Kara’din were positioned nicely along the river’s course, with the little groves pointed out by Myrinne dotting along its banks, and connecting the two major locations.

That ruled out any spots along the river that were closest to where we were, and I frowned, as the most convenient spots along its course were all settled, which I guess, should have been a given.

“What about access to water? Is there some technology to overcome that?” I asked Casey, and she rubbed her chin.

“There’s cheapish items that allow you to purify water from any source, but nothing comes to mind that can support this many people.”

“Auslander, water is only of worry while trees take root. The roots of sacred grove run deep, tapping the water hidden deep within earth, and bringing forth through veins.”

I studied the map, thoughtfully.

“What’re you thinking?” Cameron asked.

“If we’re putting down serious roots, positioning ourselves deep inside of the forest limits us severely. Our only trading options will be other groves, who are likely to oppose trading with us anyway, and probably won’t be able to offer us much more than what we’ll be able to eventually produce ourselves.”

“Yeah, but inside of this forest is the safest place to settle… remember what I told you about otherworlders?”

I sighed, nodding as I studied the map some more.

“This river… where does it start?” I asked, and Casey pondered a bit.

“Somewhere off this way,” she said, indicating towards the western side of the forest. “I’m not that familiar with that region, though.”

Gisela indicated to one of the Kobalt men, and he came over.

She spoke to him a bit, pointing at the map, and as he spoke, she nodded.

“Mountains,” Gisela confirmed, indicating several spots on the map, with the help of the Kobalt man.

“Any chance you’re hiding some masterful knowledge of geography?” I asked Casey, and she shook her head.

“I’m a biologist,” she said, and Cameron raised a hand.

“Nolan has some background in Geography, if I’m not mistaken,” she said, and Casey shot me a questioning look, as I gestured for her to call him over.

“Geography major, reporting for duty,” he said.

“Really? What do you do with a Geography degree?” I asked.

“Teach geography, basically,” he answered, and I smirked.

He took a look at the map, then nodded.

“It looks like this is a drainage basin,” he said, indicating to the area between the mountains. “Is this river big?”

“Huge,” Casey said. “Like twice the size of the amazon, huge,” she answered, and he raised an eyebrow as he processed the information.

“And what’s this way?” he asked, indicating towards the eastern side of the map.

“There’s a huge swamp here, where the river splits off, and further off east, the coast.”

He nodded again.

“My guess is that the winds from over this sea breaks against these mountains, bringing lots of moisture with them. Moisture means rain, most of which drains down towards this area,” he said, pointing to where the river seemed to begin, somewhere between the groups of mountains.

“Most likely, we’ll find smaller channels leading from these mountains to the river below.”

“There would be towns around those areas, wouldn’t there?” I asked, and Gisela spoke to the Kobalt man, then nodded.

“He says many tribes of hill-folk. Small tribes, but many.”

“These hill-folk. Are they human? Uh, fake gods,” I elaborated, and Gisela nodded.

I pondered again.

“What about here,” I said, pointing to the open spaces on the other sides of the mountains, and as Gisela raised the question, the man shook his head while speaking, and Gisela translated his response.

“No towns, he says. These lands will bear nothing.”

“Casey. Could we use our weapons to cut a channel across the mountain?”

“It’s possible,” she said, eyeing my knife. “These things cut through stone like if its paper. But I think you’re underestimating the scope of this forest. That’s like, ten thousand kilometers away from where we are.”

“Eight thousand, I think; if your drawing is accurate.”

“What?”

“If this is the size of Earth’s landmasses collectively, then this width would be roughly fourteen thousand kilometers. From where we are, that looks to me to be about eight thousand kilometers, no?”

“Yeah, and that would take forever to walk,” she added, incredulously.

“Not forever, maybe like… two hundred and fifty days? Give or take?”

“What?”

“The average person can walk something like thirty kilometers per day… so yeah, that about adds up,” I said, and she stared at me.

“You did that math in your head? Are you a psychopath, or a savant?”

“Worse. An investment banker,” Cameron replied, chuckling.

“The math checks out,” Nolan said, pointing to some calculations on the ground, and Casey stared at me as I shrugged.

“I know I said we need to settle in the forest, but that’s a long fucking walk, Nate!” she exclaimed.

“Yeah… but we’re in this for the long haul, aren’t we? We’ve got a decent sized group here to settle down. Better walk for a year to somewhere really good, then rush to somewhere, try to settle down, then get run off and have to start over again every few months. Obviously, if we come across something closer that works, I’m all for it, but I’d rather we started heading in the direction of something solid.”

Casey massaged her temples, agitatedly, as she tried to process my argument, and Cameron snickered at the exchange.

“Nolan? What do you think? Can we make this spot work?” I asked, and he rubbed his chin.

“From a human perspective, having small tribes to trade with would be good, but we’re well out of the way of the larger cities, which isn’t great. Quick question, though… why does it have to be in the forest? Saker can’t be that far from here, and this whole section of forest is up for grabs, as far as I can tell,” he said, gesturing the area just east of Palancar. “Why aren’t we just settling over here?”

I shot Casey a look, and she nodded.

“There’s some stuff you need to know about those towns, which I plan to share as soon as we can sit down and have a talk with the whole group; but for now, just think of that entire area as out of the question.

Nolan rubbed his chin, then nodded.

“Alright. Well, if this area is out of question, then from looking at this map, I’m gonna have to agree with Nate that crossing the forest is the best option. To know if this spot works mechanically, though, I’d need to know more specific information about the mountains,” he explained.

“That Kobalt… what’s his name?” I asked Gisela.

“Johann,” she answered.

“How good is his knowledge of that area?”

“He has been to a small tribe. Here. Mountain dwellers,” Gisela explained, and I nodded.

I requested that she help him communicate with Nolan to get him the information he needed, but I noticed that she quickly delegated the task to Myrinne.

“Are there any places between here and our goal that we can go to, to stay for a short time? Just until we can prepare for the long journey,” I asked, and Gisela rubbed her chin.

She spoke to the princess, who seemed annoyed at first, but eventually raised a hand, seemingly in a gesture of acceptance.

“Here. There is small cluster; not subject Palancar rule. This is where princess’ vines find root.”

“What does that mean?” I asked.

 _My birthplace,_ she spoke into my mind, and I nodded, noting the reluctant expression on her face.

“Will we be granted supplies to at least get there?” I asked Gisela, and she furrowed her brow.

“Palancar will not supply provision,” she answered firmly, “but it is fine; this grove is less than half a day-cycle journey.”

“And we’ll get provisions from there?”

“They cannot supply us, but we can gather what is needed ourselves. Our runners know these woods well,” she explained, and I nodded.

“What about shelter? To sleep? Is there anything like the tents that we used last night?”

“The coverings?” Gisela asked, and I nodded.

She pondered for a while.

“It is not our usual way, Auslander. The open air poses no trouble. Forest floor, much more dangerous. Sleep is safer beside fire, and in hanging sack.”

“There’s no risk of rain?” I asked.

“Rain? What is it?”

“Uh, drops of water falling from the sky.”

“Oh, no. The forest canopy is like shield. A big covering over all life within. Water does not fall; it only rises from below, and flows in stream.”

“Hm. Alright. How soon can we leave?”

“We have some preparations to make. _Ein Wagen_ , for moving weapons, and tools.”

I nodded.

“Let me know when everything is ready,” I said.

I headed over to Jeannie, and quickly relayed our plan to her.

“Two hundred days?” she said, shifting uncomfortably.

“Yeah… I know it seems like a lot, but a safe, secure location is well worth it.”

“Wouldn’t it be better to just set up a temporary shelter, and try to make up the credits to go home?” she countered, and I sighed.

“I’m opposed to that for two reasons, only one of which I can verify; the first is that I’m not entirely convinced that we can believe everything we heard from this company. I mean, no one can remember hearing about their ‘project Kepler’ despite everyone having clear memories of things right up to a similar date on earth, so in my opinion, going home might very well be a fairy tale.”

“Is that the verifiable reason?” Jeannie asked, and I shook my head.

“The verifiable reason is this,” I said, pulling out the core I’d harvested from the bear-creature.

“Wow. That’s a core?” Jeannie asked, and I nodded, handing the object to her.

“I appraised it at the guild hall, and it would go for a grand total of four credits,” I explained, and she gasped, as she inspected the item.

“How big was the monster?”

“Like a huge bear.”

“Getting enough for even one person would take forever,” she noted, and I nodded as she returned the core to me.

She sighed, blowing into her hands.

“So, you think we should settle down? Accept this world?” she asked, and I shrugged.

“Whether you accept it or not is your personal call, but no matter what, there’s no easy way out of this. Finding a way to survive in the long term seems, to me, to be the only way forward, no matter what goal you choose.”

Jeannie nodded.

“That’s not an easy thing to accept,” she said, glancing back at her group.

“It definitely isn’t,” I agreed. “Tell you what, even if you don’t want to make the long journey, we’re headed right now to a place not far from here, to rest for a few days and gather provisions. Casey has some info to share with everyone when we get there; about otherworlders, and what it’s like out there. You can come with us, hear her out, and then decide if you want to stick with us, or not.”

“We can do that,” she said, nodding.

She headed over to talk to the rest of her group, and as everyone continued to make preparations, I decided to pay a visit to our captives.

After the fight back at Vanessa’s camp, everyone but two of Vanessa’s team decided to join up with us; Candace, the tall, lanky blonde who Vanessa had sent after me, and pretty girl with black hair, who hid her face most of the time behind her bangs.

Although Jeannie seemed certain that those two were the only ones who were truly loyal to Vanessa, we still had the entire team blindfolded as we made our way to the tunnel that took us into the forest.

After walking some way in, we removed the blindfolds, but those three, plus the otherworlder who attacked us, remained bound at the hands.

“Well, look who remembers we exist. I’m thirsty, by the way,” Vanessa said, as I walked over.

I pulled my waterskin out, and offered her a few sips, which she took grudgingly.

I offered the drink to the other two girls, but both refused, seemingly in an act of defiance.

“You have decisions to make. We’re travelling across this forest, to set up a home somewhere more secure. Do you want to come with us, or should we just drop you off at the nearest guild hall?”

Vanessa studied me, a glum expression on her face.

“Some help that’ll be when you’ve stolen my entire team.”

“He didn’t take us,” Jeannie interjected, coming over to join me. “We made up our own minds; and we choose to follow him.”

“Oh? And you speak for all of the girls now?” Vanessa asked, mockingly, and Jeannie nodded.

“Yeah. I do, actually.”

Vanessa spat at Jeannie’s feet.

“You’re a dumb bitch, Jeannie. I hope they hang you out to dry like they did to me.”

Jeannie shrugged.

“They all seem to think that anything’ll be better than having you whore us to a bunch of men for protection.”

“Oh, poor little thing… just because he isn’t telling you that that’s what he’s doing, doesn’t mean that’s not where you’re headed, sweetie. Since you’re their leader now, you’ll probably taste it first. I should probably let you know; he likes it rough. Trust me… I tasted it myself,” she finished, winking at the girl.

Jeannie waved a hand at her, dismissively, but as she began to walk away, she paused.

“Execute them, banish them. Do whatever you like. The group doesn’t care what happens to them,” she said to me, and I nodded, as she headed back to the group.

“Like I said. Decision time. I can broker peace with them and allow you to stay; you’ll just be tied up until we come to a better level of understanding. Talk it over. You have… an hour, maybe? before we leave.”

I left the girls behind, then headed over to our other prisoner, where Francesca awaited me.

“You get a name?” I asked, and she shook her head.

“Not even a word.”

I nodded, as we headed over to the man.

“Well, well, well. If it isn’t my buddy, ‘walking corpse’. Or is there something else you want to go by?”

“’Walking Corpse’ is fine,” he answered, and I smirked, as he continued: “Can we have this chat privately?”

I shot Francesca a look, and she nodded, wandering off, though she kept an eye on us.

As soon as she was out of earshot, he began to talk.

“Free me, and you can get a ticket off this place. Today.”

“Really? How so?” I asked.

“I have thirty-five hundred credits,” he said, tapping his wrist. “That girl is worth two thousand. That’s fifty-five hundred right there. You’re free.”

“We left her hand behind though,” I countered.

“Doesn’t matter. We can track it. If someone was dumb enough to keep it, we take it off their corpse. It’s not redeemable until her heart stops, but we can keep her alive until then.”

Snickered, eyeing him as if my curiosity was piqued.

“What if there’s someone I need freed with me?” I asked, and he sighed.

“Then take them with us. I can teach you everything you need to get off of this planet in under a year,” he said. “Just ditch these losers first chance you get.”

I rubbed my chin, seemingly pondering his offer.

“Under a year? That seems unlikely. I killed a monster and its core was worth-”

“Garbage. Even the really big ones won’t get you more than fifteen, twenty credits. But new recruits come in every one to two weeks; they’re fifty credits each if you can get them before they spend everything. Couple that with bounties, and you can get out of here in under a year…”

“So, that’s how you made your credits, huh. Murder…”

He shrugged.

“Most of these scrubs just die anyway. Suffer a lot, first, too. Just think of it as putting them out of their misery,” he reasoned, and I sighed.

As we spoke, Casey came over, and he shot me a quick look.

“Raul, right?” she said, as she came over, cradling the stump of her left arm.

I studied him, and his face twitched subtly at the mention of his name.

“Never saw a picture, but boy are you well known,” she continued. “You don’t have a nickname like the legends do, but man, your kill count. You know, no one alive has murdered more Earthlings than you have.”

“I never asked to be fucking sent here,” he spat, and she laughed.

“I didn’t either, but I didn’t go on a murder spree because of it.”

He dove towards Casey, snapping at her neck with his teeth, and as she stumbled backwards, I summoned his image into my mind and he stopped in his tracks and cried out, rolling on the ground in agony.

“Forgive him… he’s just a little crabby because apparently you were all he needed to make up enough credits to go home,” I explained, and Casey laughed again.

“Home? Christ, you shmucks are all so gullible… no one has ever ‘returned home’, moron. It’s impossible.”

He glared at Casey, studying her intently.

“You couldn’t possibly know that for certain.”

“Oh… but I do. Why did you think there’s a massive bounty on my head? I worked for them,” she explained, and he shook his head, slowly, disbelievingly.

“No. It can’t. It- it’s a lie!”

His eyes teared up, and he blinked several times, trying to process what she was saying.

“How far do you think we are from earth right now?” she asked, as the man studied her. “Three hundred and fifty light years… in case you don’t know what that means, if you travelled at the speed of light, which is impossible, by the way, it’d take you three hundred and fifty years to get to earth…”

“Then how did we get here?” he asked, biting his lip angrily. “How did we fucking get here?”

“The technology that brought us here… is not ours. It’s something they found, that they barely understand; and it only works one way.”

“So, I’ll never see her again...?” he asked, tears falling, and the man slumped back down onto the ground, a defeated look in his eyes, as Casey nodded.

I pondered Casey’s words.

“How much of that is true?” I asked, pulling Casey aside.

“Everything,” she said.

“So, the guards back at the hall… they’re stuck here for life?”

“They’re cyborgs,” she explained, and as I sighed, she studied me. “Was there someone you wanted to return to?”

I nodded, and she bit her lip.

“Look, Nate… most people who get sent here are loners that no-one would miss, but if you had family? Chances are, they’re the ones who sold you to the company.”

As Casey walked away, I pondered her words…

Was that true?

Then maybe dad… or _her_.

I shook the thought from my mind, then returned to our captive.

“Raul, was it? Do you mind?”

He shook his head, and I stooped down, in front of him.

“Look, I’m not that interested in anything except surviving right now,” I explained, and he scoffed.

“Yet here you are, with this gigantic group.”

“What’s wrong with a group?” I asked, and he shook his head.

“Apart from being absolutely moronic?” he asked, and I studied him, then pressed forward with my questions.

“What are the chances of running into another otherworlder in this forest?” I asked, and he scoffed.

“Zero. We avoid places like this… there’s just no profit to be made. If a place is more than a day’s trip from the nearest town, it might as well not exist.”

“A day’s trip? Isn’t that limiting?”

“You wanna sleep out in the wilderness with monsters, bandits, and potential threats? Be my guest.”

He scoffed again, and I tilted my head.

“To me, it seems that travelling in a group is the obvious solution to that,” I said, and he looked at me, incredulously.

“Are you stupid? With the weapons they give us, any incompetent fool with a knife can slit your throat while you sleep. As easy as carving through butter. Alone is the _only_ way to go.”

“If I decide to distrust everyone all the time, then sure… so we’re relatively safe from our kind in here?” I asked, and he nodded, eyeing me.

“You seriously trust all these people?” he asked, and I shrugged.

“I mean, not completely, but in my experience, people are only as distrusting as you treat them.”

He smirked, disbelievingly.

“Really? How about cutting these bonds then?” he asked, and I laughed.

“Well now… you _are_ a murderer. Let’s see if there’s still some, what do they say, humanity? inside of you. Then we’ll see about the bonds.”

He studied me, incredulously.

“You’d cut me lose one day? If I, what, behave well?”

“You’ll find that I’m difficult to trick,” I said, shrugging. “But I’m a practical man. If I find that you are a threat, I’ll kill you myself… but for now, I think you can be useful. That’s all.”

Raul’s eyes followed me as I walked away, and Gisela came to me now.

“Herr Auslander. Our preparations are ready.”

I nodded, then headed over to Vanessa.

“So? What have you decided?” I asked, and she smirked.

“Leave me here,” she said, and I sighed.

“Can’t. You might be a threat to these people.”

“People? They’re green skinned savages, Nate.”

I sighed again.

“Fine. If you transfer what credits you have, I’ll leave you here. But no weapons, no gear.”

“Well then, why not just kill me?” she asked, and I shrugged.

“Honestly, whether I took you back to the town, or left you here; the outcome would probably be the same. You could stay with us for long enough to learn how to survive,” I offered, and she sighed.

“Rather die alone than depend on you,” she said, but at this, the girls with her stood up.

“We’ll come,” the black-haired girl declared, and Vanessa glared at her comrades as Candace also nodded her agreement.

“I stand by my statement,” she said, and I nodded, as I cut all of their bonds.

“As you wish, then,” I said, and she stalked off, with a grumble.

As Candace and the other girl headed over to the group, Jeannie quickly walked over to my side.

“Just know that I don’t trust them,” she said, and I nodded.

“I don’t either, but I’m giving them a chance,” I said. “Who knows, they might come around… but until then, keep an eye on them.”

As everyone prepared to get moving, I quickly gathered the princess’ council together.

“There’s one more thing we should decide. Between the armor we’ve collected from Caleb, Raul, and the others, we now have three full suits and one partial one. We should allocate them,” I said.

The princess spoke, and Gisela quickly translated.

“The princess wishes you wear the suit she bestowed. The others, are your discretion.”

I nodded, as the two headed off to arrange things with the rest of the Kobalt, and turned to Casey and Cameron.

“I think Francesca should wear one,” I began, and Cameron rolled her eyes, but Casey nodded.

“She has a good fighting sense,” Casey said, and Cameron’s eyes moved questioningly between us.

“Francesca fought?” she asked, and I nodded, remembering that she had not yet heard of everything that happened on my trip.

I quickly gave her a rundown of the events, omitting of course, the manner in which I won Casey over to our side, and she nodded.

“So, Jordan then?” Cameron asked, but she pondered the matter a bit more. “If I think about it though, I would have thought Nolan would be the quicker to fight.”

“To be honest, I trust Jordan more with armor right now,” I said, lowering my voice, as I continued, “Nolan doesn’t really seem to appreciate our new bond.”

Cameron shot me a questioning look.

“Are you kidding? He’s gay, numb nuts.”

“Maybe he’s not as gay as you think,” I said, suddenly noticing the incredibly uncomfortable expression on Casey’s face.

“Look, I can tell that this ain’t any of my business, but for what it’s worth, Nate’s instincts are rarely off the mark,” she said to Cameron, before turning to leave.

Cameron bit her lip, shaking her head a little, as Casey walked off, away from us.

“Look, maybe he’s just protective of you, or something,” I said. “But just in case; let’s be careful about how we interact when we’re around people. Okay?”

Cameron sighed, suddenly taking my hand and pulling me with her.

We ducked behind a nearby tree, and as soon as we were out of sight, she wrapped her arms around me, and pulled me in for a kiss.

“Kind of a difficult ask when this is all I’ve been thinking about since you got back,” she said, blushing a little at the admission.

As she pulled away and turned to head back, I reached out, and took her hand, reeling her back into me, kissing her again, this time, a bit more deeply, and our lips met several times before we finally broke off.

“If the kindly matron’s instincts can be trusted, Nolan’s gonna have to adjust to things really quickly,” I said, as my fingers reached out, trailing back and forth over Cameron’s stomach, and she blushed.

As we rejoined the group, however, I caught Francesca’s eyes on us, and Cameron rubbed the back of her head, a little embarrassed, as we went our separate ways.

I mean, I figured from early on that Nolan might be a problem, but would Francesca be too?

The early signals were fairly mixed, so I resolved to pay closer attention as I walked over to join her.

“How do you fancy being part of the king’s guard?” I asked, and she smirked.

“About time you found something cool for me,” she said, smiling, but the smile quickly faded as she looked away.

“These people already look up to you,” she said, a little wistfully.

“Well, I am sort of married to their princess.”

She shook her head.

“No. It’s not just that… even the new girls are looking at you constantly,” she said, and I smiled.

“Jealous?” I teased, and she pouted a little.

“Kind of. I noticed your leadership qualities first, you know,” she complained, and I put an arm around her shoulder.

“You did,” I admitted, and she smiled proudly. “You know, I still trust you above almost everyone here.”

She sighed.

“Not sure if I believe that,” she said, a little skeptically, and I shrugged.

“Well… can I count on you to fight for me?” I asked, and she nodded.

“I’m not sure if it was just a battle high, but I really felt like if I was in my skin for the first time with that spear in my hand,” she said, and I smirked.

“Natural born warrior princess?” I teased, and she put her hands on her hips, and struck an amazon pose.

“So, can I count on you to wear armor?” I asked, and she nodded, so we headed over to where Casey kept an eye on the sack that contained all of the miscellaneous gear we’d acquired.

I withdrew the chest piece first, and Francesca took the piece up, inspecting it.

“The padding on the inside is soft… comfortable,” she noted, shooting me a strange look.

“I guess,” I said, eyeing her questioningly.

“When I wore the armor before, over my clothes, it felt pretty stuffy… do you think I could wear it commando?” she asked, and I gulped.

“I guess… do you want me to get Cameron, or one of the other girls to help you get it on?” I asked, and she shook her head.

“No, but where can we get a little privacy?”

We took a look around, then settled on some bushes a little way off from the gathering, and Francesca gulped as she held the chest pieces up for inspection.

As I took the pieces into my hand, she took a quick look around, before quickly stripping off her cotton shirt.

I quickly raised the front side of the breastplate up to her chest, allowing her to cover up, and she frowned.

“Jeez, slow down, will ya?”

 _You’re the one who stripped like you were ripping off a band-aid,_ I thought, but as I moved the armor away from her, a panicked look crossed her face, and she quickly covered her breasts with her hands.

I smirked, and she shot me a glum look.

“I saw this going differently in my head,” she said, a little dejectedly, and I chuckled as she turned her back to me.

I took a step towards her, and she jumped a little as I placed a hand gently on her back, but as I let my fingertips trail down to her shoulder blade, I traced the outline of the bone along her back, suddenly noticing the firmness, and toned nature of the muscles around it.

“You don’t need to force yourself to act like… whatever that is,” I said, and she sighed.

“You say that, but I’m falling behind the competition, you know? I let you go off with Cameron that one time, and…” her words trailed off, as her shoulders slumped.

“I guess there is no use in hiding this… since you’ll find out sooner or later.”

“You like her,” she stated plainly, and as I laughed in response, she turned her head a little, to study me.

“I mean yeah, but probably not in the way you seem to think.”

She pouted, unsatisfied with the explanation, so I continued.

“What I was gonna say is… the princess thinks Cameron is my mate,” I explained, and she raised an eyebrow.

“How did that happen?” she asked, and I sighed.

“They speak a language that’s kind of like German, which I speak some of… let’s just say some things were misunderstood in translation,” I said, and she chuckled.

“Things like what?” she pried, and I sighed again.

“I was kind of trying to express to them that I really wanted to come get you guys, and… well, they kind of understood the urgency, but they sort of thought that what we wanted to do was… make babies.”

Francesca laughed, turning around now, letting her guard down a little.

“You’re kidding? They thought you wanted to make babies? How did that go?” she asked.

“You’re laughing now, but it really wasn’t funny. They stripped us down and when we tried to act things out just to please them, they just kind of thought we had no idea how to do it, and then they started teaching us how to have sex, like we were fucking kids.”

Francesca began to laugh in earnest now, but as she raised a hand to wipe a tear from her eyes, my eyes instinctively flicked down to her naked breast, and she smiled, as she caught the momentary act of indiscretion.

She bit her lip, before letting the other hand fall, and I noted that her while her breasts were small, they were quite perky and attractive in a unique way.

“So… did you do it?” she asked, and I nodded shyly, studying her expression, but this, time her face didn’t seem to sink in the way that it had earlier.

She shoved me playfully, and I sighed as she put her hands behind her back, sticking out her chest a bit, as she swayed girlishly.

“Do you like what you see?” she asked, gesturing towards her breasts. “I know They’re not as big as Cameron’s,” she began, and I shook my head as I reached out, and rested the palm of my hand against her cheek.

“Stop comparing yourself to Cameron,” I said, cutting her off. “Or anyone, for that matter. You’re perfect just as you are.”

She blushed, and I began to wonder if maybe I could control her without having to immediately escalate our relationship to intimacy.

“You know that you don’t have to have sex with me to be the most important person to me, right?” I asked, and she studied me.

“I know… but, if I want that. What then?”

I rested a hand on her hip, and she smiled as I let the hand trail to the bit of skin, just above her waist.

“When I’m sure that you actually do want that, and that you aren’t just forcing yourself because you’re worried about who’s getting ahead of you; then you’ll have what you want. I wouldn’t deny my warrior queen,” I said, and she smiled.

She quickly gave me a peck on the lips, and as she slipped out of my arms, she raised her hands over her head, and struck a cute pose.

“Will you do the honors?” she asked, and I nodded, as I proceeded to help her don her armor.

I had just finished fastening the straps on the final shin guard, when Casey peeked out from behind a tree.

“There you are,” she said, casting a quick look between me and Francesca. “Can we talk?”

I nodded, and Francesca shot me a suggestive look, as she nodded, then wandered off.

“What is it?” I asked, but Casey’s gaze followed Francesca as she left, and she shot me a worried look.

“You know, if you sleep around with everyone it’s gonna cause problems eventually,” she warned, and I chuckled.

“Is that what you think I’m doing?” I asked, and as she studied me, I advanced on her.

“What’re you doing?” she asked, as she suddenly found me to be stiflingly close.

She backed away, a confused look on her face, and I followed her retreat until her back came up against a tree trunk, and she held a hand up between us as I finished closing the space, resting a hand against her face, and the other, against the tree, near her hip.

She turned her face away from me, as I breathed down her neck, her look of confusion turning to fear, and I smiled.

“You’re scaring me,” she said.

“I know. That was the point.”

“Why?” she asked, and I smiled.

“Because it suits the purpose of the conversation I want to have. Do you think I’ll hurt you right now?” I asked.

She studied me, then shook her head.

“Good. Now for a question. Who do you think is worse between the person who leads a bunch of girls to rape, and the person who would tie them up against their will to stop that from happening?”

“Depends. Does the one doing the tying know that they’ll be raped for sure?” she asked.

“It actually doesn’t matter. The minute you tie people up, you’re the villain no matter what.”

“So… you’re pinning me down right now to protect me…?” she asked, and I shook my head.

“No. I want you to help me keep the rest of the people here from dying, or worse, going through what you did. But tying people up isn’t the only way to keep them from going off to their own detriment.”

“You want me to help you manipulate them?”

“Call it whatever you want. I want to keep everyone safe. You can help me do that… when you’re not busy being blinded by your distrust of me.”

“Excuse me?”

“On the first day; the best move was to buy enough armor to get danger sense, and two weapons. We’d have been safe to camp out virtually anywhere with that set-up. You withheld that information, and it almost destroyed us,” I explained, and she glared at me.

“So, what happened to me was my own fault. Thanks,” she said sarcastically, but as I pressed my body against hers, her attitude quickly changed.

“I accept the blame for everything that happened, actually,” I explained. “Maybe I could have done more to get you to trust me, or maybe I should have been more forceful. Who knows? But can you say with confidence that if you had your way, and tied me up or killed me, that the group, yourself included, would have made it?”

She bit her lip, and I nodded.

“That’s what I thought.”

“So, what exactly do you want me to do? I couldn’t act the way you do even if I wanted to.”

“I don’t expect you to. What I want is your complete support.”

“I’m already your slave. What more can I promise you?”

“I’m not talking about a simple function as following commands. I want to know that I can tell you, in complete honesty, what my intentions and motives are, and that you will to the best of your ability, provide me guidance and counsel as necessary.”

She studied me carefully.

“Why me?” she asked.

“Because you’re the person best suited to the job. You’re smart. You know more about this place than anyone else; and you know exactly what I am.”

“Why not Francesca? Or anyone who blindly trusts you.”

“Because I don’t need blind trust. I need someone who distrusts me enough to know my true intentions, but who can support me despite it for the greater good of the whole group.”

As Casey eyed me carefully, her eyes flicked to my lips, and I suddenly felt reminded of how close we were.

“So how does this work?” she asked. “Do I have to pledge my loyalty with a kiss? Or…?”

I shook my head.

“That’s not what I’m after. I only did this to unsettle you because it was the best way to have this talk,” I answered, and she eyed me curiously as I stepped away.

She bit her lip, as she studied me for a while, before finally nodding.

“Fine… why aren’t you putting armor on Cameron?” she asked.

“Because… if our Kobalt friends can be believed, Cameron might be pregnant,” I answered, and her mouth opened slightly in surprise.

“When-? Two nights ago?” she asked, and I nodded.

She rubbed her chin thoughtfully, shooting me a wry smile.

“You really worked that magic on Cameron, huh? Earlier that day, she was asking me for help in dealing with you… Now she’s looking at you like a starry eyed school girl with a crush.”

“There was no magic. Cameron and I were forced into intimacy, and we ended up bonding in the process.”

I quickly gave her a rundown of what happened in our time with the Kobalt, and she studied me carefully.

“You really decided to have a baby like that?” she asked, incredulously, and I sighed.

“Bad decision making, in the heat of the moment while my judgement was obscured.”

She smirked.

“So, there might be some human in there after all. What are you gonna do now?” she asked.

“Well, the pregnancy will still improve our relationship with the princess, so it’s fine.”

“And Cameron?”

“She fulfills a desire of mine for closeness; and I fulfill certain needs that has as well, so I’d say the relationship is mutually beneficial,” I explained.

Casey bit her lip, as we spoke.

“There’s something you should know; these implants of ours affect our bodies. Sometimes rapidly.”

“Is that why I’m developing muscles that I never had?” I asked, and she nodded.

“More than that, though; if Cameron wanted to get pregnant, her body would have responded, possibly by rapidly increasing her fertility.”

“So, she might really be pregnant?” I asked, and Casey nodded.

“Yeah… and if she wants the baby badly, she might even be accelerating the pregnancy.”

“What do you mean?”

“Our implants can speed up biological processes, remember? Near instant healing? Rapidly growing trees? She could have that baby in as little as three weeks,” Casey explained, and I rubbed my chin thoughtfully.

Actually, that might not be so bad.

If she was pregnant for a regular term, then eventually, it would have slowed our migration; so as long as there would be no complications, this might actually be a pretty good thing.

As I thought about it, suddenly my mind went to Casey, and her run-in with Caleb and Vanessa.

“Do we need to worry about any unwanted pregnancies,” I said, and as she caught my subtle glance towards her stomach, she grimaced, and shook her head.

“If our implants can cause a sudden increase in fertility, it can also do the opposite. My body basically broke down my uterus’ lining, and I bled it out that same night.”

“Sounds painful.”

“It was. But better than getting impregnated by that fucking moron,” she spat.

“So, periods?” I asked, and she shook her head.

“My intense aversion to getting pregnant may have triggered a period-like response in my body, but you’ll find that our bodies self-heal more rapidly, and more efficiently, than they would naturally.”

“So, the lining of your uterus just never breaks down? How does that work? Does it just build up indefinitely?”

“No, it only builds up in direct response to the desire to get pregnant, and our bodies can break them down without needing to bleed. By the way, why are you so interested in this?” she asked, and I snickered, as I suddenly realized just how uncomfortable the conversation seemed to make her.

“We have, like what? Nine girls? And this is a basic bodily function that has historically been quite problematic for women. Was I misled in thinking that this is a pretty big concern?” I asked, and she shook her head.

“No- it’s just… unusual to find a man who actually cares about this stuff. Maybe a psychopath is what it takes,” she said, shrugging.

“By the way, what did you want to talk to me about?”

“Fuck. I almost forgot. I think you should hold off on putting Jordan in armor,” she said.

“Why?”

“Because Nolan is more controlling than I realized. I don’t think he’ll take it all that well.”

I considered the argument.

“There’s really no one else,” I said, and she nodded.

“I think that’s fine, though. If we need someone in armor in a pinch, we can quickly throw it on Jordan before Nolan really has a chance to object. But I think between you and Francesca, we should be covered in dealing with any monsters or miscellaneous threats,” she explained.

“Sounds good; that suit is tier one anyway,” I answered, but as we emerged from the bushes, and Francesca shot me a quick smile, Casey leaned close to me.

“She’s not gonna be pleased to hear about Cameron,” she whispered.

“I think I’ve got her under control for now, but I might have to offer her more than causal flirtation eventually,” I said, and she frowned.

“Just when I start thinking you might be decent,” she chided, and I shrugged.

“Neither me, nor Cameron, agreed on exclusivity. Besides; in the long term, we are eventually going to have to consider how we’re going to expand our population.”

She studied me, carefully.

“So, Francesca’s essentially ‘in line’?” she asked, and I nodded.

“She’s a little immature, but I do like her, and it will keep her happy. Two birds, one stone.”

“I’m starting to have second thoughts about my position,” she admitted, and I smirked.

“That’s fine. The second you get comfortable with my way of thinking, I might have to replace you,” I teased, and to my surprise, she smiled.

We headed over to Gisela, who was standing before the princess.

I took a quick glance around, and spotted a little cart, which Gunter seemed to standing guard in front of, somewhat exaggeratedly.

“So, are we ready?” I asked, and Gisela nodded.

“Yes. We also carry some implements, along with the God’s instruments. I hope it is alright.”

I nodded.

“Are you keeping tabs on what we have in stockpile?” I asked Casey, and she nodded in response.

“If you mean our weapons, then yes,” she answered, but I suddenly noticed that Gisela seemed to be studying Casey, with a strange expression.

 _Are we prepared to depart, my love?_ The princess asked, and as I quickly nodded, she stepped forward.

She spoke some commands to Gisela, who gulped nervously, before calling to another Kobalt girl, and as the two approached the princess, she lifted her hands.

Gisela then began to undo the clasps and supports that held her ceremonial dress together, and with some effort, they disrobed the princess, and I studied with interest.

She caught my eyes on her, and she smiled, as she stepped out of the garb, which was bunched on the floor at her feet, and she now wore a tight fitting grey cotton top which was cut in an X-shaped pattern at the sides to reveal her smooth, green skin just under her arms; and a short wrapped skirt, which revealed a slender pair of legs.

One of the girls made to scoop up the discarded dress from the floor, but she raised a hand, reprimanding the girl.

 _The next adornment I wear will spring from the efforts of our own grove,_ she explained to me, and I nodded.

The Kobalt who would be leaving with us began to gather around, and I signaled to Jeannie, who gathered up the girls as well.

The princess began to speak, and she spoke for a bit, before signaling to a pair of Kobalt men who carried wooden spears, and the two took off at a jog, as a portion of the larger group began to form a kind of procession, heading in the same direction after them.

The second group to move was the princess’, along with her surrogates, followed by Jeannie’s group, then my own, and finally a larger group of Kobalt men.

The guards, or runners, as Gisela called them, seemed to be broken up into groups of two, and they were spread out along the length of the procession, in between each of the groups, and bringing up the rear.

There were also two additional guards who were tasked with escorting Raul; though the defeated expression that the man wore seemed to indicate that he might be much less of a threat to worry about than we’d previously envisioned.

“Shouldn’t we keep guards with special weapons on him?” Casey asked, as she looked over the group, and I shook my head.

“If he takes down his guards and gets his hands on a weapon, I rather it be some bone-tipped spears than something dangerous like that,” I reasoned, and she nodded in agreement.

At present, all of our weapons were stashed in the cart being carried by the Kobalt, which Francesca was tasked with keeping guard over; while Francesca herself carried a spear, and I carried my trusty old hunting knife.

We walked in silence for a bit, but after, maybe thirty minutes, Cameron suddenly pulled up to a stop, and she crouched down for a second.

“Are you okay-?” I began, when her eyes went wide, and she suddenly dashed for some nearby bushes, and began to retch and throw up.

I quickly moved towards her, but Nolan suddenly pushed past me, as he dashed to her side.

“Are you okay? What’s wrong?” he began, and Cameron shook her head, as she cleared some tears from her eyes.

“I’m fine. I just felt a little nauseous.”

“What? Did you eat something bad? Could it be food poisoning?” he asked, but as he turned to us, Casey bit her lips, and shook her head.

“We all ate the same stuff; dried fruits. The food was fine,” she said, but he kept a hand on Cameron’s shoulder, his brow wrinkled with concern.

“It’s nothing; I’m fine,” Cameron reiterated, and he shot her a questioning look.

“People don’t just throw up for no reason,” he said, but as she shot a quick glance at me, he followed her gaze, then studied me, questioningly.

“Do you want to take a little rest?” I offered, but Cameron quickly shook her head.

“No. It’s fine. I think I just overdid it with the wine last night,” she lied, and I shot her a thankful look.

“Maybe you should walk a little slower for a bit; the rear group is still behind us. Nolan, you’ll walk with her, right?” I asked, and as he quickly nodded, Jordan raised an eyebrow at him, but stuck with our group as we began moving again.

“I think you might be right about him being a problem,” Casey whispered, and I smirked.

“So, this self-repairing thing with our bodies. Shouldn’t it help with morning sickness?”

“It would, but if she’s accelerating her pregnancy, then her body probably can’t keep up with the rapid changes its going through.”

As we spoke, I noticed Jordan’s eyes on me, and I my mind went back to the way the princess spoke to me, directly into my mind.

“Hey… you know, that pledge thing that you did? I think the princess also did it, and she does this thing where she speaks directly into my mind.”

“Telepathy?” she asked. “I don’t remember their race having that kind of ability.”

“Wait; there are races that can use telepathy?” I asked, and she smirked.

“Yeah. A couple. Not to mention there are abilities that can develop thanks to the energy cores, and their interactions with others who have special abilities. Anyway, you were saying; she speaks to you telepathically?”

I nodded in response.

“From her explanation, it sounded as if her pledge is what enabled her to do that,” I explained, and Casey rubbed her chin.

 _Nolan is gonna murder you in your sleep,_ Casey’s voice said, directly into my mind, and I snickered.

“Not if you watch over me while I’m sleeping,” I replied, and Casey gasped.

“Wait, you heard that?” she asked, and I nodded, chuckling with amusement.

“Hmm. This could be useful if I need to send you a message in a pinch. Send me one,” she said, and I bit my lip.

 _How’s your hand?_ I thought, but as she continued to stare at me, I rubbed my chin thoughtfully.

“You didn’t hear anything, did you?”

She shook her head.

“Guess it only works one way,” I said.

“That’s weird though. Why wouldn’t it work both ways?”

“Maybe I should ask the people who designed the technology,” I teased, and she frowned.

“As much as the company would love to take credit for all of this tech; none of it is their invention,” she said.

“Who are the creators then? People from this world?” I asked, and she shook her head.

“No tech here. Hell, this world barely has any naturally occurring metals… from what I’ve read too, most of the researchers agree that life wouldn’t have even thrived here, if not for some kind of external intervention; but as far as I know, no one knows what the source is.”

As we walked, I spotted Gisela up ahead, casting furtive glances in my direction, and as she finally spotted me, she quickly came over.

“The princess wishes to speak; to you, Auslander” she said, casting a sideways glance at Casey.

As we walked, she seemed a little nervous.

“That Goddess, Auslander. Is she your mate as well?” she asked, and I shook my head.

“She’s more of an advisor,” I explained, and Gisela frowned.

“Will I need to make acquaintance?” she asked, and I tilted my head at her in confusion.

“With her? What for?” I asked.

“To discuss; as advisors,” she clarified, and I suddenly realized that Gisela also saw herself as my advisor.

“If you wish, but it’s not necessary. You can advise me of matters pertaining to the princess; she advises me on dealings with the rest of our kind,” I explained, and she nodded.

“I understand.”

As we got to the princess, her eyes lit up as she spotted me.

_We will arrive at the little trees soon, my sweet. There will be fresh springs for cleansing. Would you desire goddesses, or servants, for your tending?_

“She said something about springs?” I asked Gisela, and she nodded.

“Water bubbling to the earth from below. It is good for relaxation,” Gisela explained.

“Uh, tell her that the goddesses may prefer to keep to themselves, and that I can tend to myself, so the servants can tend to her instead.”

Gisela relayed the message, and the princess began to blush.

 _None may tend to me but you, my sweet,_ she replied brushing her fingers against my face, _and_ _I would quicker cast myself from a cliff than let mine Götze tend to himself._

 _Wait, what exactly did she mean by ‘tend’?_ I thought.

Although, Gisela didn’t seem too flustered by my use of the word, so maybe it was the princess’ use of it that I needed to be wary of?

I took a quick look back to see if I could spot Cameron, since spending some ‘alone time’ with her in a bath actually seemed like a pretty lucrative idea right now, and it would appease the princess as well… or at the very least, stop her from smothering me with a host of her servant-girls; but unfortunately, she was nowhere in sight.

 _Looking for someone?_ Casey’s voice spoke into my mind, and I snickered, as I caught sight of her.

I quickly headed over to her side.

“Can you check on Cameron for me?”

She shot me a wary look.

“Are you worried about her?” she asked, and I shook my head.

“Not exactly; but I might need her for something.”

She nodded, and as she headed off, I spotted Jeannie making her way over to me.

“Hey. Is this pace fine for your group?”

“Yeah,” she said, nodding, but there was a concerned look on her face.

“Is something wrong?” I asked.

“Candace is up to something. She keeps wandering off. I asked what was up, and she said she was just ‘inspecting the trees’. It’s fishy.”

“Okay. Let’s check it out.”

I followed Jeannie back to her group, and as we approached, one of the girls quickly walked over to us.

“She’s gone off again,” the girl began, and Jeannie nodded.

“Did anyone follow her?” I asked, and the girl nodded.

“Emmy did.”

“Show us where,” Jeannie said, and we quickly followed the girl.

She led us away from the main group, but as I spotted Candace approaching ahead, I quickly directed the two girls with me, and we ducked behind a tree as she passed.

Jeannie shot me a questioning look, and I gestured to her to hold on until Candace was out of sight.

“There’s Emily,” Jeannie said, and we quickly signaled to the girl, who appeared to be following Candace back to the main group.

“Did you see what she was doing?” Jeannie asked, and the girl shook her head.

“She stood by the tree, kind of like she was taking a leak,” Emily explained.

“Can you show us which tree?” I asked, and she nodded.

We followed her, but as we examined the tree, I couldn’t quite spot anything obvious on it.

“Look at this,” Emily said.

There was a little ‘x’ carved into the tree, but the mark was small and not easy to spot.

“Is she signaling to Vanessa?” Jeannie asked, and I rubbed my chin.

“Would be hard for someone following our trail to make that mark out, if they don’t know what they’re looking for. I’d say she was putting the mark there to follow herself.”

“To find her way back if she leaves?” Jeannie asked, and suddenly it clicked.

“Fuck. She’s probably trying to steal something, to head back to Vanessa with,” I said, and Jeannie nodded. “Emily, was it?” I said, turning to the girl.

“Yeah.”

“Are you sure Candace didn’t see you following her?” I asked, and she shook her head.

“If she did, she didn’t act as if she saw,” the girl said.

“Okay. Well, keep a closer eye on her, but let her wander off if she wants to. We’re coming up to our first stop soon, so let’s wait until then to confront her.”

I broke away from Jeannie and Emily as the two rejoined the group, and I waited until I spotted Casey before heading over to rejoin the procession.

“How’s Cameron?”

“Being carefully watched. Nolan isn’t taking his eyes off of her,” she responded, and I frowned.

“Fuck. That’s not ideal,” I muttered, and she smirked.

“What do you want with her, if you don’t mind my asking.”

“We’re coming up to our stop soon; apparently there’s springs that we can use to bathe.

“Oh? That’ll be nice. I feel fucking filthy,” she said.

“Yeah, my dick probably still smells like ass. I was hoping for Cameron’s company, though.”

“Well, don’t bet on it. I doubt Nolan will take his eyes off of her. Guess you’ll have to bathe alone,” she teased, and as I frowned, she studied me.

“Wow. Are you really that disappointed?” she asked, and I shook my head.

“The princess won’t let me bathe alone. Unless I can find another way to appease her, she’s probably gonna send me a host of servant-girls,” I said, and she snickered.

“Thought you’d love that,” she said, and I shook my head.

“I might. But I don’t like the precedent it might set; plus, it’ll send the wrong message to the other girls.”

“What about Francesca?”

“And have no-one wearing armor?” I asked, and she frowned.

“Well, just don’t expect me to do it,” she said, and I shook my head.

“Your name wasn’t even on the list,” I replied, but to my surprise, her expression seemed to indicate some annoyance at my statement.

“We might have a bit of a situation, by the way,” I said.

I quickly recounted what happened with Candace, and she shook her head.

“You shouldn’t have let them come along,” she said, and I shrugged.

“Honestly, I knew it was a bad idea; but I didn’t invite them because I wanted them to come. I just wanted to send the message to the others that we can be both accommodating, and forgiving.”

She sighed.

“Does the manipulation ever end?” she asked, and I frowned.

“You do realize that most people do this anyway, right? I’m just honest about it,” I countered, and she studied me, thoughtfully.

We walked for a bit longer, before a little group of trees came into view, with what appeared to be poorly constructed treehouses built around them, and connected by a network of vines.

“This looks good,” Casey noted, as she studied the structure, and I snickered at her.

“You’re only saying that because you haven’t seen the inside of Palancar.”

“They’re a tree dwelling, primitive, tribe. How much better could Palancar have possibly been?” she asked, and I smirked.

“Oh, you have no idea,” I said, and she shrugged.

I headed over to the princess’ group, and she seemed to be grimacing, as several Kobalt greeted her, one of whom was an elderly woman, who reminded me much of Matron Lucilla.

As soon as she spotted me, she beckoned for me to join her, and she raised her hands in a grand gesture of introduction.

“Herr Götze,” she declared, and to my surprise, the people actually bowed, their heads going right down into the earth.

“They don’t need to do that,” I quickly said, but as I chanced a glance backwards to Jeannie and the other girls, I quickly saw that the damage was done, as they were studying the exchange with much interest.

 _It’s fine, my sweet. All creatures will prostrate to you in time,_ she said into my mind, and I suppressed a sigh.

The Kobalt who had travelled with us seemed to be settling down in the area on the forest floor, between the tree houses, while the Princess quickly led me away, along with Gisela, to a path that wound away from the little grove.

“Where are we going?” I asked, and Gisela pointed to a tree in the distance.

“Is that- a grove tree?” I asked, and Gisela nodded.

“This cluster is allowed one tree; but it is stunted and mutilated, so that it can never produce seeds.”

“Will we be staying there?” I asked, and Gisela nodded.

“Accommodations will be made for all of the Gods; along with anyone whose company you require.”

“I see.”

As soon as we got to the tree, a host of Kobalt girls emerged from the entryway, and they crowded around the princess, murmuring excitedly.

They seemed unsure of how to react, but as the princess quickly spoke, her tone, quite upbeat, they quickly swarmed her, and she smiled broadly as she exchanged enthusiastic greetings with the group.

“Who are they?” I asked, and Gisela leaned closer to whisper.

“Sproutlings whose vines can be traced to the Princess’ root,” she explained, and I rubbed my chin thoughtfully.

“Family?” I asked, but Gisela did not seem to understand the word.

As I studied the girls, however, I quickly noticed that they did in fact seem to share a lot of features with the princess; the slim, slender frames, and silky smooth, olive green skin.

The princess smiled at me, her mood seemingly quite buoyant, until a call came from the entryway into the tree, and everyone froze, the exchanges suddenly coming to a halt.

I followed the series of gazes to the entryway, where a Kobalt girl, seemingly no older than the princess herself, stood, with her hands on her hips, and shooting an angry look in the princess’ direction.

The princess spoke, her tone seemingly defiant, but the girl didn’t back down; instead she advanced on the princess with such an intimidating stride, that I instinctively moved to the princess’ side.

I shot her a warning glare, and the girl responded to the gesture with a menacing look of her own.

 _Be still, my sweet. She means me no harm,_ the princess said, and I nodded, relaxing a little; yet something about the girl still irked me considerably.

The two spoke, their discussion seemingly quite confrontational in nature, and the girls who’d surrounded the princess, quickly slipped away.

I felt the urge to request a translation from Gisela, but I quickly decided that discretion was probably the better part of valor here.

I was beginning to feel quite out of place, when the girl turned to me.

“You, Auslander. You must die,” she challenged, and I studied her with a confused expression.

 _I give up. End her miserable life, for all I care,_ the princess said, before storming off.

I turned to Gisela, but the woman wasn’t finished with me.

“Look to me, Auslander! I am your quarry, and I speak your filthy tongue. Or will you hide behind ‘frau Schweinchen’ before facing me.”

Gisela winced at what was apparently an insult, or a name she did not like being called.

“Fine. What is your quarrel with me?” I asked, and she spat at the ground.

“You steal from us, then ask of quarrel?”

“Enough, Eradne. He is not long of this world. He does not understand,” Gisela cut in.

“I speak not to you, frau Schweinchen. Seed or stalk, he is to shoulder a forest! Why defend what may bear nothing but rotten fruit!”

“Is skill in combat the mark of one who may shoulder such a load?” I asked, and the girl studied me, as I turned to Gisela.

“How long are we supposed to stay here?” I asked.

“Herr Auslander, she is burdensome, but we must provision…”

“No, I don’t mean that I want to leave. How long will the provisions take to gather?”

“At earliest, two day-cycles,” she answered, and I nodded, turning to the woman.

“In two, maybe three day-cycles; we leave. If you are not satisfied with me by then, you may test me by combat, or any other manner you see fit,” I said, and studied me for a bit.

“So be it,” she finally said, before turning, to stalk away.

“Who is she?” I asked, as the girl disappeared into the stunted tree.

“She sprouts from the same seed as the princess,” she answered, and I nodded.

_Hmm… so sisters, then?_

“Are all the gods being gathered here?” I asked, and she nodded. “Good. Is there a room that we can use to have a little meeting?”

“One can be prepared as such,” She answered, gesturing to room at the start of the corridor, off of the main hall. “Should I make arrangement?”

I nodded, and as she headed off to prepare for our meeting, the others began to file into the main hall with stupefied expressions on their faces.

“Hey, everyone,” I began, trying to gather everyone together.

“Is this what the trees in Palancar were like?” Casey asked, and as I nodded, she frowned.

“Fucking hell… we really dropped the ball on that one.”

“Can’t be helped now, but… we can grow our own,” I reminded her.

She frowned, as I turned to address the gathering.

“A room is being prepared for us to discuss our current situation. As I have mentioned before, joining us is everyone’s personal call, and given that our current plans include a lengthy journey before even settling down, I thought it would be best for everyone to spend some time, thinking things over, before making a decision. So, since we’ll be staying here for a few days while we gather provisions; this presents the perfect opportunity to do so.”

“Nate, those springs outside. Do we get to use them?” one of the girls asked, and as I nodded, a few happy grins broke out amongst the girls.

We waited for a little bit, before Gisela gestured to me, and I led the group into the meeting room.

A few more chairs were brought in as we filed in, and we arranged the chairs in a semi-circle, allowing a speaker to address everyone from the front.

As everyone settled down, all eyes were on me, and I quickly gestured to Casey, who moved to the center of the room.

“Hi, everyone. For anyone who doesn’t know, my name is Casey. Like everyone else, I was sent here as part of project Kepler, but unlike everyone else, my memories are mostly intact, and… I also used to work for the company that sent us here.”

“What? How could you do that?” someone asked, and I raised a hand, as some voices within the group began to murmur with discontent.

“I had no idea that any of this was real. I was hired with a team that did biological research on what I believed at the time to be a simulation of life on an alien planet… all of the people here, as far as I knew, were theoretical. Made up, even. And when I stumbled across the truth… I was silenced, by being sent here myself.”

“Wait; they sent you here to die? Does that mean we’re all gonna die?”

Casey swallowed uncomfortably, and as panic seemed to begin spreading, I moved to the front of the room to speak:

“To answer your question bluntly; yes, this world is designed to kill us… but if we stick together, I think we stand a chance at turning the odds in our favor. And Casey’s knowledge, in my opinion, is the key that will turn things for us.”

Everyone quieted down at this, and I gestured to Casey to continue.

“Right. So, the town we started out at is called Saker, and it’s part of a much larger community of native-human towns that extend all the way to the coast east of here, and to the south. There’s roughly forty or so towns in that expanse, and amongst those towns are starter halls, like the one in Saker, which hunters like Raul frequent in search of new arrivals like us.”

“Starting halls?” someone asked.

“That’s what we call guild halls where new arrivals appear,” she explained. “Now there’s a good bit of distance between them, and new arrivals come in at irregular times, and in randomly chosen starter halls; which is why it’s usually dangerous for otherworlders to stay for too long in any one of these locations. So, most of the time, they travel between towns, making up credits along the way by hunting the monsters which roam between these towns, and collecting the cores, along with bounties that the towns offer for them.”

“So, if we decide to head back to Saker, this system is basically what we would have to expect to fit into?” Jeanie asked, and as Casey nodded, I noted with relief that the girls seemed quite worried by that prospect.

 _So far so good,_ I thought.

“Based on the information that Casey just shared with you, we decided it would be best to settle down inside of the forest,” I explained.

“So… how often do the otherworlders come in here?” Jeannie asked.

“Based on the information provided by Casey, as well what we’ve gotten out of Raul; we believe that they _never_ come into the forest. Period,” I answered.

“Why, though?” Jeannie asked, rubbing her chin, as she considered the development.

“Well, tracking monsters inside of the forest is difficult, because its huge,” Casey explained. “Most of them can’t even navigate something like this because they never invest credits in the tools required to do so, or bother learning the required skills… besides, the yields from hunting newbies are much higher than hunting monsters. A single otherworlder with their credits unspent is worth as much as ten to fifteen medium to large sized monsters.”

“So, how do they survive in the towns? Do they just never run into each other?” someone else asked, and Casey shook her head.

“They move from town to town constantly, avoiding each other where possible, because when they do run into each other, someone usually dies. I think the company set this system up intentionally, so that they would remain in a perpetual loop of self-cannibalism.”

“So that’s it then? They just do that until they die? No one ever makes the fifty-five hundred credits and buys their ticket home?”

Casey bit her lip.

“Very rarely, they do make up the credits, but… there are conflicting opinions on what actually happens when they cash in.”

“What do you mean?” Jordan asked.

“So, I can’t tell you for certain what happens when you purchase a return ticket, because it’s all speculative; all I can tell you is what I know for certain. When the otherworlders buy a ticket and use it, they vanish from this world…”

“So, they go home then!” someone declared, and Casey frowned, shaking her head.

“No person who was sent here has ever been seen on earth, ever again,” Casey said, and murmurs began to break out.

“So where do they go? What happens to them?” Jordan asked.

“I have no idea,” Casey admitted, and the group fell silent.

I cleared my throat, as I moved to speak.

“I understand that most of you want to return home, but I think we need to consider the possibility that the means through which we might do so, aren’t within the scope of what we can accomplish as we are now, or what we might even be capable of in the near future. For that reason, my suggestion is that we find a way to settle down, and create a sustainable means through which to survive on this planet. Whether we intend to return home, or live here; I think that this is the best way forward, regardless.”

The faces around me were grim, but I could see that the group, particularly the new recruits, were beginning to come around to the idea.

Nolan raised a hand at this, before speaking.

“Earlier I asked about settling closer to Palancar. Couldn’t we trade with the nearby towns from the edge of the forest while evading the otherworlders?”

“It would be extremely risky,” Casey answered. “There’s something like fifty otherworlders in this region. Evading them is difficult, and the towns are also unlikely to establish a relationship with anyone that comes out of the forest.”

“It’s also much easier for us to deal with the kind of threats that exist within the forest, than to deal with threats like Raul,” I said, and Nolan nodded, as he had seen first-hand what Raul was capable of.

“So, crossing the forest then…” he said. “I guess I’m starting to see the wisdom.”

“As most of you have probably heard, we’re considering a long trek across this forest in search of a suitable location to settle down. Now, thanks to our princess, we have a seed which is capable of growing trees like this one.”

“Wait, with rooms, and everything?”

“Yes,” I answered, and a few faces lit up at the prospect. “The method used for doing this is unknown to us, but as long as we keep the Kobalt with us, this technology, as well as many other things that we will need to survive, will be made accessible to us.”

“What do they want in return?” someone asked, and I gulped.

“Him,” Cameron said, and someone gasped, as she winked at me, while gesturing in my direction.

Jeannie shot me a questioning look.

“What?” she asked, and I sighed.

“What Cameron means is, we made a deal with the princess to provide her with a mate, in exchange for their allegiance.”

“And that mate, is you?”

I nodded.

“So, you’re basically their king? Is that why they were bowing to you earlier?”

“Apart from my connection to the princess, you’ll find that the Kobalt will treat all of us with a special kind of reverence; which, might I add, I hope we’re kind enough to not abuse,” I said.

“Now I know this is a lot to take in, and since we’re going to be here for a few days, I think it’s best if everyone takes some time, weighing the options, before making a decision about whether or not you want to join us going forward.”

As I finished speaking, however, Jeannie shot a quick look across to her girls, nodding.

“Even if you don’t want us to give an immediate answer, I think most of us are already set on joining your group,” Jeannie answered, and as the girls gave their own individual votes of affirmation, I nodded, though I did note that apart from Candice, and Vanessa’s other loyal friend, there was at least one other girl who seemed reluctant despite doing so.

“Well then, I guess an official welcome is in order. We’ll probably have more meetings if there are any major decisions to be made, but in the meantime, everyone can feel free to explore the general surroundings, and make use of the baths outside of the grove.”

As the meeting came to an end, I signaled to Gisela, who was waiting just outside in the main hall with a host of Kobalt girls, ready and waiting to show all of the guests to their own rooms.

As everyone headed off with their various guides, however, Gisela gestured to me.

“Herr Auslander. The princess wishes a word,” she said, and I nodded, following as she led me through the tree, down a corridor to a room on the ground level, and as we entered the room, I found a sulky princess waiting on me.

She spoke to Gisela, and as the girl replied in their language, she turned to me, a look of surprise on her face, but the look turned to one of conviction, and as she spoke again, and Gisela this time closed the door behind her.

“Herr Auslander. There are listeners in this land whose understanding is unsurpassed. The princess wishes a favor, but it must be spoken in here,” Gisela said, pointing to my head, “and your reply must not come from the tongue.”

I nodded, and as I did, the princess smiled.

 _Mater has called for a new princess to be raised from the seed,_ she began, and I nodded, recalling the process of selecting a princess, as Gisela had explained. _The one who bore me is amongst them, ripe again, with life-seed. If my knowing of Mater is as well as I expect; she will choose this child if it is a future bearer of seedlings as well._

Now that’s interesting.

If she knew how the next princess could be selected, then she could potentially affect the outcome, couldn’t she?

I listened well, interested in seeing where the princess was heading with her request.

_Any children birthed within this window can potentially become lifelong companion-servants to the new princess. We could plant a vine within the rhizomes of Palancar’s grove, my sweet; with your seed._

I smiled, as I processed her intention.

Playing politics was not really my intention; nor was meddling in the affairs of her people… but if my princess desired it, and it cost me little to nothing. Then what was the harm, really?

“Who are my targets?” I whispered, and Gisela gulped, as she relayed my question to the princess.

 _Any amongst those who sprung forth from the bearer of my seed,_ she said.

I nodded, though my mind immediately went to that woman.

Eradne, was it?

I resolved to find out what I could.

“It will be done,” I said, but as Gisela moved to speak, the princess raised a finger, to silence her.

She said something to Gisela in their tongue, and Gisela bowed, before quickly leaving the room.

The princess stood up, and walked towards me, her gait playful, and a seductive look on her face.

She took my hand and led me to her chair, and as I took a seat, she kneeled between my legs, looking up at me, smiling.

 _There is a scent upon you my sweet. The stench of another,_ she said, and I gulped, suddenly realizing that the source of my translation was now gone.

Her hands went for the clasp of my belt, and as she undid the protective piece, she wasted no time in fishing out my organ from within my pants.

 _This scent is not Cameron’s_ , she said, her tone teasing, _but I did not sense another with child._ _Is this Goddess in your favor?_

I shook my head, trying to figure out how I could explain this situation without Gisela; but my inability to communicate didn’t seem to concern the princess in the least.

_Good. Then I will cleanse you of this filth myself._

I tilted my head in confusion, as I looked around for some device with which she might wash me; but as she leaned in, pausing to let me feel her warm breath blow over my exposed part, I gulped, as I understood the meaning.

 _Your lips should not be used for such purposes,_ I thought, as I placed a finger to her lips, trying to convey my feelings, but she shook the gesture away.

 _No impurity exists that I would not wade through to cleanse you, my love,_ she said, and I stared with a morbid kind of fascination as her lips parted, and the mushroom head of my cock slipped past her lips.

Her tongue flicked out against the head, lashing it several times, as she moved her head back and forth, cleansing and sucking me as she did.

She let me slip from her mouth, only to turn her head sideways, and she let the length of my shaft, from tip to root, slide deliciously between her lips.

She stimulated me like the for a bit, before taking my cock into her hands, and licking, with serious determination, all along my length, until it was shiny, and well-polished with a healthy sheen of spit.

Her gaze remained locked onto mine the entire time, and she held that look as she stood up, and climbed onto me, straddling me with her legs on either side of my thighs.

_Now, you may bathe in the spring. Have you chosen who will tend to you, my sweet?_

I nodded, but her teasing smile said that she wasn’t particularly convinced.

 _My gaze will remain upon you. Show me something worthy of the excitement of your love_ , she said, and as I nodded, she climbed off of me, and as she called out, and a nervous looking Gisela entered the room.

“This way,” the girl said, and I nodded, following her.

“The goddesses are gathered before the main hall, in preparation for the baths. I lead you to them now. Choose well, Herr Auslander. The princess anticipates your preference with interest.”

As I got the main hall, I scanned the crowd, but I sighed as I immediately noted that neither Cameron nor Francesca was amongst them.

“Where’s Casey? Uh, the goddess with black hair, a ponytail, and bangs?”

Gisela shot me a blank, confused look, and I sighed.

“Uh, my advisor?” I asked, and she nodded, finally understanding.

She led me a short way to a room, and as I got near, I suddenly heard her voice.

“Fucking, stupid. Fuck!” she cursed, and I quickly dashed to the door and barged in to find-

“Wha- Nate, what the fuck?”

-Casey’s lower half was completely exposed, and she quickly covered herself up with her hands, and raised a leg defensively to shield herself from view.

“Sorry, I just heard you yelling and I thought something was wrong.”

“Fuck. Just… gimme a sec,” she said, and I remained there, with my back turned, until she let me know that it was safe to turn around, though the cotton pair of panties that she slipped on left much of her body exposed.

“Sorry,” I said again, as she put her hand on her hip and shot me a sharp look.

“What’s so important that you just had to barge in?” she asked, and I frowned.

“I thought something was wrong,” I explained. “What was going on?”

She sighed, then gestured towards the disheveled pair of pants on the floor.

“I can’t get these stupid things off,” she said, visibly frustrated, and I snickered.

Casey was wearing one of the outfits from the survival set, and while the sleek, close fitting design was quite good for moving easily outside, back when I’d worn it, I did have a bit of trouble putting it on, even with two good hands.

“Let me help,” I offered, as and she shot me a wary look, I raised my hands. “No shenanigans. I promise.”

She sighed, then relented, and I quickly undid the fastenings which kept it firmly in place.

“Hands up,” I said, and she reluctantly complied, but as I lifted off the piece of clothing, her cotton top, which she wore on the inside, got stuck to the outer piece, and her breasts momentarily came into view.

She gasped, but I quickly lowered her hands, allowing them to conceal her bosom with the materiel that was still connected to her arms by the sleeve.

“Sorry,” I said, and she shot me a look which said, ‘you’re not as sorry as you should be’. “What are you changing into?”

“There’s a bath robe, or something, on the table,” she said, gesturing toward the far end of the room, and as I got to the table, I noticed that the window on that wall offered a nice view of the springs outside, so I took a moment to survey the scene.

There were several springs, each surrounded by piles of rocks, and with vegetation that sprouted palm-like fronds separating the different pools.

“That looks nice,” I noted, but as I turned back to Casey, she was tapping her foot on the floor, impatiently.

I draped the robe over her shoulders, then turned around as she slipped off her clothing, and fastened the robe around herself.

“Does it hurt?” I asked, gesturing to her hand, and she shook her head.

“I’m only wearing the bandages because it hurts to look at it… but that healing liquid basically closed it right up.”

I nodded, but she seemed uncomfortable talking about it, so I decided to change the subject.

“I didn’t see Cameron outside,” I said, and she frowned.

“Seriously?”

“Yeah… the princess literally told me I’d get a scolding if I try to take a bath by myself,” I said, and she sighed.

“Fine. I’ll go look for her. I’ll just tell Nolan it’s girl stuff or something like that. I can tell her what you need her for, right?”

“Yeah, she’ll be fine with it. I think she might actually be looking forward-”

“Ugh, I don’t need to know,” she complained, and I smirked.

“Don’t let me down,” I called, as I headed out the door, and I quickly found my way back to Gisela.

“Do I need to do anything to prepare for the bath?” I asked, and Gisela shook her head.

“Only accompaniment. All else is arranged,” she explained.

“Someone will meet me there,” I said, and Gisela shot me a curious look, before glancing back at the rest of the girls, and nodding.

“Very well,” she said.

She led me down a corridor, which led to an exit somewhere off from the main entryway, but instead of leading me toward the bathing area, we headed to a changing area, which was sectioned into personal stations with wooden panels.

“May I disarm you?” she asked, and I nodded; but the process was rather quick, as the pieces of armor detached quite easily as I released the bond on each piece.

I watched with interest, however, as she ran a finger along the edges of one of the panels of my breastplate, and the metal began to separate into hundreds of little squares which folded and shifted, until the large thing was no more than a sliver of metal.

She did the same with each piece, and as I studied one of the slivers, I noted that inscribed on the edge was an image that corresponded with each piece.

 _That’s convenient,_ I thought.

To my surprise, the pieces fit perfectly into the little satchel that I carried, and after packing them up, Gisela handed them to me.

“To keep, near on hand,” she said, and I nodded, slinging the thing over my shoulder.

As I turned to head for the bath, however, Gisela stopped me.

“You must uncloak,” she commanded, and I sighed.

Despite being quite capable of doing it myself, however, Gisela helped me, getting very much in the way, but as the remainder of my clothes fell away, I caught her gaze upon my nakedness.

“Are we good?” I asked, and she suddenly seemed flustered.

“Y-yes, of course. A-after you, Auslander.”

We headed for one of the baths, and I was surprised to find that the water was quite cool, which pleasantly offset the warm, humid climate within the forest.

I waded in the bath for a bit, before settling down on one of the rocks on the inner ring which appeared well suited for sitting, and I began to douse myself with water, washing away the sweat that had accumulated over the past day’s activities, when I noticed Gisela seemed a bit nervous.

“Herr Auslander-”

“You know, you can just call me Nathan. Or Nate,” I cut in.

“Nate…” she began, but she shuddered, then shook her head. “Auslander. The princess gazes with displeasure,” she explained, and I frowned.

I took a look towards Casey’s room.

 _Where was Cameron?_ I thought.

I was quickly distracted from the thought as the sounds of giggles and feminine voices came from somewhere off to my right, and I bit my lip as the sounds told me that they were entering one of the nearby pools.

I chanced a glance towards where I believed the princess would be, but her window also seemed vacant.

_Oh, please don’t tell me she’s coming down here._

An image of her dragging one of the girls to me, by the ear, appeared in my mind, and I quickly shook the thought away.

“Auslan… Nathan,” Gisela corrected herself, “unless it is displeasing, I can tend to you. It may satisfy the princess,” she offered.

My eyes flicked to her bosom, and I almost instinctively licked my lips.

It was a tempting proposition.

“If it doesn’t bother y-”

“-Nate! Sorry I took so long,” a voice called, and my eyes went wide as Casey stood across from the pool.

“What are you doing?” I mouthed at her, and she bit her lip.

 _Cameron’s a no-show_ , she said into my mind, and I cursed under my breath.

As she climbed into the pool, however, Gisela took a step back, and I suppressed a groan.

Casey was wearing her robe, but as she waded into the bath, I shot her a sharp look, as I quickly moved to her side.

“You have no idea what you’re doing,” I whispered, and she frowned.

“I thought I was helping,” she whispered. “Isn’t your princess expecting…”

“Yes, but she expect you to-”

“Herr Götze!” the princess called, cutting me off, and I closed my eyes, as I stifled a groan.

 _You seem to favor this one. Is she a special interest?_ The princess asked.

I bit my lip as I turned to face her, then nodded.

 _Sit down, and relax,_ Casey said. _I know how to act._

I suppressed a grimace, as I knew for certain that it would take more than acting to please the princess, but I complied nonetheless.

I sat down, and Casey placed her injured hand behind my back, as she leaned into me, and stroked my chest seductively with her right hand.

 _See? Easy_ , she said, but the thought had hardly reached me when the princess stood at the edge of the pool, and I watched with interest as Gisela quickly stripped her of her clothes.

It was my first time seeing her nude form, and she stood proudly at the edge of the pool, displaying herself to me.

Her breasts were pert, and quite well shaped despite being smaller, yet fitted her lithe, petite frame perfectly; but there was a quality to her silky-smooth skin that spurred in me a desire to taste it.

I licked my lips as she entered the pool, and Casey poked me disapprovingly in the ribs.

 _Easy there, horn-dog,_ she chided.

“I’m totally not kidding right now, when I say that you should run.”

She shot me a curious look.

“What? Are you being serious? Or do you just want some alone time with your precious princess?”

“No, seriously… just get out of the pool and get further away from me than the next nearest female,” I said, and she snickered, but the exchange came to an end as the princess came to our side, and Gisela circled the rocky enclosure, to stand closer to us as the princess spoke, seemingly to Casey.

“Frau Goddess,” Gisela translated, “you serve Herr Auslander to advice, no?”

Casey nodded, as the princess continued.

“Then why do you remain cloaked, when he bares himself?”

 _She’s feisty,_ Casey said into my mind, before nodding, and shedding her robe. _I guess you’ve seen most of it anyway._

She quickly huddled down into my arms, but the princess extended a hand toward her, and she took it, albeit a little hesitantly, and she shot me an embarrassed look as the princess brought her to her feet, and let her stand on full display in front of me.

The princess spoke again, and Gisela translated:

“Your form seems virginal to his eyes… have you never shared this intimacy?”

Casey’s mouth hung open, and she seemed unsure of how to answer.

The princess lifted up Casey’s arms at her sides, as she began to trace along her sides, with her fingers.

I studied Casey as the princess caressed her, and I noted with interest that her reluctance seemed to be quickly fading away, as little shudders came each time the princess’ fingers trailed up her sides, and soon enough, her body began to sway subtly in rhythm with the princess’ hypnotic touch.

 _Is it just me, or is she really getting into that?_ I thought.

The princess spoke close to her ear, and she actually let out a soft moan; but as Gisela translated the words, Casey was snapped immediately out of her reverie.

“Your master yearns for attention,” Gisela said, and Casey’s gaze quickly flicked between my stiffening thing, and my eyes.

“Do you need me to bail you out now?” I asked, and as Casey bit her lip, I tilted my head at her, surprised by the fact that she actually seemed to be considering the prospect...

 _Seriously?_ I thought.

She seemed about to speak, when suddenly, a scream rang out from somewhere off to my right, and as I stood up, I felt something pulling me in that direction.

_This feeling… it was bloodlust._

_Pure, and unbridled._

_Raul!_ I thought, as I conjured up an image of his body, and pictured paralyzing him, but to my surprise, there seemed to be something… a feeling of resistance, to my command.

I grabbed up my satchel and knife-belt, then leapt out of the pool and took off at a sprint in the direction indicated by my connection to him; and as I got there, I spotted him, standing in the middle of a group of scared looking Kobalt, and with… someone, in his grasp.

His hands were around her throat, and as she thrashed and fought, I realized that he was choking her with abandon.

I dashed towards him, and using my elbow, I drove into his arm from above, breaking his hold on her.

He glared at me, but as his gaze flicked towards the floor, I followed it, and found a knife lying there.

 _Wait_ …

Is that one of ours?

 _Fuck!_ I thought.

He dove for the weapon, and as I summoned up an image of him in my mind, and flooded it with pain, he winced, but moved nonetheless.

The pain, however, slowed him, allowing me to easily get to the knife before he did, and as he crawled, I stepped on his hand, trapping him in place as I leaned down and retrieved the weapon.

“Do you really want me to fucking end you that badly?” I asked, as I turned his head to look up at me, while waving the knife near his face.

Fear flashed in his eyes, and his resistance quickly came to an end.

I turned to the girl he was choking; it was the other girl who had remained loyal to Vanessa, and she was panting, struggling for breath.

Her neck was badly bruised, and even as she tried to breath, she struggled, seeming quite distressed, and her face was a dark, almost purple hue.

“Francesca!” I called, unsure of where she was, but she quickly came bursting toward me.

“I’m here.”

“Where are the supplies?” I asked, and she pointed as Gunter and another Kobalt runner came hurrying behind her, the supply cart in tow.

“There’s a sack; inside, there’s a small vial filled with a glowing green liquid.”

Francesca rummaged through the supplies, then found the sack and fished one of the vials out.

“Nate! You’re not seriously wasting that on her,” Casey called, as she finally caught up with us.

I didn’t even bother to answer, as I accepted the vial from Francesca, and tilted the girl’s head to the side, pouring the liquid down her crushed throat.

Tears filled her eyes, and she clenched her teeth as she stifled a scream, and I held her as the concoction took effect.

Eventually, she went still in my arms, and I breathed a sigh of relief as her breathing seemed to normalize.

“Take her somewhere to rest,” I called, and as Gisela quickly gave an order, two Kobalt girls stepped forward and helped her away to the grove tree. “Let a guard keep watch on her, though,” I said, and Gisela nodded.

As I turned to Raul, however, a commotion caught my attention, and I turned just as a spear landed, quite dangerously, to my left, and as I turned in the direction of the attack, I caught sight of Eradne, who appeared to be dragging Candace along, and she threw the girl at my feet.

“Is this sapling yours?” she asked.

I sighed.

“Where did she get the spear?” I asked, looking at the girl, and Francesca quickly rummaged through the supply cart.

“It’s ours,” she confirmed, but as she studied the knife in my hand, she frowned. “That one is new, though.”

“How did she get this?” I asked, picking up the spear.

“I uh, had to use the bathroom just now... maybe then?”

Francesca’s eyes quickly darted down, to my lower body, and I quickly remembered that I had leapt out of the bath in my birthday suit.

She turned to the hunters, and as Gunter quickly spoke, I turned to Gisela.

“They let her acquire it, as she was a goddess,” she explained, and I sighed.

“Tie her up,” I ordered, and Gisela relayed the command.

I suddenly heard Eradne’s voice, speaking harshly, and I glanced over to spot her struggling with two Kobalt men, who appeared to be attempting to restrain her.

“Hey, let go of her,” I called, and whether they understood me or not, they obeyed as I approached on them.

“She must be punished for handling the goddess,” one of the men explained.

“This one is no goddess,” I replied.

As the man studied me, I turned to everyone.

“Let these two be known as opponents of the Gods, and of the princess,” I called, indicating to Raul and Candace.

I took a look around, as Gisela relayed my declaration to the group, to a series of murmurs.

“Restrain them, and make sure they are watched,” I said.

“What are you going to do with her?” Jeannie asked, but as I turned in her direction, her face quickly reddened, as she tried to avert her gaze from my still dangling part.

“Sorry. Can someone get me something to wear?” I called, and to my relief, a plain piece of cloth was quickly passed to me, and as I wrapped it around my waist, I quickly realized that more than a few gazes were directed towards me, quite interestedly.

As I glanced through the canopy above us, I noted that the sunlight appeared to be reddening, meaning it was nearing sundown.

“For now, everyone can finish their baths. We’ll probably be served dinner in a bit; so afterwards, we’ll gather everyone together to decide what to do with her,” I explained, and Jeannie quickly nodded, as everyone began to disperse.

“Eradne, was it? I am in your debt,” I said, as I approached the woman, and she nodded, warily, before leaving.

“I’m so sorry,” Francesca began, and I shook my head.

“Don’t be. You’re not a robot. We should have had the runners keeping a better eye on things to begin with,” I replied, turning to Gisela. “Gisela; can you assign a small group to watch over the supplies? Let them make sure it’s never unattended?” I asked, and she nodded.

I also asked her to instruct the guards that only Cameron, Casey, Francesca or myself, could be permitted to fetch weapons from the cache.

“It is done,” she answered, before hurrying off, probably to attend to the princess.

“Francesca. You should probably go take a bath with the rest of the girls,” I said.

“Are you sure?” she asked, and I nodded.

“Yeah. We’re fine here. Casey, you can help her with her armor, right?”

Casey nodded, and I eyed her robe, which was drenched and clung to her skin.

“Actually, you should probably join her too,” I said.

“Are you sure?” she asked, and I nodded.

“Yeah. We can talk when you’re done,” I answered.

As the two girls wandered off, I headed for the changing area to retrieve my clothes, before heading off to find Gisela.

She was with the princess, who appeared to still be enjoying her bath.

_My sweet. There was trouble. It pleases me to see you unharmed._

I nodded, relaying my appreciation for her concern through Gisela.

 _Your actions have brought many gazes to you_ , the princess noted, and as she glanced back, towards where the girls were enjoying their bath, I noted that several amongst them were stealing glances in our direction.

 _Soon, they will visit you with desires,_ she continued, and I bit my lip, nervously.

“Uh, Gisela,” I began, “where was the girl taken. The injured one?” I asked, and she quickly stood up, and looked to the princess.

The princess waved a hand to dismiss her, and she bowed, before leading me back to the grove tree.

There, she took me to a room, and I was pleased to find that a Kobalt runner had been stationed, with one of those bone tipped wooden spears, at the door.

“Am I required?” Gisela asked, and as I shook my head, she bowed, then hurried away.

“Hey,” I began, as I poked my head inside the room.

The girl was lying on a bed, near the far wall, her back towards me, and as I stepped into the room, I quickly realized she was sobbing.

I pulled the door shut, then slowly, crept to her side.

She looked over her shoulder as I approached, then wiped away the tears, as she sat up.

Her eyes quickly glanced over my body, as she studied me, frowning.

“How are you feeling?” I asked, and she swallowed, seemingly with difficulty, before speaking.

“It stings,” she said, gingerly running her fingers along the bruises around her neck.

She studied me carefully, before speaking again.

“You saved me… didn’t you? That thing you gave me?” she asked, and I shrugged.

“I’m not sure if you were dying, but I figured it would at least repair any major damage that might have been done,” I explained.

“What’s going to happen to me?” she asked, and I sighed.

“That’s up to you. What were you doing?” I asked, and she frowned.

“Candace said he would help us…” she began, but her voice broke as she began to sob, and she brought her knees up to her face, and hugged herself, as she tried to calm down.

“Help you to do… what? Escape?” I asked, and she nodded.

“Vanessa said we needed to come back with at least two weapons, and him. Or else we might as well be dead.”

“So, the tree marking. That was to find your way back to Vanessa?” I asked, and she nodded.

“Candace marked the trees, then gave me the weapon to keep in case anyone got suspicious and searched her,” she explained. “I just… I didn’t know he would do that, just to get it… I didn’t know…”

She cried again, and as I rested a hand on hers, she looked into my eyes.

“That was stupid. Why didn’t you just stick with us?” I asked, and she shrugged.

“You don’t need me. You don’t need half of us. Candace says you’re going to use us. To feed us to monsters when you’re attacked, while the rest of you escape.”

I sighed.

“We can deal with monsters pretty easily with our armor and weapons,” I said.

“Then why didn’t you leave us some?” she asked, and I frowned.

“Honestly, because I didn’t want to come back to find that Vanessa had exterminated an entire people who had no way to defend against our weaponry,” I admitted, and her mouth opened in surprise.

“You really think she would do that?”

“She didn’t hesitate to sell you all to Caleb’s group, did she?”

The girl frowned, hugging herself tight.

“She said that if we didn’t choose who to give ourselves to, then the choice would be made for us, and someone else would just take us like that anyway. At least we could control who it was…” she reasoned, and I studied her.

“And you believed that?” I asked.

“I’m a useless person. I’ve always been… it doesn’t matter what I believe.”

Her black hair fell cutely across her face, but as I got a proper look at her, I could see just how beautiful she really was.

As I thought about her mindset, about herself, and the world, I quickly realized that controlling her would be quite easy… and could prove to be beneficial as well.

“I never got your name,” I said.

“Bianca.”

“I’m-”

“Nathan,” she said, and I nodded, studying her.

“Do you want to be useful, Bianca?” I asked, and she quickly nodded.

“You can keep me safe, right?” she asked.

“What? That’s not what I mean-”

“No- please, listen. If you protect me, you can use me. I’m really good at sex stuff. I can be way better than whoever you’re using right now! I’ll do it together with them, even… just protect me; and don’t let them hurt me or send me away!”

She moved towards me, and I backed away, keeping just out of reach.

“You’re more than just some holes to fuck. Christ, what is wrong with you girls?” I muttered, exasperatedly, and she studied me carefully.

“But… you asked me if I wanted to be…” her words trailed off, as she teared up again. “That’s all I can offer, you know? I barely finished school. I married an older man the day I turned eighteen, and he just fucked me whenever he needed me… we never talked, he never even let me go anywhere.”

“Wait, you were married?” I asked, and she nodded. “Children?”

She shook her head.

“I don’t think I can,” she said, and I bit my lip as I processed the revelation.

From the look of her age, I would never have guessed that she was married, but if what Casey said was true, then… was her husband the one who sold her to the company? And was it because she couldn’t have children?

“I want you to be useful to me, but not by offering me sex,” I clarified, and she frowned.

“Seducing other people? Or spying? I’m not exactly good at those things… I mean, this is where it got me,” she said, indicating to her bruised neck.

“None of those things. I mean I might ask you to keep an eye on something from time to time, but no spying. And no sex. With _anyone_ ,” I clarified.

“Then what? There’s only so much I’m capable of,” she replied.

“Then we’ll make you more capable,” I countered, and she studied me.

“You want to teach me? What?”

“I have nothing specific in mind… but isn’t anything better than what you’re doing right now?” I asked, and she frowned.

“How do I know can I trust you?”

I shrugged.

“You probably have no choice. I can’t really tell the group no if they decide they want you gone.”

“But you’ll stop them… if I say yes?” she asked, and I frowned.

“I can’t promise you anything, but I’ll try to vouch for you if I think you won’t be a threat to everyone.”

I placed a hand on her cheek, and then let it trail down to the beginning of the wicked bruise on her neck, and she studied me, as I traced the spot, gently, with my fingertips.

“I don’t want to see this happen to anyone… not again,” I said.

She rested her hand against mine, and studied me.

“Alright… I’ll try,” she said, and I nodded.

“Stay here, and I’ll have someone send up some food… the group is going to meet to deliberate soon, so I’ll come back when it’s done. Is that alright?” I asked, and she nodded.

 _Was that enough to win her over?_ I wondered, as I gave her a little pat on the shoulder before heading out of the room.

“Hey,” Casey said, as she ran into me quite suddenly. “Is that girl in there?”

I nodded.

“Just spoke to her. What’s up?”

“What did you get out of her?” she asked, and I frowned.

“They were trying to steal some weapons, free Raul, then head back to Palancar to meet up with Vanessa,” I explained.

“Fuck. And why did you waste a heal on that fucking idiot? She got what she deserved,” Casey said.

“Some might have said the same for this,” I answered, nodding toward her hand, and she scowled.

“Not the same thing,” she said, and I shook my head.

“I don’t think it is, but sometimes people deserve a second chance,” I countered. “Is everyone gathering?”

“Yeah. They set up a dining area in the main entry hall,” she said, and I nodded, gesturing for her to lead the way.

The food provided for us was the same kind of dried fruits we’d eaten before; but I did note that the roasted meats that had been prepared for Cameron and me back in Palancar didn’t seem to make any more appearances.

I caught sight of Cameron, who seemed to be eating, though in a much more reserved manner, while Nolan watched over her carefully, and I suppressed a sigh at the sight.

Jordan, however, I noted, was now visibly annoyed, and I wondered if maybe I could use that eventually to my advantage.

I grabbed some food, then gestured to Casey.

“Where’s Candace?”

“Tied up, just outside the cluster. Are you bringing her here?”

“Yeah,” I said, and she nodded.

“Get Francesca while you’re at it,” she said.

I headed out of the grove, but as I did, I spotted Eradne in the distance, so I decided to head towards her.

“Guten Tag,” I said, as I approached, and she raised an eyebrow.

“You speak the old tongue?” she asked, and I shrugged.

“Where I come from, we call it German,” I said, and she studied me.

“Are you trying to win favor?” she asked, and I frowned.

“Actually, I wanted to ask about Candace. The, uh misbehaving sapling,” I explained, and she sighed.

As she turned away from me, I stole a quick glance at her figure.

Her body was lithe and slender, like the princess’, but she stood at least a full head taller than her sister did, and while her frame was narrow, her hips were quite shapely, and her breasts, much more mature, and fuller.

If the princess would mature into anything that resembled that, I would be in for quite the treat.

“Well? Ask what you desire,” she said, impatiently.

“The runners let her through without question. How did you know to stop her?” I asked, and she scoffed.

“Thieving god; thieving Kobalt sapling. Two things are one, to any sight not blinded by stupidity,” she declared, as she advanced on me, “or do you place one thief above the other.”

I shook my head.

“Then you will punish her? As you would a thieving ‘goblin’?”

I pondered the suggestion, as it never really occurred to me that the Kobalt would dare to steal a god-weapon… although, it was much less effective in their hands than it would be in the hands of an otherworlder.

“She will be punished. I’m actually not sure what we would do to a Kobalt who did the same.”

“Oh, but I know what you would do… I have seen what the wrath of the Gods looks like,” she said, and I frowned.

“We aren’t all alike,” I said, and she studied me.

“It is to be seen,” she said. “Servus, Auslander.”

I bowed as she headed away.

As I headed for the smaller cluster of trees, I spotted Francesca, wearing her full armor, and watching over Candace and Raul quite intently, albeit from a distance.

“At ease, soldier,” I said, and she giggled as she spotted me.

“Trying to make amends for my slip-up,” she admitted, and I sighed.

“It really wasn’t your fault,” I said, and as she shot me a pouty look, I took a quick look around, then grabbed her by the edge of her breastplate, and pulled her close.

She stared into my eyes, her breath caught in her throat, and I rested a hand against her cheek, before leaning in to kiss her lightly.

“See? I don’t like you any less either,” I said, and she smiled, blushing a little. “We’re gonna decide Candace’s fate; let’s grab her.”

“Aye, aye, Cap’n,” she replied.

“Well about time. Let’s get this over with,” Candace said, as we pulled her up, and undid the ties that bound her to the nearby tree.

I undid the binds on her feet as well, and we half-led half-dragged her to the entry hall.

Everyone went silent as we entered.

“Well then, let’s get started,” I declared. “In case anyone doesn’t know; our new comrades, Candace and Bianca, were caught trying to steal one of our weapons, with the intention of freeing Raul, and fleeing back to Vanessa.”

“Don’t be idiots, girls. Ask yourselves why he won’t give any weapons to you,” Candace started, and I noted a few heads tilted at the statement.

“They can ask me that themselves; everything is open to discussion. Which is why we’re all here right now; to discuss your fate.”

“Kill the bitch,” Jeannie began, but I raised a hand to silence the group, as a few murmurs of agreement sounded.

“My intention in gathering everyone isn’t to carry out mob justice. Anyone who wishes to ask Candace anything, may do so, and after answering our questions, she will be allowed to speak,” I explained.

I turned to the group, waiting to see what, if anything, they had to ask, and after a bit of silence, I shrugged, then turned to Candace.

“Well, anything to say?” I asked.

“Where’s Bianca?”

“Resting,” I answered.

“Oh? And am I facing judgement alone or…? You know she was complicit, right?” she explained, and I shrugged.

“She’s also repentant,” I countered, and she smirked.

“You found ‘use’ for her, is what you mean. Watch well, ladies. This is where you’ll all end up.”

“Oh, shut the fuck up,” Jeannie shot. “We already ended up ‘there’ following Vanessa.”

“Vanessa put a spear in your hand,” she replied. “What has Nathan done?”

“Oh, I dunno. Fed us, clothed us. Given us shelter, and today, relaxing baths, without whoring us to pay for it.”

Candace grimaced, and shot a dirty look at Jeannie.

“To be dumb enough to fall for such idiotic, small comforts. I hope you utter an apology to me when you realize how wrong you were.”

“Ugh, can we just skip to the sentencing?” Jeannie asked, and I nodded.

“To make sure everyone is heard, a room has been prepared. Every member of our group will come in, one by one, and give their verdict on what should be done.”

Casey nodded, gesturing to the nearby room that we’d used for the earlier meeting, and as the girls came in, one at a time, we listened to their rulings, until only our original group was left.

I was about to call them in, but first, I asked Casey to call in Cameron.

As she entered the room, she smiled, and as soon as the door closed shut, I pounced.

She gasped as I kissed her, and she blushed, but after shooting Casey a quick look, and getting a quick nod from the girl, she returned my enthusiasm, and attacked me, kissing me quite hungrily.

Our lips met again and again, but as Casey let out a loud sigh, we broke apart, though quite reluctantly.

“Can’t you get away from him?” I chided, and she frowned.

“Every time I did today, you were busy, Mr. popular,” she replied, shoving me playfully, before letting out a wistful sigh.

“I’ll try to sneak off tonight.”

“You better. My room is-”

“I know where it is,” she said, her tone suggestive, and Casey rolled her eyes.

“Let’s just get this over with,” she groaned, and I nodded, as we invited the rest of the group into the room.

“Aren’t we doing the same thing?” Nolan asked, shooting a questioning look at Cameron, and I shook my head.

“Sorry, we just had a council matter to address first,” I lied, which seemed to annoy Francesca a bit.

“So, what are we doing?” Jordan asked.

“That’s a good question. All five girls voiced the opinion to execute her.”

“Fuck. Is that really where we’re at?” Jordan asked, and I shook my head.

“I’m firmly against it,” I said, and everyone nodded in agreement, except Casey.

“I dunno. What if she tries to pull some crap again?”

“Then we’ll deal with it,” I replied. “I doubt she’s even capable of doing anything to us if we exile her now, but even in the unlikely event that she does, I’d rather handle that, than the long-term repercussions of carrying out an execution.”

Everyone again nodded, but this time, Cameron interjected.

“They were unanimous though. Won’t this piss them off?”

I nodded.

“It’s possible. Although… Casey, call Jeannie in,” I said, as I turned to the rest of the group. “Maybe we can pacify them, if we let their ‘leader’ into the loop a little.”

As Jeannie entered the room, she looked around, nervously.

“Hey,” she said.

We all greeted her, and she took a seat next to Francesca.

“All of your girls opted for an execution,” I noted, and she frowned.

“I figured they would. Candace was particularly nasty towards us, and she was the only one who wasn’t raped,” Jeannie noted.

I shot Jeannie a sympathetic glance, and she quickly looked away.

“To be honest, we don’t want to take the group in the direction of executions,” I said, and Jeannie nodded.

“I don’t think anyone really wants to see an execution. Maybe that was just our resentment and anger coming out,” she said.

“My suggestion is banishing her; although I do admit, it is probable that the end result will be the same.”

Jeannie shrugged.

“I don’t see how it can be helped without bending over backwards to accommodate her, and putting ourselves in danger. Speaking of which, are we doing the same to Bianca?”

I shook my head.

“Unless it can’t be helped, I’d rather work with her for a bit. I offered to vouch for her, so I will take responsibility for anything that happens as a result of keeping her around.”

“I’m not sure if that’s for the best, but we’re in your care right now, so I doubt anyone will object much.”

“That’s good enough,” I said. “Well then, shall we?”

We left the room, and announced the result of our deliberation to the rest of the group as well as Candace, but as we led Candace back to her tree-prison, Francesca frowned.

“We’re tying her? I thought we were cutting her loose?”

“If we sent her out this close to night, she’d be dead by morning. We’ll send her off at first light,” I explained.

Francesca seemed about to settle down into place to keep watch on the two, and I frowned.

“Hey. There’s three guards, and those two are tied up,” I chided her. “Come relax, or something.”

She shook her head, a look of determination on her face, and I smiled, as I noted that it was a particularly cute look.

“What?” she said, noticing my expression, and I smiled.

“Oh nothing. Just wake me, if you need to take off your armor to sleep.”

“Doubt it. This thing is really comfortable,” she said, hugging her armor, and I snickered again.

“I’m sure I’ll find some way to take that off of you,” I said, and she smiled as I winked, then headed back to the grove tree.

“Auslander,” Gisela called, spotting me as I neared the tree. “Are your needs met for the night?”

“I think so,” I replied.

“If you have any need, my room is open to you.”

She described the way to her room, and I nodded.

“Uh, Gisela?”

“Yes, Auslander?”

“Can we use the baths at any time?” I asked, and she quickly nodded.

“For the Gods. Any time is correct,” she said, and as I thanked her, she headed off, though I noted that she looked back several times before disappearing into the entryway.

I headed in after her, but as I walked past my room, someone called to me.

“Hey, uh Nate?” the girl said, and I turned to find Emily waving at me.

“Hey. What’s up?”

“Do you have a minute?” she asked, glancing at my room, and I quickly opened the door, and invited her in.

“What’s on your mind?” I asked, and she bit her lip.

“I was wondering about the thing with the weapons. Are you really keeping them from us?” she asked, and I shook my head.

“No, not at all. I just thought it was safer for everyone if we limited the number of weapons in circulation.”

“But, isn’t it safer if we can defend ourselves?” she asked, and I frowned.

“Actually, statistics show that people are at greater risk when carrying a weapon, and if they aren’t trained properly in the use of the weapon, it actually increases the chance that that weapon will be used against them by an assailant,” I replied.

“Really?”

“Yeah; plus, I really don’t want one of our weapons falling into Raul’s hands. He is terrifying,” I added.

“So… we’ll never be able to use them?”

“I mean, eventually, everyone will have to; and we’ll definitely adjust if an imminent threat spurs us into action. But I think our current set-up of two armed fighters is the best way to go for the time being.”

“Oh… I see. Are those two going to be you and Francesca?”

“Well, the princess basically demands that I’m armed, and Francesca is the second because she’s a kickass fighter. But no, eventually we will rotate.”

“Okay! Well, I’m just letting you know, you can count on me for that kind of thing too. And if we’re learning how to fight, keep me in mind, okay?”

“Sure thing,” I said, but as I opened the door, Emily suddenly wrapped her arms around me, and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek.

“You know, you really saved us. I just wanted to let you know that I appreciate everything you’ve done. Taking us in, and all.”

“It’s no problem, really,” I said, however as I hung on the door, which was partially open, I noticed that she made no move to leave, and just as it seemed on the verge of becoming awkward, Casey suddenly popped up.

“Oh, you have company,” she began, as soon as she spotted Emily, but the girl shook her head, and quickly headed through the door.

“We were just done talking, actually,” she said, and Casey shot a curious look after her, as she vanished down the corridor towards her own room.

“Expect more visits like that,” she said, and I frowned.

“Why?”

“Oh, I dunno. Between Jordan and Nolan being supposedly gay, and Raul being an imprisoned psychopath…”

Her words trailed off as she caught herself.

“I- uh, I mean, lunatic… not that I think psychopaths are lunatics,” she began, suddenly seeming flustered.

“It’s fine. I’m accustomed to being lumped in with the crazies,” I said, and she frowned.

“I really didn’t mean that,” she said, again, before continuing. “Anyway… you’re basically the only eligible male, more so since no-one knows about… you know.”

“Well, as enticing as that sounds, we’re gonna have to do something about that eventually… you don’t suppose any of them might settle for one of the Kobalt men, do you?”

“Maybe, in time. Although… those girls, maybe not.”

As we spoke, I made for the doorway, and Casey shot me a look.

“You’re heading out?”

“Yeah. Gonna check on Bianca.”

“Ugh. What is she, a new candidate for procreation?” she asked, and I frowned.

“Hey, I’m trying to rehabilitate her into not being a Vanessa puppet… and also, she’s pretty to look at,” I explained, and as she shook her head disapprovingly, I shrugged.

“By the way… there’s something we need to talk about, but… not here,” I said, dropping my voice down to a whisper.

“Huh?”

I pointed to my ear, and she shot me a questioning look.

 _Is someone listening?_ She asked, and as I nodded, she rubbed her chin, thoughtfully. _One of ours?_

“No. When can we?”

_Tonight. Just come to my room later and we’ll talk about it._

“Further away,” I said, and she raised an eyebrow.

 _Fine, come to my room and we’ll go for a walk. Actually, you know what. I’ll just sleep here. When you’re done ‘playing’ with Bianca, just wake me up and we’ll take that walk,_ she said, and I shrugged.

I nodded, then headed out the door and towards Bianca’s room.

The guard stationed outside appeared to be a different Kobalt, and as I offered him a greeting in German, he nodded in response, and I headed inside.

Bianca was sitting down, cross-legged on the bed, and she turned and looked over at me as I stepped into the room.

“Hey,” I said. “Did they send you something to eat?”

“Yeah,” she replied, gesturing to a little wooden platter on the table to left of the bed. “How did our ‘hearing’ go?”

“We’re exiling Candace tomorrow,” I answered, and she shot me a scared look.

“And me?”

“I asked for you to be left in my care. I don’t think anyone objects,” I explained, and she breathed a sigh of relief.

As she stared out the window, her hand went to the bruised area on her neck, and she grimaced.

“Does it hurt?” I asked, and she nodded.

“Burns like hell,” she said, her eyes tearing up a little.

I spotted a small cup next to the plate on the bedside table, and I quickly retrieved the item and headed to the bathroom attached to her room, then disconnecting the bamboo-like stalk from the water network, I washed out the cup, and filled it with water.

The water felt cool, and I quickly took it to Bianca.

“What is that?” she asked, looking at the cup.

“Water? It’s cool, so let’s see if it’ll help.”

I dabbed a little bit of it against my cotton shirt, then touched one of the bruised areas at the back of her neck as gently as I could.

“Is that helping?” I asked, and she nodded.

“A little… but it really burns.”

I took a look at the springs below, outside of her window, and she followed my gaze.

“A little soak in there might do wonders,” I noted, and she nodded.

“Can we?” she asked, and I thought about it.

“As long as you don’t run,” I said, and she frowned.

“I have nowhere to run to,” she replied, and I nodded, as she teared up again.

“Come on. I’ll take you,” I said, and she nodded.

As we stepped out of the room, the guard shot me a questioning look, and I tried to explain to him in German that he should remain there, and that she’d be back.

He nodded, and while I wasn’t really sure that he understood, he remained in place, so we headed down the corridor, and to the stairs which led to the passageway out of the tree and to the springs.

“Are they warm?” she asked, studying the water, and as I shook my head, she breathed a sigh of relief.

She looked at the pool however, then at her own clothes.

“I have nothing to wear,” she began, and I nodded.

“There’s a little changing area up ahead. I think some robes were left there.”

She nodded, and followed me, but as we neared the room, I suddenly heard the sounds of someone there, and I instinctively pulled Bianca with me off of the path, and into the shadow of a nearby panel.

“Molly, we can do this in our room, you know!” one girl said.

“I know~,” the other girl sang in reply, before adding, “this is more fun, though.”

“What if someone catches us,” the girl replied.

“Then they can watch… you like being watched, don’t you?”

“It can be fun, but…”

“But?”

“Mmm,” the other girl moaned, and as I peeked out from behind the panel, I saw them in one of the changing stations.

One girl, whose name I couldn’t recall, was standing, leaning against the panel of her changing station, her robe opened down the front, to reveal a sizeable pair of breasts.

She stood with one leg raised and draped over the other girl, who I recognized as Molly, who was kneeling in front of her, as she licked and kissed along the inner parts of her leg.

Bianca shot me an uncomfortable look, and I bit my lip, as I considered the situation.

On one hand, I had no desire to cause the girls any embarrassment, not to mention, I really didn’t want to be seen with Bianca; but on the other, I also didn’t really want to hide there while they fooled around.

I looked around, then spotting a rock, I quietly leaned down to pick it up, and I threw it into the bushes on the other side of the path.

“Fuck! What was that!” the unnamed girl asked, and Molly giggled.

I pulled Bianca into the shadows as we heard the rustling sounds of clothes being hurriedly gathered up, and the two girls, their robes haphazardly fastened, dashed past us.

I waited until the sounds of their footsteps and laughter faded into the distance, before we stepped tentatively out of the shadows.

“Do you know who the other girl was?” I asked.

“Evie,” Bianca said. “Will they be in trouble?”

I shook my head.

“Maybe they could benefit from a little more caution, but I see no real harm done,” I answered, and she studied me.

As we checked the changing stations, however, we found no more robes, and Bianca sighed.

“There’s a clean pair up in my room. If you want, you can bathe in your regular clothes, and change into a clean robe to sleep?” I offered, and she nodded.

As we headed to the baths, I took a quick look around to confirm that we were alone, before gesturing to Bianca to step into one of the springs.

She slipped off her wooden slippers, then stuck a toe in, tentatively, to test the water, before stepping slowly into the pool.

“It’s cold,” she said, frowning, and I chuckled a little.

“That’s the point, though, isn’t it?” I asked, though I did note that the night was a bit chillier than the warm temperature that we had during the day.

Bianca nodded, but as she lowered herself, slowly into the water, a little breeze blew across the pool, and she shivered.

“You adapt to it pretty quickly, and the wind isn’t so bad once you’re under water,” I offered, but she still seemed a bit bothered.

“Aren’t you coming in?” she asked.

“I didn’t really come prepared,” I replied, and as she shot me a pleading look, I raised an eyebrow. “Really?” I asked, and she nodded.

“I’m cold,” she complained, and I rubbed the back of my head as I looked around.

I slipped off my own footwear, then rolled my pants up, and stepped onto the stones of the inner ring, while sitting on a rock on the outer rim.

She moved to the spot between my legs, then slowly, she sank into the water, and sat down there.

I scooped a little bit of water up, then let it trickle slowly over her bruise, and she cooed appreciatively in response.

“That feels good,” she said, but as she shivered again, she looked over her shoulder, and frowned.

“You know, guys would usually be climbing over each other by now to come keep me warm,” she began, and I frowned.

“Is that the type you’re really interested in?” I asked, and she looked away.

“Sorry… it’s a habit, I guess. I really am cold though. I promise I’m not trying anything, but just… come warm me up a little? The water is soothing my bruises, but I’m freezing.”

I studied her for a bit, before finally relenting, and she smiled happily as I stripped off my shirt, then tossed it aside as I stepped off of the stone seat, and into the pool, sitting beside her and wrapping my arms around her as I did.

She brought her knees up to her chest, as she had when we’d spoken the first time in her room, and she huddled close to me, as I continued to drizzle bits of water over the affected areas around her neck.

We sat in silence for a bit, until eventually, Bianca seemed to have adjusted to the temperature, and I leaned back, removing my arms from around her, while she splashed water on her neck, and began to really enjoy the bath.

Eventually, as she got a bit more comfortable, she waded into the pool a bit, before turning around and shooting me a curious look.

“What?” I asked.

“This feels weird. I mean, you haven’t tried to cop a feel, or get me out of my clothes all night. I’m not sure I know what to do here.”

“Maybe just enjoy your bath?” I suggested, and she frowned.

“I am… but I’m starting to feel a little slighted. Is my scar that hideous?”

“No.”

“Then… you just don’t like me?”

“I barely know you,” I said, and she frowned.

“You know I was married,” she said… as her face got a little serious. “Were you?”

I shook my head.

“Never?” she asked again, and as I shook my head, she studied me. “How old are you?”

“Thirty-two.”

“Hn~. So you were a playboy then,” she teased, smiling, and I scoffed.

“Hardly,” I said, and she eyed me, curiously.

“Then why are you that old and still not married?”

“I pursued a girl for my entire life, and she just never said yes,” I answered, and she frowned.

“One girl?”

“Yeah.”

“You must have really loved her,” she said, as a new look appeared in her eyes. “I’m not sure I’ve ever really loved anyone, but there was someone who loved me… I think.”

She stood up, and lifted her hands over her head, letting water fall all over her, before sinking back beneath the surface.

“Who was it? The husband?” I asked, and she quickly shook her head.

“A kid from back in high school. His name was ‘Bashir’. He was middle eastern, but not the rich kind… more like the ‘refugee seeking asylum’ kind.”

“Did he ever ask you out?” I asked, and she shook her head.

“He’d never dare talk to me… I think his life actually depended on it. This one time, the kids I used to hang out with found out where he lived, and we drove there and the guys threw rocks at his house. Tiny, little place, it was, in a slummy neighborhood too. This woman was there; head scarf, and everything; and she screamed… I swear, the terror in her eyes… I laughed at her that day, but I never forgot that look. Like she was literally terrified for her life.”

“Hm. So was that the end of Bashir’s longing looks?”

“No… he always looked at me. You know, a lot of guys look at me. Like all the time; obsessively. Lecherous looks, longing looks… looks of all kinds, and it always grossed me out. But his look was different. I never felt like I was being undressed, or wanted… you know, like that? It was a sad look, almost. Like… he would give me the world.”

“He probably would have,” I said, and she frowned.

“Yeah… his world. For what that was worth,” she said, but as I shook my head disapprovingly, she sighed.

“You know, giving him a chance? That was something I never ever thought of when we were in high school, and especially when I got married. My husband spoiled me; I had everything I could want, and I was happy for a bit.”

“Then what happened?”

“His true colors came out. He took me out with his business partners one day, and some guy made a joke; I laughed like I was sure the ‘good wife’ was supposed to, but then we got home, and as soon as we were through the door, I was on the floor so fast I didn’t even see when he hit me. He broke a wine bottle against the wall and held the shattered shard to my face, and he told me that if I ever laughed like that with another man, he’d make sure that my pretty face was unrecognizable.”

“Ouch.”

“That first time, I thought maybe it would be a one-time thing; but after a year of that happening over and over again… I knew that was my life now. But there was this one time; he’d dragged me upstairs and was just having his way with my body, and I remembered Bashir for the first time since we left school. I thought about living in that little house, and wearing one of those dumb head scarves, and I thought… maybe with someone who looked at me like he did, that life wasn’t so bad as it seemed after all.”

I studied her as she spoke, and she blushed suddenly, as she finished the story.

“Jeez… look at me. Spilling my guts. I’m sorry,” she said, and I shook my head.

“Trust me, it’s much better than you whining about not being molested,” I countered, and she snickered.

“You know, in my experience, when a guy refuses to molest you, it’s only because he’s trying to lure you into a false sense of security so that he can get something more later on,” she said.

“Ah, you’re onto me. This is all an elaborate ruse to get you to mother my children and grow old together.”

“It might be working,” she said, and I snickered again.

As she waded around a bit, I turned back towards the rooms which had now more or less gone silent.

“Do you want to head in?” I asked, and Bianca thought about it, before nodding.

“How long are we staying here?” she asked.

“Two, maybe three days?”

“Can’t we stay forever?”

I snickered again.

“We’re being treated hospitably, but we are guests here,” I said, and she frowned. “Besides, we have our own objectives… and building something that dwarfs this isn’t beyond us.”

I helped her out of the pool, and retrieved my shirt, and she shivered as we quickly made our way back to the tree.

As we headed to her room, however, I made a quick stop in my room to pick up the extra robe.

Casey, I noted at that time, was fast asleep, so I stole out of the room as quietly as I could, before heading with Bianca to her own room, where the guard stationed outside, to my relief, had remained.

“You should be set there,” I said, as I handed her the robe, and she frowned.

“Can’t you stay a bit?” she asked. “I’ve never slept alone in my life, and this is kind of scary.”

I considered the proposition, before agreeing, albeit reluctantly.

“Not for long, though,” I warned, and she smiled happily.

I turned away as she changed from her wet clothes to the robe, but as soon as she was done, she began to inspect my own wet clothes with displeasure.

“You can’t stay in that,” she said, frowning, and I shrugged.

“Not much choice,” I said.

“Uh, take it off?” she said, as if it were obvious, and I shook my head at her disapprovingly.

“Behave,” I warned, and she frowned.

“It’s only a big deal if you make it one,” she countered. “Oh, come on, it’s dark… I can barely even see anything,” she reasoned, and I sighed.

“Fine,” I answered, and she climbed onto the bed as I slipped out of my pants, and sat on the edge of the bed, crossing my leg to keep myself mostly covered.

She crawled over to my side, then rested her head on my lap, and looked outside.

“I almost died today,” she noted, and I nodded, stroking her hair as I did.

“Unfortunately, this kind of thing might become normal, going forward… in this world, I mean.”

“You know, even when that man… Raul, was it?”

“Yeah.”

“Even when he was choking me, intent on killing me, his expression wasn’t even half as angry as my husband’s when he’d threaten me.”

I stroked her hair again, and this time, she turned, looking up at my face.

“You aren’t like that, are you?”

“If I was, I wouldn’t exactly tell you, now would I?”

She pouted.

“Then lie to me? I want to feel comforted right now,” she said.

“Fine. I wouldn’t do that,” I said, and she smiled, though somewhat despondently.

“You know, when you said you were going to make me useful, what exactly did you have in mind?”

I shrugged.

“Information gathering, I guess?” I answered, and she pouted.

“Seriously?”

“I mean, sort of. It’s not like I had anything specific in mind, honestly.”

“You really had me thinking I could be good for something. Why did you promise me that?” she asked, seeming genuinely hurt.

“Because I saw you drowning, and I figured I needed to say something rather than just watch you sink yourself to the depths. Besides, information gathering is a lot more crucial than people seem to get.”

“Hmm, I guess… but would that make me important to you, though?”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“Like… guarantee that you’ll keep me around.”

“The only people I can’t keep around are dangerous people, like Candace,” I said, but as I spoke, she looked up at me, a sultry look on her face.

“There… is one way, I could be useful to you,” she said, her eyes flashing towards my lower, exposed region.

“What? Seriously? No,” I said, and she frowned, as I quickly stood up.

“No, wait, I didn’t mean it like that… this was nice, I just- I actually wanted to,” she began to explain, and I sighed, as I quickly put my clothes back on.

“Look, you’re a nice girl, Bianca, and maybe I might even like you, but we’re not doing that right now, and especially not as long as you’re thinking that that is your only way of being useful.”

Bianca frowned, and as I rested the palm of my hand against her cheek, she placed her own hand over it, and rested her head against me.

“Are you leaving?” she asked, and I nodded.

“You’ll be okay, right?” I asked, and she nodded hesitantly.

“Good night,” I said, caressing her cheek a little, and as she returned the greeting, I headed out the door, turning back before I did to see her casting a wistful look in my direction, and as I pulled the door shut, I smiled.

 _That went well_ , I thought.

Hopefully it would blossom into the relationship I hoped to achieve.

As I left her room, however, I took a quick detour away from my room, and headed to where Cameron’s room was.

I peeked in as I slowly opened the door, hoping that for some reason Nolan didn’t weasel his way in there as well, but to my relief, she was alone, and sleeping quite peacefully on her own little bed.

Moving as stealthily as I could, I pulled the door shut, then sneaked up to her side.

I climbed into bed behind her, and as I kissed her neck, she stirred, moaning appreciatively.

“You came,” she said. “I went to your room and Casey was sleeping there for some reason.”

“Yeah, I’ll explain that later, but… How did you know it was me,” I teased, and she turned, frowning.

“Who else would it be?” she asked.

“Nolan?”

“No. He wouldn’t do that,” she asserted, and I frowned.

“Are you sure?”

“Ugh… I had no idea he could be so… controlling,” she said, and I nodded.

“No kidding. You know, he made me seriously reconsider my whole non-aggressive psychopath approach,” I said, and she frowned.

“I’m no psychopath, but today; even I felt like violence may be the answer,” she said, chuckling.

I leaned in to kiss her, and this time, she pushed me back.

“Take the time to kiss me tenderly later, I have needs right now,” she said, as she sat up, and stripped off her cotton shirt.

I smiled appreciatively, then leaned in, and began to kiss her breasts, much to her delight.

She massaged my hair, then shot me a curious look.

“Why is your hair wet?” she said, before shaking her head. “Never mind. I don’t care. There’s something else that’s wet and needs your attention.”

She pushed me back, and I peeled off my own shirt as she slipped the remainder of her clothes off, before pulling me towards her place, and I wasted no time in planting a smacking kiss against her mound.

“Ohh, yess,” she purred, leaning back, as I licked and sucked her slit.

She scooted forward a bit, giving me better access to her sex, and as I ate her enthusiastically, I reached forward and began to fondle her breasts… but my eyes were drawn to her stomach, and she smiled as she caught my gaze.

“You really put a baby in there, huh” she noted, and I suddenly felt myself twitch pleasurably at the thought.

I quickly stood up, and slipped out of my still damp pants, and she breathed heavily as I brought my cock up against her entrance, sliding it against her.

“Is it okay?” I asked, as I placed the head against her, and she bit her lip.

“Do it,” she said, shivering a little, and she moaned delightfully as I entered her, slowly, but deliberately.

I leaned forward, and kissed her hungrily, and her lips parted, as her tongue immediately ventured forth, searching for its opposite number with urgency.

We kissed, and I grasped her hips, pulling her to the edge of the bed, and she moaned into my mouth at the movement.

Her hands grasped their way around my back, and she dug her nails into me as I began to slide in and out of her slippery tunnel.

“Fuck. You have no idea how much I’ve thought about this today,” she said.

“Have you, now?”

“I spent half this day dripping uncontrollably just from thinking about it,” she said.

She wrapped her heels around me, and as I thrust into her, she arched her back with each thrust, and spurred me as deeply into her as possible.

“You feel so good,” I purred into her ear, and she moaned as I sucked on her neck.

“Good enough to cum inside of?”

“If you weren’t already pregnant, I would make sure you were after this,” I said, and she moaned again.

“Fuck me like you mean it, baby,” she said, and as I picked up the pace, I released her, standing into an upright position so that I could thrust into her with greater urgency.

She began to moan for real now, and she stuffed the side of her palm into her own mouth, and bit down, trying her best to stifle her shrieks.

I felt myself coming close to an orgasm, and from what I could tell, she was close too.

 _Hold on,_ I told myself, as I kept slamming into her at a steady pace, and my effort was rewarded, as she let out a final shriek, before her body relaxed in front of me.

She panted, as her orgasm continued while I moved, a little more gently against, her; but as she looked at me with a wild look that excited me.

“Fuck me till you cum,” she said, and I smiled, as I picked up the intensity, and she reached out, almost desperately grabbing at the bed for something to steady herself as I pounded into her.

But I was quickly over the edge, and Cameron shot me a satisfied smile, moaning pleasurably as I began to cum.

“Fill me up, baby,” she said, as she worked her hips, trying to coax every bit of my seed from my body.

I let out a long, satisfied groan, before collapsing onto the bed beside her.

“That was worth the wait,” I said, and she smiled.

“You look exhausted,” she said, and as I nodded, she wrapped her arms around my head, and pulled me into her bosom.

I turned, and planted a kiss on the fatty swell of her breast, but as I relaxed in her embrace-

_Nate! Help me!_

-a blood curdling scream rang out from somewhere inside the tree, and I jumped to my feet.

“What the fuck-?” Cameron began.

“Casey!” I said, as I quickly put on my pants, then opened up the satchel of armor.

I quickly located one of the arm guards, then slipped it on, as I made for the door, but the door burst open from the other side before I could get there, and I found myself face to face with Nolan.

“Wha- Nate?” he began.

“Casey’s in trouble,” I said, and as he scowled, I pushed my way past him and dashed down the corridor, placing my hand over the handle of my knife.

I threw the door open as soon as I got to my room, where I found Casey, clutching her chest which was covered in blood.

I hurried to her side, but she shook her head, instead pointing at the window, and I got there just in time to spot a cloaked figure, running at full sprint across the bathing area, and disappearing into the bushes beyond.

_Was that attack meant for me?_

_And who the fuck could that have been?_

I quickly turned back to Casey, my mind reeling as I tried to process what had just occurred.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A chaotic night ensues, with tragic consequences.

***

“Hold still!” I said, as I quickly stripped off my shirt.

 _Put on your armor!_ She ordered, and I shook my head.

“Not until I see how bad this is.”

I held Casey down, but with all the blood, I couldn’t figure out where the wound was.

I moved to take her cotton shirt off, but as she winced, I bit my lip, and let go of her long enough to search my satchel for my other armguard.

“Oh my god!” Cameron exclaimed, as she dashed into the room, Nolan and Jordan in tow.

“Cameron, it’s not safe-”

“Oh, fuck off!” Cameron shouted, cutting Nolan off, and he seemed to go quiet at the response.

“Hold her down,” I instructed, as I put the bit of armor on, and as Cameron held Casey, I grabbed her shirt, and tore it down the middle.

I breathed a little sigh of relief, as the wound, a puncture, from what I could tell, was closer to her shoulder than her chest.

“Jordan, my shirt,” I began, and he grabbed the piece of clothing. “Press here.”

He nodded, and as he applied pressure, Casey looked at Cameron.

“Get him to put his armor on!” she cried, and Cameron looked at me, then nodded.

I relented this time, and as soon as it was done, I drew my knife.

“Nolan; watch the window,” I barked, before turning to Cameron; “don’t let anyone in, okay?”

“Nate!” Casey yelled, and I turned back just as I reached the door.

“What?”

“Don’t use another heal,” she said, and I clicked my tongue in annoyance, as I turned and walked away before waiting to hear the rest of what she had to say.

 _I’m serious,_ her words continued in my mind. _Unless I’m actually dying, don’t use it. Find out if there’s someone here, like a physician or something._

As I got out of the tree-structure, however, another commotion seemed to be going on around the supply cart, and I quickly hurried over to investigate.

“Eradne?”

I spotted the girl, a dazed expression on her face, as she stood there, covered in blood.

“What happened?” I asked.

“They… attacked,” she began, gesturing ahead, and as I followed her gaze, I spotted Francesca, and I gasped.

If Eradne was covered in blood, then I could only describe Francesca as drenched, as her hair was wet with the slick, red liquid, which also dripped from her face.

“Francesca!” I called, as I dashed to her. “W-what’s going on.”

But as I moved to her side, I saw it… bodies, all around the cart.

There were limbs; arms, legs, and a severed head… four people, maybe? All Kobalt.

“Who did this?” I asked, and her arms began to shake.

“M-me…” she said, and I quickly hugged her as she began to tear up.

“They attacked… I didn’t know it would… the spear. I-I…”

“Shh, it’s fine,” I said, trying to comfort her, but I couldn’t afford to waste too much time.

I went to the supply cart, and drew one of the small daggers from the weapon stash, quickly checking to make sure that everything else was still accounted for; then I grabbed a healing vial from the supply sack.

“Casey was attacked,” I said, and Francesca suddenly studied me. “The danger might not be over yet, because her attacker escaped.”

“Shit. What do I do?”

“I know this is a tough ask, but I need you to stay on alert.”

Francesca bit her lip, as a determined expression replaced the lost expression on her face.

“I’m good. Go,” she said, and I nodded, as I dashed back towards the entry hall.

“Herr Nathan,” Gisela called, as she spotted me.

“Is there a healer here? Physician? Someone who tends to the injured.”

“Eradne,” the girl answered, and I nodded.

“She’s outside. Can you get her and come to my room?”

Gisela nodded, then headed out the main door.

“Nate! What happened?”

I looked up to see Jeannie, with Emily and Evie in tow.

“Gather up the girls, and stay in one room. Wait, Emily!”

“Yeah?”

I slipped off my knife belt, then threw it at her.

“Keep them safe; and don’t come out until I come get you!”

As I headed up to the room, I quickly moved to Casey’s side, and as her eyes flashed toward the vial of green liquid in my hand, she frowned.

“Relax,” I said. “Gisela is sending someone up. This is just in case we need it,” I explained.

“How many of those do we have?” Jordan asked.

“Fourteen,” I answered, and he tilted his head.

“Then why don’t we just use it?”

“In a critical situation… it might take as many as four… or five of those; just to save someone’s life,” Casey explained, in between pained gasps.

“Will you sit back and stop talking?” I chided, as Jordan pondered the response.

“How much do they cost?”

“Thirty-five credits each,” I answered.

“Auslander! Disen weg,” Gisela called, and Eradne poked a head into the room, tentatively.

She took one look at Casey, then moved to her side, and Jordan moved around the bed, to give her space.

Eradne lifted up the shirt, and examined the wound.

“Single puncture. The wound is not ugly, but deeply penetrated... is possible. Did you see the tool?”

Casey nodded.

“A dagger, I think.”

“How big, the blade?”

Casey raised her right hand, indicating the length between her middle finger and thumb, and Eradne nodded.

“I will keep the pressure. Little Schweinchen. Seek Ryker. Tell him a linae-sap is needed.”

Gisela nodded, quickly hurrying away.

“Herr, Auslander; the God-kind here are too many. Better air space is preferable.”

I nodded, turning to Cameron.

“There was a fight by the supply cart. Francesca’s fine, but shaken up. Can you go check on her?”

“Yeah. Let’s go,” she began-

“What?” Nolan interjected, somewhat incredulously. “You were sick today, remember?”

“Seriously, I’m fine,” she replied.

“Should we arm up?” Jordan asked, and I nodded.

“At least until we’re sure the danger is over. Do you mind wearing armor?” I asked Jordan, and he quickly nodded.

Nolan still seemed pretty annoyed, but as they hurried from the room, I felt reasonably sure that I could count on them to hold down the fort.

“Auslander. I need water,” she began, but as I made to move, she stopped me. “It must be cleansed. Have Ryker apply a boiling.”

“No, Nate! The waterskin sterilizes water. You can use that instead. Just, fill it up from the bathroom.”

Eradne didn’t at first understand, but as I explained, she nodded, studying the item with interest.

“How long does it take?”

“Minutes,” Casey explained.

I sighed.

“Casey, wouldn’t the healing vial disinfect the wound, and start the healing?” I said, and she shook her head.

“The only uncertain factor we have to deal with is not knowing when we’ll come across another guild hall. Otherworlders almost never come into this forest… we need to keep what we have for an emergency.”

As I studied the bloody mess around the room, I frowned.

This _was_ a fucking emergency.

As we waited for Eradne’s associate, I studied the woman.

“What happened down there?” I asked, and she bit her lip.

“There was attack.”

“The Kobalt?”

She nodded, a worried look on her face.

“From Palancar, I suspect. But this is not our way, Auslander. I am troubled.”

“My attacker was a Kobalt too, Nate,” Casey added, and I rubbed my chin.

I was under the impression that the extent of their retaliation would be refusal to trade, or no offer of support, and Gisela seemed pretty certain that the Kobalt would not raise arms against the matron; but now that the princess had been banished, did that mean they would threaten us like this?

Maybe I shouldn’t jump to assumptions just yet.

After all, Eradne’s reaction seemed to indicate that this development was extremely unusual, to say the least.

We waited for a while, before a young looking Kobalt entered the room followed by Gisela.

Eradne spoke to the younger Kobalt; Ryker, unless I was not mistaken; in their tongue, and the youngster quickly began to follow her commands.

The linae-sap she had requested appeared to be a thick, glue like substance, and at Eradne’s instruction, Ryker scooped out a bit of the sap into a wooden bowl, then began to mix it with a purple-ish colored fluid, which Gisela produced from a mug.

From the scent, I figured it was probably some kind of alcohol.

As the younger Kobalt worked, however, his hands shook, and after he almost spilled some of the thinner liquid out of the bowl, Eradne flicked his ear, and tears began to form in the youngster’s eyes.

“Herr, Nathan… could you?” the woman asked, and I nodded, shooting the younger Kobalt a sympathetic look as I accepted the concoction from him.

Mixing the two components together was difficult, as the thick sap took quite some time to absorb the much thinner purple liquid into its composition, before turning into a paste like consistency.

“Can you handle the dressing?” Eradne asked, and I nodded. “There. Apply some miasma to the hand.”

She gestured to my own hand, and Gisela poured a little into my hand, and I rubbed it about.

 _Definitely alcohol_ , I thought, as the burning sensation kicked in.

“Can you apply to me?” she said, and as she held out one hand, and Gisela poured a little bit of the liquid I reached out and rubbed it about Eradne’s hand, and she shot me an uncomfortable glance.

“Ryker. Apply the water,” she instructed, and the young Kobalt nodded, looking to me for permission before taking the waterskin from the bed, and Eradne released the pressure from the wound, as he poured a bit of the liquid onto the wound.

Eradne, however, seemed quite displeased with his performance, and with her other hand, snatched the vessel from him, and quickly washed out Casey’s wound, examining it as closely as she could, before a fresh stream of blood began to pour out of it.

“The cut is clean,” she said. “Not as deep as feared.”

She gestured to the concoction that we had prepared, before directing me to hold together the sides of the gaping hole in Casey’s shoulder.

Casey clenched her teeth shut at this, as her eyes teared up; but Eradne wasted no time in applying the paste along the edges of the wound, before applying a bit of the sap itself along the middle, and over the applied paste.

“Hold firm, Auslander,” she commanded, and I nodded, as she applied a few more touches of the sap to the area.

She said something to Ryker, and as he shook his head in response, she sighed, issuing some new instruction, and the young man quickly took off.

“He is worse apprentice than mein Schweinchen,” Eradne said, and Gisela scowled in response.

I chuckled at the exchange, and Eradne smiled at me, before quickly shaking away the momentary lapse.

“Did I bring this conflict to you?” I asked, and the woman sighed, then shook her head.

“Conflict becomes Palancar; perhaps mein aufsässig kinde should have borne kinder regard. I sense a rot upon our grove.”

“Cursed…” I muttered, remembering the princess’ description of the grove, as we left.

Was she the cause, or did she just sense something that was already brewing?

Either way; it certainly complicated things.

“The patch is knit, Auslander,” Eradne noted, and as I released the wound, I studied the fix with fascination, as the bleeding appeared to have stopped.

Ryker returned with some clean bandages, and after Eradne finished bandaging the wound properly, I noted that Casey seemed much less distressed.

“Is there somewhere we can we move her to?” I asked, and Gisela bit her lip.

“I will prepare,” she began, but Eradne raised a hand to stop her.

“My room will suffice for tonight,” she offered, and I nodded.

Eradne sent Ryker off again, and he returned with a kind of stretcher as well as several Kobalt men, who carefully moved Casey down to Eradne’s room.

As we settled Casey into her bed, she seemed to be slipping out of consciousness.

“Will she be okay?” I asked, and Eradne nodded.

She spoke to Ryker, and the boy nodded, staying behind as she gestured to lead me out of the room.

“Ryker will watch over her,” she said, and I nodded in response.

 _What now?_ I thought.

I needed to go check on Jeannie’s group, but I also wanted to talk to Eradne about the Kobalt.

“Eradne; what will you do now?” I asked.

“I will remain in vigilance; the vulnerable must be protected.”

“I want to check on my group… but we should talk. Where will I be able find you?” I asked.

“I will join the warrior goddess,” she said, and I nodded as she headed towards the entry hall.

I made my way over to Jeannie’s room, and as I knocked on the door, the group quickly let me in.

“What’s happening, Nate?” Jeannie asked, and I sighed.

“I don’t have all of the info just yet, but it appears an attempt was made on my life tonight,” I explained, and the girls began to murmur.

“Are you hurt?” Emily asked, and I shook my head.

“I wasn’t, but unfortunately, Casey was.”

“Who was it? Another hunter like Raul?” Jeannie asked, and I shook my head.

“One of the Kobalt,” I answered, and Emily scowled.

“We never should have trusted those things to come with us,” she began, and I raised a hand to stop her.

“As far as we know, the attempt came from Palancar… not our own group.”

“Why would they? Haven’t they already exiled the princess?” Jeannie asked.

“It’s too early to really tell, but perhaps in an attempt to prevent her from starting her own grove,” I explained, but Emily didn’t seem particularly convinced.

“We should leave them behind, and settle down somewhere far away from here,” she said.

“Then we’d basically be right back in the same situation as Vanessa’s camp by the stream; helpless and possibly exposing ourselves to danger without being aware of it. We know nothing of this world, so the Kobalt’s knowledge is invaluable.”

“They just tried to kill you,” Emily countered.

“ _Tried_. I’ll take this over another Raul any day. We’re caught up in their politics for sure, but I think I’ve already got a pretty good idea of how to handle it going forward.”

“I still think keeping them on is a mistake,” Emily said, as she folded her arms angrily, but Jeannie studied me with a thoughtful expression, before nodding.

“It doesn’t make sense to make a call like that in the heat of the moment without knowing all of the information. Nate will find out more about what’s going on, and then we’ll decide what to do. Right Nate?” Jeannie asked, and I nodded.

“The danger seems to have passed, but for the sake of safety, you all can sleep here tonight, right? Take turns keeping watch?”

Jeannie nodded, but as I made to leave, I pulled her aside.

“A word?” I said, and she nodded.

“I don’t particularly like leaving a weapon in her hands right now,” I said, and Jeannie nodded.

“I agree,” she said. “I’ll try to de-escalate things in here, but… out of curiosity, why did you choose to give her the weapon?”

I frowned.

“She came to me earlier, asking about Candace’s statement about not giving your group weapons. Given the situation, I wanted your group to have a weapon; so, I figured it’d appease her a little, and also test her capacity to act as a guard in the future.”

Jeannie frowned.

“I wish you’d consulted me first,” she said, and I nodded.

“Ordinarily I would have, but as far as I knew, Casey was bleeding to death, and I made a judgement call.”

“Is she alright?”

“She’s stable for the time being. I would be with her now, but I still need to check on everything else.”

“Okay. Well, keep me posted when you can.”

“Sure… and if anyone starts to become a problem, come find me,” I said, and she nodded.

As I headed down to the entry hall, I spotted Gisela, who came to me as soon as she saw me.

“Herr Nathan.”

“What do we know so far?”

“It is inconclusive. The matter remains to study.”

There was an unusual nuance to her voice…

Was she lying?

It was possible that she would fear that an attack from the Kobalt could ruin our relationship; and now that I think of it, could that have been the objective?

We headed outside, and as we came to the supply cart, I spotted Eradne who was studying Francesca with a curious look.

“Where did the bodies go?” I asked, as I approached, and Francesca shot a glance at Gisela.

“Some runners came by and cleared the area,” Francesca answered, and I turned to Gisela.

“It was an unpleasant sight,” she answered.

“How are they to be interred?”

“Sorry?”

“The dead. What is the Kobalt custom for handling them?” I clarified.

“They are rested within the earth, to become the fertile soil from which new seeds will spring.”

I nodded.

“When will they be buried? Can it be delayed until I can examine them a little?” I asked, and as Gisela began to fidget, Eradne suddenly walked over and slapped her across the face.

“He is to shoulder your princess, and you will deceive him?!” she yelled, and Gisela whimpered as she fell backwards to the ground.

“I am not concealing-”

“-omitting what your eyes see, and misleading the eye. The two things are one! You seek to advise, yet you deceive? Your companionship is as rotten fruit to the stomach!”

I took a deep breath, as I studied the two.

“Gisela. I won’t abandon the princess no matter what,” I said, as I held out a hand, “but you need to help me protect her. My eyes are new to this world… there is much that I don’t yet see.”

Gisela studied me for a bit, a teary look in her eyes, before nodding quickly.

“I apologize, Auslander. My action was wrong,” she said, quickly bowing, but I waved away the concern with my hand.

“Let’s just move on for now. What happened here?” I asked.

“The attacks were coordinated. One group came after you; the other came after our weapons, here,” Gisela replied.

I rubbed my chin as I pondered the situation.

The most obvious thing to assume was that they were after the weapons… but our prisoners were also here.

My thoughts went to Bianca, and I made a mental note to question her further, later on.

“How many attacked?”

“Four,” Francesca answered, and as I studied her, I shot her a little smile.

“You fought well, I heard.”

“She was as fierce as a Tuskan Roc,” Eradne offered, and Francesca smiled a little bit, but I could tell that she was still shaken up by what had happened.

“Wait- I sent Cameron and the others down…”

“They came down and armed up, but Nolan decided to do a check on the perimeter; and they went with him.”

I frowned.

That didn’t make sense.

Everything, personnel included, was right here.

Sigh.

No matter; the attack was most likely over anyway.

“Were you able to find anything out about the attackers?” I asked Gisela, and she nodded.

“They were from Palancar.”

“You’re certain?” I asked, and she nodded.

“Their weapons, their garb; without doubt, it is of Palancar.”

“Do you know why they would do this?”

Gisela shook her head, and Eradne stared at her sharply.

“Frau Schweinchen, did I not scold you?”

“But I do not understand a reason, Eradne,” Gisela answered, and Eradne sighed.

“It seems the branch that spreads too far cannot see the stem from which it grew,” she said, and Gisela furrowed her brow in response.

She seemed about to say something in response, when I decided to intervene.

“Gisela; has the princess been informed?”

“Yes. Myrinne is with her.”

“Gather the rest of the council and discuss what measures we may take, going forward.”

Gisela nodded, and as she left, my eyes drifted to Eradne.

“Walk with me?” I asked, and as the woman nodded, we took a stroll towards the bathing area.

“There is a matter I wish to discuss, but it is my understanding that there are ears which hear even the faintest whispers,” I said.

The woman looked around, then nodded.

“Where can we evade their reach?” I asked.

“Prepare… they may be absent now, but we must journey.”

“Right now?” I asked, and she nodded again.

“This conflict provides a good opportunity; a rare one too.”

I nodded, then headed back to Francesca.

“Have you slept?” I asked, and she shook her head.

That was bad.

She needed to rest if she was going to perform effectively in a protective capacity; but if I was going to disappear for a bit, it would also be best to have her on standby in case of an emergency.

I decided it would be best to set up a sleeping area, using our blankets, while the others kept watch.

Speaking of the others, I frowned as I spotted Cameron, Nolan and Jordan returning from their little rendezvous.

“Cameron; the council is meeting. You should go join them, since Casey’s already missing.”

“Is that really necessary?” Nolan asked, and I raised an eyebrow.

“Uh, yeah. It’s extremely important,” I replied, and Cameron nodded.

As she moved to leave, however, Nolan began to follow and I stopped him.

“Actually, I need you two for something,” I said, indicating to both him and Jordan. “Francesca hasn’t slept yet, and we need someone with our capabilities keeping watch over the supplies. Can you two keep an eye out until morning?”

“Why can’t you do it?” Nolan asked, and bit my lip.

“I’m investigating the attack,” I replied, and as he sighed, Jordan quickly nodded.

“Nolan; if you need to rest, I can keep watch alone,” Jordan offered, glancing at me for approval.

“Sure; this really is just precautionary, but Francesca’s also going to sleep here, so you can also wake her up if there really is trouble,” I said.

Jordan nodded, but as Nolan cast a final look after Cameron, who had just disappeared into the entry hall of the grove tree, he sighed, then agreed to stay on as well.

I did a final mental check, to make sure that everything would at least be handled for the night, then turned to Eradne, and nodded.

She beckoned to me, and as I followed her, she leaned to me, and whispered-

“Keep up.”

-before dashing off into the night.

I shook my head, as the sudden action momentarily caught me off guard, but I quickly broke into a sprint and did my best to keep up.

As far as I could tell, it was the dead of night, and like every other night we’d spend on this planet so far there was no moon and very little light.

Visibility was poor and I could lose her very easily, but even as I ran with some pace, I noted with interest that it took almost no effort to keep up with her, or to maintain that speed for some time.

 _If I really put my body into it, how much faster I could run?_ I wondered.

I did plan to eventually test our bodies’ capabilities with and without the armor, to get a better grasp of the extent to which they enhanced us; but this was as good a chance as any to get a decent idea.

As I concentrated on following Eradne, however, I found myself admiring the sheer athleticism that she displayed.

Her sleek frame seemed to be built to dash through the trees at a sprint like this, and while my own boots seemed to thud with every step; she moved seamlessly, like a shadow, and as we ran, I paid attention to the subtleties of her form and slowly tried to imitate them, until she suddenly pulled up to a stop.

“What was that?” she asked, panting, as her eyes studied me, almost fearfully.

“What was what?” I asked.

“You suddenly moved as one with roots deeply planted in the great grove.”

I rubbed my chin, as I pondered the matter.

Was the change in my movement really so noticeable?

“I just tried to do as you did,” I explained, and she frowned.

“Then it is the way of the Gods. I have heard tale, but it is most… unnerving.”

“Are we far enough away?” I asked, and she shook her head, looking back.

“We cannot be heard for now, but there is possibility of tracking.”

I nodded.

“How far?”

“There is ridge, over there, where the stream falls from precipice,” she answered, pointing, but my eyes could not for the life of me make out a thing. “We will find safety there.”

I nodded again, but as we moved this time, she let me keep pace with her, running by her side.

“Auslander. In Palancar, did you make acquaintance with Garbung?” she asked.

“Yes… he’s the one who invited me to Palancar,” I answered, and as she nodded, I studied her out of the corner of my eye.

“Do you think he used me to rid Palancar of the princess?” I asked.

“No. That development is unlikely. There are many believing the princess would bring upheaval to traditions in Palancar; Garbung is amongst the few to view this favorably.”

“I see… so the ones who seek to protect the old ways. They are the likely perpetrators of the attack?”

Eradne nodded.

As we came to a pause again, Eradne held up a hand, indicating to me to be silent, and she listened intently for a bit, before nodding.

“With me, Auslander. Keep to my shadow.”

 _What shadow???_ I thought, as I could barely see the ground at my feet.

I tried to move as closely as I could to her, but my efforts seemed insufficient, and eventually, Eradne pulled me close enough, that every time she paused, I bumped into her rear.

As we walked, however, the regular forest sounds began to fade, and I realized, with interest, that the murmuring sound I’d barely made out earlier, seemed to be getting louder and louder, until it grew into an almost constant roar.

 _A waterfall!_ I thought, as I finally realized what ‘stream falls from the precipice’ meant.

I continued to shadow Eradne, but as we walked, my foot bumped into a rock, and as I lost my balance, a bit, Eradne suddenly grabbed me, a panicked look in her eye as she steadied me.

I was still trying to figure out the strange reaction, when a draft blew through me from the left, and I realized that we were skirting the outer ridge of a sheer cliff.

“Don’t look that way, Auslander,” she said, as she caught me trying, in vain, to pierce the veil of darkness that stood between me and a possible abyss, and she paused, taking my hand, and this time resting it on her hip.

“Be careful with the step,” she instructed.

I reached out to the right, assuming that a wall, or something, might be there, but instead I found nothing but air.

Nevertheless, we progressed slowly along until eventually, I caught sight of a rocky face, which we crept along, coming, to my surprise, to a small space beneath the waterfall.

I could see the movement of the water, forming a verifiable wall in front of me, and the roaring was almost deafening.

_Wait… we came here? To talk?_

I let out an inward sigh, as we would probably need to shout to be heard over the din, but on the other hand, we probably couldn’t be heard unless someone was right there beside us.

Eradne no longer pulled me as closely, but she took my hand, and led me, deeper into the opening under the fall, and as the sound of the water faded, I suddenly realized that I could clearly see the surroundings.

“That light? Where does it come from?” I asked.

“The heart-stone dust. It is found in the deep places. Here, it is but a glimmer; but deep down, in the rocky places, it is like a burning star.”

Now that I could see, I took some time, taking in my surroundings, while Eradne took a seat against a wall and rested.

“Mein little aufsässig kinde has a plan, doesn’t she? An eventuality for Palancar.”

I nodded.

“Do you disapprove?” I asked, and she sighed.

“Yesterday, maybe. Today, I am changed from circumstance. What is her plan?”

“To plant an ally amongst the new princess’ companion servants,” I answered, and Eradne studied me questioningly.

“How? Mater does not reveal how the princess will be chosen…”

Her expression changed, as if something had occurred to her.

“My seed-bearer arrived today, ripe with new seed-life… so a new selection is begun? But this cannot be! Mater is bent, her life blood near depleted. She will not see to the new princess.”

“If she were to die, before the new princess births a princess of her own… who would take the title of matron?”

“None,” she answered. “It is not permitted. Palancar will be without matron until the princess ascends.”

I rubbed my chin, as I considered the possibilities.

“You said the princess seeks to plant an ally… how?” Eradne asked.

“With my seed,” I explained, and she gasped, her eyes momentarily flicking down my body.

“B-but it will have to be… one of the seeds who share a vine. Who did she choose?” Eradne asked, a sudden look of worry on her face.

“She didn’t specify; but she did say that any born from the same Kobalt as her would suffice.”

Eradne shook her head.

“You cannot. It will destroy them! To bear the seed of a god; they will be cast even from this cluster! And who knows how the dissenters will react.”

As I listened to Eradne’s reaction, a new problem occurred to me.

“Will the child then, not be disposed of?” I asked, and she quickly shook her head.

“A princess-servant is immune to the external functions of Palancar. Their vine is as one severed from the branch, and grafted to the stem of the new princess.”

“Then only the mother suffers possible retaliation,” I noted.

Either the princess cared little for her sisters, or she considered the sacrifice worth it for the greater good.

“What do you advise? Is the princess’ directive too rash?” I asked.

“No, Auslander; her plan is prudent, but… it can only be me.”

I licked my lips, as Eradne was my intended target, but I was curious as to her reasoning.

“Will you not face the same fate described?”

She nodded.

“But maybe… if you- if you will you take me by your side,” she said, studying me.

“Do you desire to leave this place?” I asked.

“I did not… but maybe, I must. The rot of Palancar will spread… but this seed we plant; maybe it might stay the rot from the inside.”

She took a deep breath in, then stood up.

“I will bear your seed, then step from this land; and onto yours… if you will have me.”

I nodded, and she studied me, a smile creeping across her face.

“You… you desire me?” she asked, as if the thought only now occurred to her, and I smirked.

“From the moment I set eyes upon you,” I answered.

“In what capacity? As a consort? Or was your wish to ‘till the earth’ that another might plant the seed?”

Her eyes were teasing, and I snickered as I considered the Kobalt’s unique idea of innuendos.

“Truthfully; I wish to take you as my own advisor.”

She studied me carefully.

“I am under the impression that the position is filled,” she answered.

“Gisela?” I asked, and she nodded. “Gisela is a bit… young,” I began, and she nodded again.

“Mein Shweinchen is young; this is fact. But her wisdom is a bud that time’s flow will cultivate. She will _blossom_ ; of this, I am certain.”

“Will she become as wise as you?”

“Greater yet,” the woman answered, “her eyes will see what my mind cannot fathom.”

“Perhaps… especially if she learns from you.”

Eradne studied me for a bit, before turning her attention to the waterfall, beyond.

“This is my place; as a sapling, I discovered the path, and I would vanish to this spot when my instruction became burdensome.”

“Are those pleasant memories?” I asked, and she nodded, turning her gaze to me.

“Will you disarm?” she asked.

“Are we safe here?”

She nodded.

“None but me can traverse that path in the darkness of a night without luminescence.”

I slipped my hand to the strap that held my breastplate together at my neck, and the plates clattered to the ground beside me.

I removed my arm guards, then in one motion, pulled my shirt over my head, and Eradne drank in the view, licking her lips hungrily.

“Your form is pleasing to the eye, Auslander. Much unlike the false-god.”

I unclasped my leg guards, then slipped off my heavy, metal boots, as well as the wraps that covered my feet.

“May I?” she said, casting another glance at my stomach, and as I nodded, holding my hands to the side to allow her a proper inspection, she approached me, and let her fingers trail the outlines of the muscles along my sides.

“The skin is so smooth. Like the mori-moth’s cocoon.”

As her fingers trailed along my side, she circled me, then moved close to me from behind.

“You know, Auslander… I despised you from the moment I laid eyes. I believed you corrupted mein aufsässig kinde… yet the sight of you made my heart race, and you excited me beyond comprehension.”

Her hands reached around me, and I felt her lips against my neck as she planted a deliberate, sensual, sucking kiss.

“These feelings I have are not natural, Auslander. It is the manipulation of the Gods; I know that. But this time, I will indulge.”

She stepped in front of me, then nodded towards my pants, and I quickly slipped them off.

“Sit,” she commanded, and as I complied, she stepped forward, standing over me, with a hungry look in her eye.

She unclasped the belts which kept her short, cotton robe secured around her legs, and as the material loosened, she slipped the shoulder straps of the robe off of her arms, and let the materiel fall to the ground around her ankles.

My eyes travelled along the length of her body, as she stepped out of the bundled materiel, and knelt, her knee just at the side of my hip, and the other leg raised, and just above my waist on the other side.

My eyes flicked to her breasts, which were luscious and plump, and as she followed my gaze, she smiled.

“Have you seen her? Mein little sapling?”

I nodded, licking my lips instinctively, as her hand went to her own breast, and she fingered the fat nipple enticingly.

“Worry not… hers will mature in time,” she said. “Until then… you may taste mine.”

I leaned forward, and she placed a hand around my head, to help me to her bosom, and I inhaled deeply as I nuzzled my face, enjoying the sensation of being smothered within the valley of her luscious mounds.

Her breasts were firm despite their size, and they felt like gelatinous blobs against my cheeks.

I planted a kiss in the space between her breasts, then licked along the inner swells, reveling in the feel of her skin against my tongue, mixed with that subtle salty taste of her sweat.

She grasped my hair as the scent of her arousal wafted up to me, and spurred my tentative licking into more deliberate sucking kisses, and she moaned in response to the stimulation.

“Your tenacity is pleasing,” she said, but as she reached down, and her fingertips brushed the tip of my cock, I twitched at the contact, and she frowned.

“Your seed is weak… you have planted your stalk in the womb of another this night,” she said, and I nodded.

“My god-mate,” I replied.

“It displeases me,” she said. “I desire seed of virile intensity. The strongest stalk of a thin field will always bow to the tallest trunk of the dense thicket. You must be coaxed to plentitude.”

_Okay, what?_

I tilted my head in confusion as I struggled to comprehend what she was saying, though to be fair, my mind was fairly preoccupied with the heavenly breasts in my grasp.

“Use the god-power, Auslander. Image the organ in the mind,” she reached down, and fondled my balls as she said this; “see the reservoir fill till bursting with new seed.”

I chuckled, nodding as I suddenly understood, and as I followed her instruction, I felt a tingling sensation deep within my balls.

My cock twitched, as my erection intensified, and she smiled appreciatively as my meaty rod hardened in her grasp.

“Yes… desire it Auslander,” she said, spurring me on, and as she positioned herself over my cock, I delved into her breasts with renewed motivation.

I kissed and sucked the mounds gluttonously, and as she sank onto me, I paused to let out a gasp, our eyes meeting for a moment, before I leaned forward and took one of her fat, puffy nipples into my mouth, and sucked on it intensely.

“Mhh, Ahhh!” she cried out, as my length disappeared fully into her midst, and the sucking stimulation of her pussy walls almost coaxed me into a climax, simply from that initial entry.

“My womb burns with desire for your seed, Auslander. Forgive me… I am beyond control.”

I wasn’t sure what she meant but as she began to move, she stopped, shuddering, and as I suckled her, she twitched and moaned.

Was she orgasming? It didn’t seem so… instead it seemed as if her body was unable to process the stimulation of that moment, and I paused my suckling, holding her in place, as I studied her intently.

“I am paralyzed,” she moaned, the look in her eyes hungry, but strangely fearful…

“Do you want to stop?” I asked, and she shook her head.

“Control the movement… lift me upon your stalk, and plough me thoroughly. I desire it!” she cried.

It amused me to see her speaking with such desperation, and I reveled in the feeling of driving her beyond control like that, but I wasn’t so egotistical or delusional to really believe that I could suddenly paralyze a woman with an overstimulation of pleasure by the mere entry of my organ into her place.

I immediately realized that there was something else at play here.

Was it my implant?

I wasn’t sure.

Nonetheless, I complied with her command, and placing my hands on her hips, I lifted her up, then let her drop down onto my shaft, and she cried out at the suddenness of the stimulation.

I repeated the move, and again, she yelped; but as I lifted her up again, I brought her over the tip of my cock, and she seemed panicked, almost, as I slipped from her insides, and she came unceremoniously to rest on the floor between my legs.

She shot me a questioning look, but I quickly sat up then pushed her down onto her back, and as I pulled her under me, positioning her for my rod to make a diagonally downward entry, her eyes lit up, and she spread her legs under me in anticipation of the move.

As I lined up my cockhead at her entrance, I slipped in easily, and after taking a moment to position myself comfortably, I began to thrust down into her.

My movements were fast and rough, and every time I impaled her into the cold stone floor she yelped, an expression of delirious ecstasy plastered on her face.

I smiled, as the expression filled me with intense desire, and I grasped her hips, and rotated her pelvic region upwards, allowing me to really drive into her in vicious downward motions, and as I fucked her with abandon, the shrieks escalated into a steady scream.

I was past the point of no return, and I continued to pound into her until the first spurt of cum streamed forth, and I slowed the movements down to allow my body to fully enjoy the sensation of my sensitive glans sliding against her insides.

Her muscles contracted around me, squeezing and coaxing out my seed as I unleashed a veritable torrent deep into her womb.

As I continued to deposit spurt after spurt of seed in a seemingly never ending stream, my mind wavered as a wave of light headedness swept over me, and for a moment, I saw an image of Eradne holding a child, and in the vision, she placed the child into a kind of crib, and smiled as another child was passed to her.

The scene faded just as the final few spurts of cum emptied into her, and I studied her with interest.

She was panting; a new sheen of sweat covering her smooth, lime-green hued skin, and soft, pleasurable moans slipped from her lips every time my cock twitched inside of her.

“I am filled,” she said, slumping back, as she tried to normalize her breathing, but as she looked up at me, and I held her gaze; a curious look appeared in her eyes.

“I am seeded, Auslander; almost certainly. Yet… you desire to plough the earth, even so?”

I licked my lips as I studied her, and her gaze flicked down, to the place where our bodies remained connected, before her eyes flicked upwards to study me once more.

There was an excited look in her eyes, and as I nodded, she merely stared on with amazement.

I withdrew from her, but at my urging, she sat up, and as I turned her around, and instructed her onto her hands and knees, she kept her gaze on me, over her shoulder.

“This is not the custom,” she said, as I placed a hand on her hip, and traced the wonderful curves down to her thigh, eventually to the inside of her leg.

Despite her words of seeming protest, her legs parted at the touch, and my pores fluttered pleasurably as I caught a glimpse of her slit, slightly agape, and dripping with the thick white creamy remnants of my seed.

“This positioning, Auslander… it is like feral beast. What is your intent?”

“To enter you; and make you scream with pleasure,” I answered, and she growled hungrily in response.

“Is this the way of the gods?” she asked, and I nodded, smiling at her teasingly, as I planted my stalk against her entrance, and watched my own cream leaking down onto my tool.

I summoned up the image of my balls welling up with fresh sperm, and I let out a low moan, as I felt that pleasurable tingle as my cock responded to the stimulus, preparing for another venture into her depths.

“This is not a seeding… what is this called?”

“We call this fucking,” I answered, and she smiled.

“Fucking… it sounds filthy. Mmmh nh,” she moaned, as I slid slowly in, and she eased back onto me, taking me the rest of the way in.

“We are… fucking? How is it said?”

“You are being fucked.”

“Mmh. I like the sound,” she cooed, as I withdrew, and slid back into her, reveling in the feel of her slick tunnel, wrapped around my now throbbing cock.

“I am fucking you… like an animal,” I grunted, as I slid back and forth inside of her tunnel, and she moaned, growling almost, in response.

“I like this… fucking. Herr, Auslander. Will I be fucked… as an adviser?”

“Whenever I desire it,” I replied.

“Then many seedlings will sprout,” she said, and I paused, leaning forward to grasp her breasts, and after fondling them a little, I grasped her hair, and pulled her close, as I nibbled on her neck.

“This is not to produce children,” I said, and she turned, studying me out of the corner of her eye, as I continued, “this is just for the hell of it;” and she grunted agreeably, as I resumed fucking her from behind.

“This is filthy… and exciting. I desire it!” she cried. “Fuck me, Auslander. My body demands to be seeded.”

I grasped her head, and pressed her face down, low to the ground, and she moaned in appreciation as I began to hammer her again; but this time, as her screams began to meld into a single, fluctuating enunciation, it finally led to a crescendo, and she arched her back, as the orgasmic cry was followed by wave after wave of blissful pleasure coursing throughout her body, from her sexual core.

“Deposit… the seed,” she moaned, but I smirked, and she eyed me as I withdrew from inside of her, and moved to her front.

I placed a hand under her chin, and guided her to my part, and she stared at me, as I dangled it in front of her.

“Will you suck me?” I asked, and her eyes went wide.

“But you drip with seed,” she countered.

“Have you ever tasted it?” I asked, and she shook her head.

“Seed is for the womb,” she answered, and I snickered.

“When a woman sucks on the seed dripping from the stalk… it is not for child, but for pleasure.”

She licked her lips, and as she eyed my thing, I could sense a yearning forming within her.

“I feel my soil dampening at the thought.”

She stared at my cock, and as I leaned, and dangled it closer to her lips, she turned her head sideways, and she stared into my eyes, as her lips parted, and she planted them over my cock head, sucking on it like a straw, before releasing it with an obscene ‘pop’.

She licked her lips, as the taste registered, and she stared at me again.

“It excites me so… but I do not comprehend why.”

I nodded.

“Suck until I give you leave,” I ordered, and to my surprise, she obeyed, and took me beyond her lips without question.

“That’s it,” I praised her, as she sucked on the head. “Now slide my stem back and forth… as far as your throat can take me.”

She began to suck, while bobbing her head back and forth, and I quickly felt another orgasm approaching; but as she noticed this, a questioning look appeared in her eyes.

Her gaze seemed to question whether or not I really wanted her to finish me like this, and as I nodded, she complied, her expression slightly dazed… but the closer I got to my climax, the more vigor she put into the sucking, bobbing motions, and I let out an unrestrained grunt as I began to unload on her tonsils, and she drank and swallowed as eagerly as she could, before coughing, and gagging on my thick creamy seed, and as she released me, cum streamed from her lips, coating her chin, and running down onto her breasts and chest as I continued to spray my seed, plastering her body with abandon.

She wiped at her lips, her eyes tearing up a little, and she studied me.

“The seed… I am sorry. Have I wasted?” she asked, seeming quite regretful, and I quickly shook my head.

“You were excellent,” I said, and she studied me, uncertainly, before glancing at herself, and fingering the remnants of my seed with interest.

“The seed was not for planting?” she asked… “for… ‘the hell of it’?”

I nodded, and she smiled.

“It is wasteful, but enthralling to my pleasures. Your instruction is informative, Auslander,” she said, and her expression remained slightly dazed, as she retrieved her discarded robes, and wiped away the sticky mess.

As she cleaned up, however, I sat down, and I felt a wave of exhaustion suddenly wash over me.

_I really overdid it today, didn’t I?_

“Can we rest here?” I asked, and Eradne nodded, but as I lay down, she came over to me.

“May I?” she asked, gesturing to my head, and as I nodded, she pulled me to her, and rested my head against her bosom.

She stroked my head reassuringly, and before I knew it, I was asleep.

***

“Huzzah!” the man cried, as he popped the champagne cork. “I knew my boy would pull through!”

As the foamy liquid streamed out of the open bottle, the man positioned the drink so that it drizzled down to his crotch, where a curly haired blonde was busily sucking on his exposed meat.

She frowned, but as he finished drenching her hair, he drizzled some of the fizz onto her lips, and she gave a silent vote of thanks for the taste of anything other than his less than hygienic junk.

“Joanna is here,” a voice called over the phone, and the man frowned.

“Take a five, Elena,” the man said, and the girl relinquished his meat from her lips, and squeezed her way out from under the desk, and stuffed her breasts back into the black lacy bra that she hid beneath her outfit.

She moved to the darkly tinted glass at the far corner of the room, and began to adjust herself to some semblance of appropriacy before Joanna burst through the doors.

“Sir; we have a problem,” she began, and the man frowned.

“What? Didn’t you say they were clear of all known threats?” he asked, and she quickly shook her head.

“The order for the undesirable, sir. It came from a _chair_ on the _inner circle_.”

“What? What the fuck is that level of clearance doing at our operational level?”

“I’m still investigating that,” Joanna answered, and the man frowned.

“She’s still alive, isn’t she? The undesirable?”

“Yes… and she’s, uh, lost her tracker.”

The man raised an eyebrow, as Joanna gestured, indicating that her hand had been cut off.

“Went that far? She’s persistent.”

“Actually… our asset directed the action,” Joanna answered, and the man smiled.

“Now that’s interesting. Maybe this asset will be the one, huh?”

“There’s a problem, though… a new directive is being considered.”

“Yeah? An Exterminator?”

Joanna nodded.

“Who is it?”

“Devon Black, sir.”

The man slumped down onto his chair, pondering the matter.

“He won’t be ready for a hunter of that level… but maybe that’s not where we should handle this from.”

“The _chair_?” Joanna asked, unable to hide her incredulity. “I can’t find out who it is,” she continued, but the man waved her concern away.

“It’s fine. You focus your efforts on surveillance… let me deal with this ‘chair’,” he answered.

The man dismissed Joanna, and as she left, Elena took a careful step forward.

“Should I set aside the champagne, master?”

The man shook his head, gesturing for a glass, as he grinned.

“Not this time, my love,” he said, as he unbuckled the front of his pants expectantly.

***

I woke up to the sight of a kaleidoscope of colors dancing about me, and as I rubbed the sleepiness from my eyes and glanced about, I found that the colors remained, fluctuating through a rainbow of hues as they wavered about me in a consistent pattern.

It was clearly light out, as I could now see the water which cascaded in a torrent in front of the cave opening, but as I glanced about my surroundings, I could not locate my companion.

I spotted my armor piled together in a neat little heap, and I quickly gathered it up, and began, piece by piece, to put it on, finishing the process by strapping on the little knife that I kept attached to the back of the left shin-plate.

As I stepped out of the opening, however, I finally laid eyes on the path that Eradne had led me along the previous night, and I gasped, as the edge of the precipice led to a drop of several hundred feet.

There was a sloping hill to the right, but the hill was covered in rocks that seemed quite awkward to traverse, making the path that we had taken the only real means through which to access the little cavern.

“You’re up,” her voice called, and I spun around to spot Eradne, sitting atop a rocky outcrop just over the entrance to the cave.

She smiled, then grabbing a rocky edge that hung over the entrance, she hoisted herself down, and landed with almost cat-like grace on the path behind me.

“Were we tracked?” I asked, and she shook her head.

“Our actions will not be suspected until I am ripe with seed-life,” she said, rubbing a hand suggestively over her stomach.

As she approached, however, I noted that her clothes and hair were wet, and I shot a curious look back towards the fall.

“Where did you wash yourself?” I asked, and she pointed above.

“The stream is wide, above the mountain,” she explained. “At the edge of its bank, one can wash.”

As I cast a longing glance up there, she smiled teasingly.

“You will wear my scent, Auslander; that mein aufsässig kinde understands where I stand without word.”

I sighed, then nodded, as it was probably best that we headed back anyway… given the circumstances in which we’d left.

As we walked, however, I noted that Eradne was in no hurry, and her mood seemed particularly buoyant.

_Despite their green skin, they were no different than we were, were they?_

“Is it safe to talk?” I asked, and as Eradne nodded, I rubbed my chin. “Tell me about this ‘rot’ in Palancar.”

She frowned.

“The Kobalt of Palancar possess two very different feelings; the protection of tradition, and the instigation of change. These feelings have always co-existed, but now, there is different feeling… that one must destroy the other, or be destroyed. It is unbalanced, and will bring down the grove like a leaning tree with rotted root.”

“The banishment of the princess… was this because of these feelings?”

“I fear it is,” she said.

I rubbed my chin, as I considered the problem.

“But… wasn’t she an advocate for change? Does that make her one of the imbalances to Palancar’s stability?”

Eradne shook her head.

“Palancar has always changed tradition, with each princess ascended to matron. It is the way of nature… the river cannot flow forever without altering the earth over which it runs… and you are not the first immortal welcomed to our grove.”

I nodded.

“Who was the first?” I asked.

“Der Kaiser… Hans Gruber,” she answered, and I stopped in my tracks.

_Are you fucking kidding me?_

_The villain… from ‘Die Hard’?_

I shook my head, as I tried to consider the possibilities.

The name ‘Hans’ was popular enough, but the combination seemed unlikely… so was the name an alias, or was it a merely a co-incidence?

“You know him?” Eradne asked, as she studied my expression.

“Uh, I’m not certain… but, just to confirm; how long ago did this God live amongst your people?”

“A great many year-cycles… perhaps three, or four hundred.”

‘Die Hard’ was what, a little over thirty years ago? So, there was no way that his name was a ‘Die Hard’ reference.

But fuck…. how long have they been sending people here?

I made a mental note to ask Casey about it later, as we continued on.

“So, your language… the old tongue, I mean. Was he the one who taught that?” I asked, and she nodded.

“Much of the old tongue was lost… and the elders say the teaching was incomplete. It is why the common tongue uses what we still remember, along with what existed from before.”

I rubbed my chin.

“Do all Kobalt speak this tongue? Gisela mentioned another great city… uh, Kara’din?”

“No… the Kobalt of Kara’din speak the common tongue… but it is more like the ancient language; the one before the immortal; than what we speak.”

We were quiet for a while, but as we walked, I decided to ask about something that had been bothering me…

“Eradne… can Palancar stand up against me?”

She stopped walking, and studied me, then shook her head, smiling.

“You do not mean to harm Palancar,” she said, and I nodded. “No, I do not think they could.”

“Then why would they risk my ‘wrath’ by attacking… as far as I can tell my kind are not known for showing mercy.”

“It is true… gods have lain waste to civilizations on a whim,” she answered, sighing. “It was a stupid move, which is why I feel troubled… it is not our way. Perhaps they felt that as you are a newborn God, they might have a chance now… before you truly became all-conquering…”

“That’s a huge risk, isn’t it? Angering someone who might come back and destroy everything… it doesn’t seem like the kind of action that someone who sat on the council might take… Do you think it might have been random dissenters?”

Eradne shook her head, an expression of grave concern on her face.

“Many on the council are wise; it is true. But the attack, I do not think, could come from stray branches alone. It was coordinated; planned… I fear it would take a councilor, or at least someone with a similar degree of sway over an entire branch, to be done.”

This was problematic.

For someone that high up to do something like that, it would mean that they have some sort of insurance policy… or at least they believed they did.

Wait… Vanessa!

Could it be…?

I did leave her close to them without access to credits in the hope that she might learn to survive, but it was certainly possible that someone took her in, with the intent of using her abilities as an otherworlder.

I shook the idea from my mind.

“Auslander… you said the Gods were different,” she began, and I nodded. “I want to believe, but there have been many of your kind who all seem to follow one path; a path of destruction and chaos.”

I rubbed my chin thoughtfully.

“I don’t doubt you,” I said, and she studied me.

“So… you would never lay waste to Palancar?”

I shook my head.

“Or any other people?”

I shook my head again.

“It is not my way of doing things,” I answered, and she nodded, placing a hand tentatively over her stomach.

“I have placed my trust in your word,” she answered.

We walked in silence for some time after, until Eradne suddenly came to a stop, and she looked off into the distance, before turning her head, and listening carefully.

“Something’s wrong,” she said, a worried look on her face, and I nodded, as we broke into a sprint.

It took about ten minutes for us to reach back to the cluster at that pace, but as I did, I spotted Cameron, an expression of shock on her face.

“Nate! Where were you?” she asked.

Her tone wasn’t accusing; rather, it seemed from her expression that she was relieved to see me.

As I looked around, I managed to spot everyone else except Francesca…

“I’ll tell you later. What happened?” I asked.

“It’s Candace,” she began, and I cast a quick look at the crowd that had gathered around the supply cart.

“What did she do?” I asked, feeling a bit of anger rising up, and she quickly shook her head.

“It’s not what she did… it’s what happened to her.”

A path cleared as we walked, and as I got to the tree trunk where the prisoners were secured, I spotted it.

A body, covered with a white sheet of cloth.

“That’s Candace?” I asked, and Cameron nodded. “What happened?”

“Nate!” A voice called, and I turned to see Emily running towards me.

“Nate, this is him!” she said, and I glanced past her to see several Kobalt holding down another of their own.

“What’s going on?” I asked, and she smiled.

“I caught him doing it… he slit her throat right there,” she began, and I tilted my head in confusion, as she continued, “we need to execute him. Show them that they can’t do this to us!”

There were a few murmurs, and I gulped.

“Let’s calm down… executions require trials, or else this is just vengeance killing.”

“Extrajudicial punishment; that’s what it’s called, right?” Jeannie said, as she moved to my side from somewhere in the crowd. She continued, “if we’re to recreate civilization; we need to be better than that.”

“We can’t recreate civilization with uncivilized citizens,” Emily shot back, eyeing the crowd, and I frowned.

“Then we’ll civilize them… not murder them, right?”

She frowned, then folded her hands.

“Fine… let’s have this trial then,” she said, and I shook my head.

“We’ll carry out an investigation, and have a trial later, okay?”

She stared at me, her smile fading, then she shrugged.

“Fine… but I’m staying on alert till then.”

She turned and walked away, and as I eyed the knife belt on her hip, I shot Jeannie a quick look, and the girl blinked a few times, as if she was in a state of shock.

“A word?” I asked, and she nodded.

“No luck getting that knife off of her, I guess,” I noted, but she glanced around, before pulling me with her, away from the grove tree and toward the cluster, and as we cleared the populated area, she panted, and began to tear up.

She put her hands over her mouth, and I rested a hand tentatively on her shoulder as she hyperventilated for a few seconds.

“Do you mind?” I asked, nodding towards my hand, and as she shook her head, she moved closer, resting her head against me, and I placed a hand on her back, and rubbed the spot soothingly.

“What happened?” I asked finally, as she calmed down a bit.

“Emily killed her. I’m almost certain,” she began, and I let out a tired sigh.

 _Fuck_ , I thought. _I guess someone was really invested in that execution, huh?_

“What do we know for sure?” I asked.

“She wandered off when it happened, but I dunno what to do… she claims she saw it happen, and that the… Kobold, Is it-?”

“Kobalt,” I corrected, and she nodded.

“She says that he raped her,” she said, and I gasped.

“And no one was there to confirm anything? What about Raul.”

“He says he was asleep, and he didn’t hear a thing… I think the fact that that happened right next to him freaked him out a bit, too.”

“And everyone else?”

She shook her head.

“Just about everyone was asleep and tired. Apparently, she offered to relieve Jordan, and since she had the knife, he thought it’d be fine, but he told her to wake Francesca and she never did.”

I took a deep breath, as I considered the scenario.

“So, no witnesses… do we have any kind of evidence?” I asked, and she studied me.

“Are you doubting what I’m saying?” she asked, and I quickly shook my head.

“Not one bit, but we need to make a strong case against her in case her ideologies have already spread to the others.”

Jeannie shuddered as she spoke to me.

“I’m just… terrified of even the idea of her being out here with us… with that weapon. She’s a psychopath… people like that should be locked away.”

I chuckled internally, as I kept a straight face, and nodded in agreement with her.

“So, evidence?”

“Well... the murder weapon is the knife. It was covered in blood… but she claims that man took it from her and used it... I don’t know what else…”

She teared up again, and I gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

“Don’t worry. We’ll get to the bottom of this… I want you to keep an eye on the rest of the girls, though. Try to pay attention to how the others react to her; if anyone is sympathetic to her story, or her ill-will towards the Kobalt. That kind of thing,” I explained, and she nodded.

As we headed back to the grove, I caught sight of Eradne, and I signaled her over.

“The Kobalt man; what can you tell me?”

“He would _never_ harm a goddess,” she answered, and I nodded.

“I know. Most of the Kobalt here wouldn’t… but between Casey being stabbed, and the Kobalt attack. I need to establish personal details about his reputation.”

She nodded.

“He is called, ‘Helmut’. He is a preserver; one who sees to the grove, to the saplings…”

“Hmm. Okay; did you sleep at all last night, by the way?” I asked.

“Before the attack… but at the cave, I decided it best to stay alert.”

“Do you need to get some rest?” I asked, and she nodded.

“Eventually… but if matters must be attended, I am able for the time.”

I nodded.

“Have you seen Gisela?”

“She sleeps yet.”

“Hmm. Okay, well until she’s up… could you talk to the Kobalt? Find out Helmut’s side of the story, and see if there’s anyone who saw what happened. Also, the girl… Emily.”

“The accuser?”

I nodded.

“See if anyone saw her. When she left her room, when she was outside… things like that,” I said, and Eradne nodded.

“It will be done,” she said, but as she bowed slightly, she shot me a curious look.

“What will you do with her?” she asked, and I frowned.

“I’ll take that up with my advisors,” I said, smiling at her, and she nodded, smiling in response.

As Eradne headed off, I turned my attention back to the grove tree.

Where should I start?

Emily was my first choice… but maybe I should recruit some more help before tackling her head on.

I headed instead for Cameron, who was standing worriedly, closer to Candace’s body.

“Hey,” I said, and she shot me a bit of a forced smile, before that worried look from before returned.

“Hey,” she said, biting her lip. “I know Candace wasn’t the best person, but I don’t think I wanted to see anyone end up like this,” she said, and I nodded.

“Can we go up to your room?” I asked, and she nodded.

We headed for the tree, and as we got to her room, she hugged me tight.

“Can we do the ‘hold me tight’ thing for a bit?” she asked, and I nodded.

We headed for her bed, and as I lay down, she positioned herself in front of me, and I pulled her close as we lay together.

“That Kobalt… he didn’t do that, did he…” she said.

“No,” I replied, and she shivered a little.

“Who was it?”

“As far as I can tell; Emily.”

“Christ… so, Vanessa whored out her girls; Caleb and his group actually committed rape… and now we have a murderer. Your status as a psychopath is starting to look really bland by comparison.”

“From what I can tell… everyone who was sent here are the broken, discarded, undesirables who didn’t fit into a normal society. Some of us need to be protected, but the others, I’m guessing, are the ones we needed to be protected from.”

She shuddered again.

“Doesn’t it scare you?” she asked, and I chuckled.

“Psychopath, remember? I don’t feel that kind of worry.”

She wiggled around, and turned onto her back, and I rested my head on my hand as I looked down at her.

“What do we do? We’ve taken in so many into the group, and we have no idea who else might be like Emily,” she said, and I shrugged.

“Well… that’s the cost of freedom. We could screen everyone and suspect each other indefinitely while enforcing restrictions on what everyone does, and with whom. Historically speaking, that rarely works, though.”

She frowned.

“So, we just continue to let these things happen?”

I bit my lip, as I considered how to answer.

“It’s not that we should do nothing… Emily should face consequences for what she’s done; which, we’ll decide on as a group. But I don’t see the need to radically change everything just based on this one incident. In the long term, developing a healthy degree of trust and affording everyone a fair share of personal freedom, will benefit the group as a whole.”

She frowned.

“So, you don’t think I should be scared right now?” she asked, and I shook my head, chuckling a little.

“Of course not; it’s a natural reaction, from what I observed. Jeannie even broke down when talking about it… but you definitely shouldn’t let the fear you feel control the way you react. The situation needs to be handled, and for that we need to think rationally, instead of reacting emotionally.”

She looked out the window beside us, before studying me again.

“Is that what I am to you? A ‘rationally chosen’ option?” she asked, and I snickered.

“You do make sense for me, as a partner… but honestly, I just enjoy lying with you. Being with you. The feeling of closeness… I’ve never had that in my life, and you enjoy it as well.”

She nodded, then shot me a curious smile.

“If she’d killed me… what would you have done?” she asked.

“Murdered her, I think…” I answered, and she smiled.

“Is that the rational choice?” she asked, and I shrugged.

“If someone far enough removed from the situation wishes to try to restrain me in that moment, then good for them… but that’s not my role in that moment. Not when someone has taken something important from me.”

Cameron smiled, and she pulled me down for a kiss, and as I tasted her lips, I felt a curious warmth flutter through my body.

“I spent the last few days wondering if your whole ‘feel nothing’ feeling towards me would change, and kind of wishing that it would… but now, I think I’m kinda starting to like you just the way you are,” she said, and I smiled as we kissed again.

We lay like that for a while holding each other, and exchanging soft, smacking kisses, until eventually I broke away, and Cameron studied me.

“We need to examine Emily,” I said.

“Examine?”

“She claims she was raped, no?”

“Wait… you want to confirm it?” she asked, and I smirked.

“Nope. Honestly? I wanna fuck with her a little,” I said, before adding, “It’ll unsettle her at the very least.”

Cameron frowned.

“I forgot who I was dealing with,” she said, and I smiled.

“Getting her to come unhinged is probably the best way to deal with this. If we make a serious case out of it, it’ll just give legitimacy to her bullshit claims. Besides, I don’t want the group to become distrustful of the Kobalt.”

As I got up, Cameron stretched lazily, before joining me.

“Wait. Can I threaten her?” she asked, as a wicked grin appeared on her face.

“I think I like that expression,” I said, nodding appreciatively, and she smiled.

As we left the room, however, I pulled her along with me for a quick detour to Eradne’s room, where Casey was, and as soon as we stepped into the room, a dozing Ryker quickly snapped to attention.

“Uh… do you understand?” I asked, and the boy nodded.

“A little,” he answered.

“How is she?” I asked, and as he gestured to her, we joined him at her bedside.

“She is… alive. Reasonably,” he answered.

I reached out with my right hand, then flipping it over, I let the back of my index finger touch her arm, gently, and as I traced the digit over the spot a little, Casey reached over with her other hand, and taking it into hers, she gave it a little squeeze.

I studied her for a moment, to see if she would stir, but she seemed to be fast asleep, so I signaled to Cameron, and we headed for the door, turning to say a quick goodbye to Ryker.

“You care for Casey, don’t you,” Cameron noted.

“I guess,” I answered, as I nodded, and she smiled.

“Would you murder someone for hurting her? Like you would for me?”

I pondered the matter for a bit, then nodded again.

“Probably.”

“Who else?” she asked.

“Francesca?”

“Obviously,” she replied, rolling her eyes, and I snickered at the reaction.

“Why does Francesca drive you to jealousy in a way that no other woman can?” I asked, and she shrugged.

“I’m not sure, actually…” she answered, giving the matter some serious thought.

“Speaking of Francesca… I think we need a second girl in on this examination.”

“Ugh. Does it have to be her?” she asked, and I smirked.

“No. Jeannie is my first choice, but if she can’t do it then Francesca will have to do,” I answered, and Cameron frowned.

“Let’s go find Jeannie,” she said, with a look of determination and I snickered at the response.

We headed for her room and found here there along with Evie, Leanna, and Molly.

“Oh good; I wanted to talk to everyone,” I said, as Jeannie invited me into the room, and she shot me a slightly questioning look.

“How has Emily been… since the, uh- you know,” I began, and they all seemed a little fidgety.

“I think she’s dealing with it by channeling all of her thoughts into revenge,” Leanna answered, and Molly and Evie shot each other a brief, uncomfortable look.

 _So… maybe she’s just gotten into Leanna’s head a little,_ I thought.

If that was the case, then we could probably just outright hold her responsible and be done with the whole thing, but I figured it would still be best to make sure.

After all, from what I could tell, our abilities as otherworlders could be quite significant later on, and the more of them I had under my control, the better it would be.

Emily was a loss I already made peace with, but if it was possible at all, I wanted to keep the losses to a minimum.

I moved to Leanna, and held her gaze.

“You can rest assured, we’re going to do everything we can for her,” I answered, and as Evie and Molly exchanged another look, I began to wonder if maybe I should hang back a little, and give one of them a chance to come forward and say something.

“Jeannie… I want you and Cameron to go fetch Emily, okay? And you can bring her up to Cameron’s room,” I said.

Cameron shot me a questioning look, but she nodded, and as the two headed off, I headed for the door, but as soon as I stepped outside, I waited around, and sure enough, Molly poked her head out, a relieved expression on her face as she spotted me in the corridor.

“Uh, Nate… can we talk a little?” she asked, and I nodded. “Okie; my room is right here.”

We stepped into her room, and she took a deep breath.

“So… I’m not saying that Emily might be lying, but… she’s been talking all night about how much these Kobalts… is that the right plural form?”

“I think it’s just ‘Kobalt’,” I replied, and she nodded.

“About how much of a threat they could be… I know Casey was attacked and you might be angry, but most of them have been good to us, and… I think they’re really just scared of us, more than anything else. And that guy who Emily says raped her? He served us food yesterday, and Evie like, accidentally touched his hand, and he apologized to her like a bazillion times… you know?”

“I see,” I replied, as if deeply troubled by the news. “Is there anything else about Emily that, uh- feels off?”

She bit her lip, a nervous expression on her face.

“There’s one… but uh-”

“Anything that can help us understand her better will help right now,” I reassured her, and she nodded.

“Uh… I don’t wanna say too much, but uh, when we were being forced to ‘entertain’ Caleb’s friend, Ronnie… it was me, Emily, and, uh… another girl. Emily was actually really into it, but this other girl wasn’t, and Emily, uh… sort of made the girl give her some oral, and when she didn’t want to, Emily told her to stop being a little bitch since she was, uh… a, uh-”

“A lesbian?” I asked, and Molly quickly nodded, blushing a little.

“-using a less polite word, yes. The, uh- girl… kind of felt like if that was rape too, you know?”

“It was,” I said, sighing. “Thanks for letting me know.”

She nodded, letting out a little relieved sigh.

“By the way… my friend. She- uh, she’s a little concerned about her… preferences. Do you think she has anything to worry about?” Molly asked, and I shook my head.

“I think it might be too early for me to speak for the others, but I certainly don’t see any problems there.”

She nodded.

“Thanks for the info Molly, but just one thing. Leanna seemed kind of worried about Emily.”

Molly rolled her eyes, and chuckled a little.

“Uh, yeah.”

“Are they close?”

She quickly shook her head.

“Leanna’s dysfunction is based on… something else,” she said, a little vaguely, and as I raised an eyebrow at the statement, she cleared her throat, and glanced around, speaking in a lower tone.

“To put it bluntly… the girl’s a racist,” Molly answered, I rubbed my chin thoughtfully.

“Towards the Kobalt? That might be a bit unfair. I mean, they are an alien species with a very different cultural aesthetic… maybe she just needs some time to adjust,” I suggested, shrugging, but she quickly shook her head.

“Its not just her feelings toward the Kobalt… before we met them, when we were at Vanessa’s camp. She had a pretty rough time with Mark; the other dude with Caleb? And the next day when they came back with your friends, she kept grabbing my hand and shaking like a leaf every time Jordan passed by her…”

“What? Jordan’s got to be like, less than one eighth black, or something.”

“I know, right? I asked her what that was about, and she’s like, oh, I don’t wanna get ripped to shreds by some monster sized dick, or whatever, and I was like, lol, she’s gotta be kidding, but no. She was super serious. When Mark chose her again that night, she actually said that she was relieved that ‘at least it’s not that black guy’.”

I chuckled, but inwardly, I quickly realized that this could be another problem.

I mean sure, I expected that we would have to deal with feelings like that towards the Kobalt; and I honestly thought that Emily’s extreme aversion toward them would be the worst of it.

But to react like that, Leanna’s feelings had to be deeply ingrained on a subconscious level, and people who felt that way rarely ever changed.

I would have to figure out how to deal with it in the future… or maybe, get rid of her the first chance I got.

Either way, I vowed to pay closer attention to the matter to get a better gauge on it.

I thanked Molly for her time, then headed off to find Cameron and Jeannie, who I suspected should be on their way up to Cameron’s room by now, but before heading up there, I decided to quickly check on Bianca.

The guard posted in front of her room had changed again.

“Hey. Do you understand this tongue?” I asked, and the man nodded, so I continued, “don’t let any Gods in here except me. Okay?”

He nodded, and I stepped past him, and opened up her door, poking my head in.

“Hey,” I said, and as she turned to see me, she smiled.

“Hey. I thought you were mad at me,” she began, and I shook my head.

“Not mad… but I don’t want you to pull that stunt again,” I said, a hint of warning in my voice, and she quickly nodded.

“Is everything okay? I heard a commotion last night,” the girl began, and I frowned.

“There was… an attack,” I said, and she frowned.

“Was anyone hurt?”

“Just Casey… and Candace.”

“Are they okay?”

“Casey is,” I said, and her hand went to her mouth as she realized what I was saying.

“Candace? But how?” she began, and I sighed, taking a seat on the bed beside her.

“How well did you know her?” I asked, and she frowned.

“Not well… I didn’t like her, but… I didn’t want her to die either…”

She teared up a little, and after shooting me a look, I nodded, and she crawled over into my arms.

“How did she die? Was it these… people?” she asked, and I shook my head.

“We’re investigating but… it seems, it may have been Emily,” I answered, and she gasped.

“That girl always creeped me out,” she admitted, frowning again.

“How so?”

“Well… after the first night, when Caleb’s group spent the night with some of us, everyone was kinda freaked out afterwards… and Emily, well she acted like if she was too, but it didn’t seem genuine… it kinda just seemed like she was faking it, because everyone else reacted that way.”

I nodded, gulping.

So, the signs all pointed in that direction, huh… that she’s a psychopath too.

Bianca quickly became comfortable in my arms, but time was pressing, so I quickly withdrew much to her discontent.

“I’m sorry,” I said, “I can’t stay long. We need to handle the Emily thing… I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”

She nodded, quickly replacing her frown with a smile.

“I’m glad you did,” she said, and she walked with me to the door as I headed out, but just as I left the room, Cameron came around the corner, and she shot me a teasing look.

“Checking on Bianca?” she teased, and I smiled.

“You know me. Ever the thoughtful,” I said, and she put her hands on her hip.

“Of course,” she said, punching me playfully, as I followed her back to her room.

As we entered the room, Emily had a scowling expression on her face, but she quickly replaced it with a grin as I stepped inside.

“Nate. These girls said you wanted to see me,” she said, shooting a sharp glance at Jeannie.

“Yeah. I need to get your account of what happened,” I replied, and she nodded.

“Well, that bastard slit Candace’s throat-”

“No, no. Start from the top. I left you to guard the rest of the girls, right? What happened from there.”

“Oh. Well, we stayed in the room, but it was quiet, so we just kind of talked.”

“You stayed up till morning?” I asked, and she nodded.

“Yeah. Everyone fell asleep eventually, but I figured since you entrusted me with guarding them, I should keep watch until you came back.”

“Uh-huh; but then you left the room?” I asked, and she nodded.

“Well, yeah. I figured they weren’t really in danger, and we needed to keep our supplies safe, so I went outside there, and good thing too… imagine what he would have done if he’d gotten his hands on one of our weapons.”

“Right. So, you went outside and… Jordan was on watch?”

“Yes. He was really tired, and he said Francesca was up all night… he practically begged me to take over the watch for him, so I was like, well I have this knife, right? So sure, why not.”

I nodded, and Cameron shot me a weird look, and I tried to subtly silence her.

“Okay. So, he left; and you kept watch. Alone? Where were the other Kobalt guards?”

“I sent them away,” she said, smugly.

“What? Why?”

“Well, imagine what would have happened if they were there to help him when he attacked me. I would have been done for!”

“Right, of course. So, you sent them away, and… how long after was the attack?”

“About ten minutes… wait. Y-you don’t think they-?” she began, a surprised look on her face, as she acted as if an idea was only now occurring to her.

“We won’t rule anything out; you can rest assured,” I answered, and as Jeannie shot me a concerned look, I tried my best to convey telepathically to my companions to just contain their reactions until we were done.

“So, how did it happen?” I continued, and she took a deep breath.

“He, uh… sneaked up on me, I guess.”

“Didn’t have time to draw your knife?” I asked, and she shook her head.

“It all happened so quick… he put his arms around my neck, and put me in a chokehold, while he took the belt off of me.”

“The whole belt?” I asked, and she suddenly shook her head.

“No- I uh, I meant the knife,” she corrected, pretending to wipe away a tear.

“Right. Then what happened?”

“He threw me on the ground, and then he…” she gulped, actually tearing up, and I nodded sympathetically.

“So, you saw when he killed her?” I asked, and she nodded.

“I was so shocked. I- I wanted to scream, but no sound would come out… and then he grabbed me and dragged me off.”

“To where?”

“A bush, just beyond the big tree. I struggled, but he was too strong.”

“And no-one was around?”

She shook her head.

“Why didn’t you scream for help?” Jeannie asked, and Emily glared at her for a split second.

“I was terrified… are you- are you saying this is my own fault?” she said, and I quickly raised a hand.

“No. No-one’s saying that. You were probably panic-stricken; right Jeannie?” I cut in, and she shot me another questioning look as Emily smiled, turning her attention back to me.

“Yes, I was. I mean he had a knife to my throat; I had to follow him.”

“Follow? I thought you were dragged?” Jeannie asked again, and this time Emily turned on her.

“Hey, what is your fucking problem?” she shot, and I quickly moved between them.

“We’re just trying to get a proper understanding of what happened,” I said, turning to Jeannie and trying to indicate to her, subtly, to just go along with it, and she nodded.

“Y-yeah, sorry. I just… meant, for clarification…” Jeannie trailed off, and Emily nodded, still eyeing the girl sharply.

“Then he took me into the bushes and… I’m sorry, do you need to know everything about that? It’s really hard to talk about,” she began.

“Of course, I understand. We just need to ask a few things about it then, and this’ll be over. Okay?”

She nodded.

“You said that he raped you, correct?”

“Yes,” she answered.

“Did he actually penetrate you, or...?”

“Yes.”

“And did he climax?”

She nodded again, tearing up.

“Inside of you, or…?”

“Inside,” she answered, and I nodded.

“Okay. Well Cameron over here is a nurse, and she’s going to do a little examination,” I began, shooting Cameron a look, and she smiled.

“Yes. Just try to relax, okay sweetie?” she said, and Emily shot a cautious look between us.

“Are you serious? Are you doubting me?”

“No, of course not. This is for your own health,” Cameron explained. “It’s a mandatory assessment that we perform for all rape victims.”

As her back remained to me, however, I suddenly moved forward, and wrapping my arms around her, I held her down.

“Emily. Stop resisting,” I said, pretending to struggle with her.

“Wha- I’m not! Just. Fucking let me go!” she complained, and Cameron smirked as she studied the look of shock on Emily’s face.

“Yeah, just calm down,” Jeannie added, shooting me a conspiratorial nod as she got in on it.

As I struggled with Emily, I made sure to grasp her breasts several times, and squeeze and fondle them enough for her to know that I was doing it, very much on purpose.

Eventually, she went still, and as I pretended to hold her down, we moved her to the bed, and she was shooting glares between Jeannie and Cameron.

“Get the knife,” I ordered, and Emily glared as Cameron detached the weapon from her hip, and buckled it on, around her own waist.

“Now strip her,” I said. “Start with the pants.”

Emily struggled a little again, but I tightened my grip on her and she went still…

I had to admit, the strength boost from the armor made me feel pretty powerful, and her struggling wasn’t even putting a dent on my grip.

Jeannie stripped her pants off, and as Cameron stepped in to remove Emily’s underwear, I could see an uncomfortable look in Jeannie’s eyes, but it was momentary, and replaced almost immediately by a look of determination.

“No bruising along the leg,” Cameron noted, examining Jeannie, and I smirked, as she actually seemed to be taking the job quite seriously.

“Ugh. Emily, could you spread yourself out a bit,” Cameron chided, and Emily cursed.

“You’re hurting me,” she said, and Cameron tutted at her, as if she were a misbehaving child.

“I know this is uncomfortable, sweetie, but this is for your own good. Now if you behave, you’ll get a juice box afterwards and everything.”

Emily sighed, but no sooner had she relaxed, than Cameron began to probe her sex, and she tried to fight again.

“Hold her,” Cameron ordered, and this time, I leaned back on the bed and turned her to the side, and Jeannie helped restraining Emily’s legs.

“Help me with this, Nate,” Cameron said, and I smiled, keeping one hand firmly around Jeannie’s upper body, locking her own hands down, and pinning her partially with my body, as I reached under her, and massaged her bared pussy a little.

“I’ll be honest, Emmy… there’s no sign of penetrative bruising. Are you sure that this went the way you say it did?” Cameron asked, and Emmy groaned in frustration.

“Yes. Fuck!”

“I guess you have no choice Nate. Extend the probing,” Cameron ordered, and I snickered a little, as she leaned down and sucked on my fingers a little, slobbering me up, and I slowly inserted the fingers into Emily’s hole, sliding them around inside of her as I did.

“You fucking assholes!” she cursed again, but her struggling was now muted, and mostly, just little bursts of frustration coming out.

I fingered her for a bit, before withdrawing my hand, and Jeannie studied the part herself.

“Anything?” she asked, and Cameron shook her head.

“To be honest Em, even if he gently made love to you, we’d be seeing at least some minor bruising here,” Cameron said, and the girl sighed, and I studied her, wondering if she would double down on the lie, or just let it go.

“Look, whatever,” she said, and as we finally released her, she shot us a murderous look.

“Can I put my fucking clothes on now?” she asked, and I nodded, as Cameron retrieved her pants and undergarment, which she quickly put on.

“And my knife?” she asked, and at this, I shook my head.

“You’ve been through a traumatic incident,” I said. “I don’t think we should let you keep a knife. Statistically speaking, this is the time when trauma patients tend to do things, like self-harming… stuff like that. We’re gonna leave, and let you get some rest okay? We’ll be back later when we’re ready to pass a verdict on Helmut.”

“Helmut?”

“Yeah, that’s the name of the person you’re accusing.”

“Person?” she asked, “that’s a stretch,” she added, scoffing, and I smiled.

“Yep… and you can rest assured, we’re going to do everything in our power to make him admit to every single thing that’s happened,” I said, advancing on her, and speaking so she would know exactly what I meant.

She scowled, then slumped onto her bed, and we quickly filed out the door.

“Damn… I really thought for a second there she was gonna spill,” Cameron said, and I snickered, as we moved away from the door to continue our conversation.

“Have you two done this before? Because that felt… rehearsed, almost,” Jeannie said, and I snickered.

“Nah, Cameron’s just a natural when it comes to threatening people.”

“Yeah, and Nate’s a psy- I mean, stone cold bulshitter,” Cameron said, quickly correcting her slip up, and I shot her a quick smile.

“Well… you two make a good team,” Jeannie said; before adding, “what do we do now, though?”

“Cameron, I think it might be time to get Gisela up, and up to speed if she isn’t already. Do you know where her room is?”

She shook her head, and I gave her a quick bit of directions.

“We need a guard stationed here, to make sure Emily doesn’t leave the room; and one outside, to keep a lookout on her window,” I said, and Cameron nodded, heading off.

As Cameron left, Jeannie shot me a worried look.

“What are we gonna do with her?” she asked, and I sighed.

“That’s a good question… I know I said I didn’t want executions, but I’m starting to think along those lines.”

“Don’t you think we can just imprison her?” Jeannie asked, and I shook my head.

“Too risky. Her lies were pretty extensive, and her intent was clear; to both commit murder, and create a rift between us and the Kobalt. It pains me to say it, but an element like that, even in chains, is too risky and beyond our ability to control. The only way we could risk it is if we had a prison system where we could limit exactly who she’s allowed to come into contact with.”

Jeannie nodded.

“Are we going to have another trial?” she asked, and I nodded.

“Only if it’s necessary. We need to convince everyone, Leanna in particular, of her guilt, before we let her speak though. But before that, we’ll gather up the core group and see where everyone stands on an actual execution.”

She frowned.

“I’m not part of that group, am I…?” she asked, and I chuckled.

“You are. I think you’ve more than earned that place,” I said, and she smiled.

Cameron eventually returned with Gisela, along with one of the Kobalt guards, and we left him, after I made sure that Gisela was assured of his instructions, to gather up the rest of the group.

“Could you invite Eradne as well?” I asked Gisela, and the girl bowed, before heading off.

We gathered in the meeting room that we’d used when deliberating over Candace’s fate, and as soon as Eradne and Gisela had joined us, we got started with the proceedings.

We were all seated in chairs, that formed a circle at the center of the room.

“Eradne; I think we should start with you. Have you questioned Helmut?”

“Yes, Auslander. He is most cooperative.”

“What did he say?”

“He woke up first light, and got started on gathering the things to prepare first meal for Gods. He headed to the grove tree for provisions, and spotted little goddess, Emily. She called to him, asking help, and he approached with haste, but only to find slain goddess prisoner, tied to tree. He was struck before reaction, and woke up unknowing what transpired.”

“Fucking hell… so Emily murdered her?” Jordan asked.

There were tears in his eyes, and I reached across, and placed a hand reassuringly over his.

“You couldn’t have known that she would do that,” I said, and he nodded, taking a deep breath.

“Why did she have a knife in the first fucking place?” Nolan asked.

“That was a fault in my judgement. She approached me earlier that night, and offered to take up the position, if needed, as a guard; so, when the attack happened, I decided to give her the chance.”

“Fucking stupid move that was,” Nolan said.

“Uh, he’s kind of doing the same thing for all of us at the moment… I mean, hardly any of us really know each other,” Jordan replied, and I sighed.

“No; it probably was stupid. I was in a panic over Casey and I made a hasty decision. Regardless, it still was my error,” I said.

Jordan shook his head, but before he could speak, Francesca weighed in:

“Actually, I don’t think it would have mattered… we needed to arm the girls, and unless we knew that she would do that, which I don’t think we could have, she probably would have gotten that knife out of that room by the end of the night, no matter whose hands we put it in.”

Jeannie nodded at this.

“As much as I hate to admit it, that’s probably true. Besides, she struck when most of us were asleep, anyway. So, technically, we all have some of the blame to share.”

Nolan shook his head, but with no-one backing him up, he remained quiet.

“We can talk about who’s to blame all night, but the fact remains that it’s done, and we can’t change that. All we can do at this point is learn from the mistake, and do better; but the big decision we need to make right now is what to do with Emily.”

“What would the Kobalt do?” I asked, turning to Gisela, and she quickly shook her head.

“It is not for me to instruct the ways of the Gods,” she replied, and Eradne sighed.

“Your subservience betrays you, Frau Schweinchen. Your master requested your advice, not your sentiment.”

She turned to me, then answered.

“The Kobalt custom would see her suffer the very fate she inflicted,” Eradne said, and I nodded thankfully.

“Now, I know I said in the last meeting that I was against executions… but this time, I have to admit, I’m leaning towards one.”

The expressions around the table were grim, and again, it was Francesca who spoke.

“Can’t we just banish her? Like what we planned with Candace?”

I shook my head.

“Candace was stupid, but not overly dangerous. Emily on the other hand, might be. Plus… we have a new problem to consider.”

Cameron studied me, and I swallowed, before continuing.

“The attack from Palancar is… troubling; and I suspect that there may be a reason behind it, leading back to one of our group that we left behind.”

“Vanessa?” Jeannie asked, and I nodded.

“You’re saying she got them to attack us?” Jordan asked, and Nolan scoffed.

“No way,” he said, and I nodded in agreement.

“I think it’s fairly reasonable to assume that she would not have been able to pull that off… but let’s say there is a faction within Palancar that wishes to make sure that we don’t establish our own grove, given that their princess; a prominent member of their society, is with us… then by killing me, they would have struck a serious blow to the princess’ plans.”

“They know what our weapons can do, though. Don’t they?” Francesca asked, and I nodded.

“They do… and you certainly taught them a lesson about that last night; but… they have roughly twelve suits of armor, like the one I’m wearing. Maybe tier three, maybe even higher; and the weapons to match.”

“Fuck! And you were gonna tell us that, when?” Nolan shot.

“Well, we haven’t had time to hold regular meetings yet,” I explained, and he threw his hands up in frustration.

“So, Vanessa might be in high grade upper tier armor next time we see her then?” he asked, and I shook my head.

“Putting this armor on me is what got the princess banished from the realm. I don’t think they’re going to be doing that anytime soon… but we do need to consider the possibility that she might have been taken in by this faction within Palancar, and if they did… we need to be aware that if we were to threaten them, we might be giving them the reason they need to arm and weaponize her against us.”

“So, they’re only a threat if we retaliate? Then it’s fine; we’ll just leave them be, right?” Francesca asked, and I shook my head.

“In the short term, and especially until we put some serious distance between ourselves and Palancar; it is highly possible that they will keep up the attacks in an attempt to provoke us,” I explained.

Eradne nodded in agreement with me at this, and Cameron nodded, as she took in the information.

“So, we step up our security measures, right?” she said, “and no more exiles; at least, not of otherworlders.”

I nodded, and everyone seemed more or less in agreement.

“So… execution is really our only option?” Jordan asked.

“If we really want to avoid it, we’ll have to imprison her… but that puts us at risk, and I don’t like the possibility of her manipulating others into dissention.”

“Are you sure that’s a problem?” Jeannie asked. “Evie and Molly weren’t really falling for her manipulation. Leanna was the only one who listened to her, really.”

“Today, yes. But in a few weeks, when she knows everyone better… her manipulation game is going to be much more effective. Then, every single incident will be something she’ll use to turn us against each other. I also think that committing murder, in cold blood, should also be where we draw the line.”

Jeannie frowned, but apart from her and Jordan, everyone else seemed to be in agreement.

“Maybe I’m being too soft for the world that we find ourselves in, but it still makes me feel uncomfortable,” Jeannie said, and I nodded.

“That’s good. It _should_ make us feel uncomfortable. The day we adjust to an outcome like this is what we really need to worry about,” I reasoned, and she smiled, nodding in agreement.

Nolan, however, shot me a sharp look, and for a second, I wondered if he was about to say something troublesome, but he seemed to think better of it, and I breathed a sigh of relief as he let it go.

“So, do we go ahead with the trial?” Jeannie asked, and I shook my head.

“Only three people are missing, and involving the Kobalt seems to be a bad idea at this point.”

Eradne glanced at Gisela, who nodded.

“It is true. The Kobalt only wish to see Helmut released unharmed.”

“Good. Let’s just bring them in, and let them hear our version of the accounts. If they still wish to hear from Emily, only then will we consider arranging it.”

Jeannie set off to find the others, as Gisela and Eradne left the room.

“I will await you outside,” Eradne offered

I nodded in response as she left with Gisela.

The rest of us waited until Jeannie returned with the three girls, and as we explained the situation, Molly and Evie seemed visibly relieved, but Leanna furrowed her brow, worriedly.

“So… she tried to make it look like that? But why?” Leanna asked.

“She wanted to drive a wedge between us and the Kobalt, though I’m not sure I know what her plan in the long run was, honestly.”

“Shouldn’t we find out?” she asked, and I considered the question.

“I’m not sure she’ll give us an honest answer. Since this whole thing began, she’s shifted her stories repeatedly to appeal to what she thinks each of us want to hear. I mean, if you think about it, the Kobalt have shared their homes with us, and given us luxuries we would never have otherwise had access to. Yet she made them seem scary, because they were different.”

Leanna frowned.

“But… how can we be sure? Maybe its all a trick, and she really wanted to save us from them?”

Cameron sighed, stepping forward.

“Come with me for a sec,” she said, and as Leanna followed, we all headed out of the room and towards the main hall.

Cameron turned to make sure that Leanna was watching, and as she did, she headed over to a nearby Kobalt man, and as soon as he spotted her, he went on alert.

Cameron, however, reached for him, and at first, he ducked away from her hand; but as she kept after him, he toppled over the table behind him, and then went to his knees.

“Mercy, Auslander, mercy!” the man cried, and Cameron turned back to Leanna, and shrugged.

“They’re afraid to even touch us. What chances are there that they would kill, or hurt us?”

Leanna’s hands went to her face, and she shook her head.

“I don’t get it… then why?”

“It’s upsetting; I know… she did something terrible, and there’s no good reason for why she did it,” I said, and Leanna studied me, as I continued. “But it’s the truth. She committed murder… and now she has to face the consequences.”

“Are you going to kill her?” Leanna asked, and I sighed, then gave a little nod, and she shook her head again.

“Can’t we just banish her? Or- or tie her up?”

Molly moved in this time, and put a hand on her shoulder.

“She wanted to hurt us. She would have killed any one of us. If Candace wasn’t there… maybe it might have been you, or me? This is probably for the best,” Molly explained, and Leanna began to cry.

“Why? Why does it have to be like this?” she asked, and as I nodded at Molly, the girl put an arm around Leanna, and led her away, with Evie following closely behind.

“So… we’re really doing this,” Cameron said, taking a deep breath. “Who’s gonna do it? And how?”

“I- I can,” Francesca offered. “I mean, I killed like four people last night…”

“Yeah, and your hands haven’t stopped shaking since,” I answered, and she frowned.

“You’re our leader,” Nolan began, and Cameron glared at him.

“So what, he has to do everything?” she asked, and he sighed.

“No, I’m not being difficult… but, Nate is the best equipped to deal with this. You know what I mean,” he added, and I nodded, as he shot me a surprisingly genuine look.

“He’s right; I should. Given that I made the mistake that led to this happening, and also that I’m the one who started the push for an execution. It should be my burden to bear.”

Everyone went quiet, except for Francesca.

“Uh, let me help you bring her down here, at least,” she said, and I nodded.

Everyone offered me some words of encouragement, before heading off in different directions; with only Cameron staying behind, studying me worriedly.

“You don’t need to look that worried; you know. Nolan was right. I’m best suited to this.”

She shook her head.

“That’s what’s worrying me,” she said.

She slipped the knife belt off of her hips, and handed it to me.

“How poetic,” I said, as I accepted the weapon.

“Promise me you’ll talk to me… if you need to?”

I smiled, and nodded, as she finally headed off, and Francesca shot me a quick look.

“Now I see what’s eating at Nolan,” she teased.

I gestured to her, and we made our way up to Jeannie’s room, where we’d left Emily.

I nodded at the guard as we passed him, and entered the room to a fairly unbothered looking Emily.

“Oh. Well lookie who,” she said. “What’s the verdict? Banishment?” she asked.

I bit my lip, as I withdrew a bit of rope, and as she held her hands out, I took them, then secured them with the rope behind her back.

“I hope you at least cleaned up the blood, if you’re putting me under the same tree,” Emily continued, and without responding, I led her through the door, and down to the entry hall and out of the tree.

For a second, I thought about where to take her, and as I cast a glance at the tree where we’d tied Candace up, I nodded at Francesca, and we led her along.

Raul shot us a questioning look as we approached, and I signaled to Francesca to move him out of sight.

“Do you at least regret it?” I asked, as I moved her close to the spot where she probably did the deed.

“Can’t regret what I didn’t do,” she shot back, and I sighed. “Doesn’t matter… I’ll be free sooner or later. Eventually the girls will come around.”

“You’re not being imprisoned,” I replied.

“Oh? Banished then?” she asked, and as I shook my head, the smile from her lips faded. “Seriously? Over _that_ girl?” she began.

“Do you regret it?” I asked again, and she spat at my foot.

“The only thing that I regret is that I didn’t slit the brunette’s throat instead,” she said, nodding toward Francesca. “How are we doing this? Do I get a last meal? A last request? Oh, I know! How about we make this interesting! Strip me down, then slit my wrists, and fuck me good ‘til I bleed out!”

I shook my head at her disapprovingly, and she shrugged.

“No? I mean, this is probably your last chance to fuck me,” she said. “Eh, your loss.”

“What is wrong with you?” Francesca finally asked, and Emily shrugged.

“Sorry hun, but believe it or not, not everyone is interested in playing sexy servant girl with a guy like him… if that’s all we’re gonna get to do in the end, then I’m much happier taking my exit here,” she said.

I pushed her onto her knees, then grabbing her hair, I turned her head to the side, to look up at me.

“I’m begging you… give me any reason to not do this,” I said, and she smirked.

“I know how to play this game; so, no. I’m not giving you shit. Fucking do it if you’ve got the balls,” she said, with an unapologetic shrug, and I shot Francesca a final look as I drew the knife.

I sighed.

“Last words?” I asked.

“Do it if you can, you little fucking bitch.”

I nodded.

“For the crime of murder, I commit you to death by the very method you used to take a life,” I said, and as I pulled her head back, exposing her neck, I sliced deeply across her throat.

“F-fuck. Guess… I was… wrong,” her words were garbled, as she gurgled and threw up blood, and as I released her, her body slumped over onto the floor, and I looked away as it twitched and jerked; her life flowing out of her.

“She was just like me…” I said, as Francesca studied me worriedly.

“How?”

“A psychopath,” I answered, and Francesca frowned.

“Probably… but she was nothing like you,” she said, and I sighed.

“You know. Deep down; humans are all the same… desiring power; desiring pleasure. The inability to feel guilt just makes it… easier, to lose yourself in the pursuit of those things.”

I took one final look back at her body; still, unmoving, and lying in a patch of blood-stained earth.

“Such is the temptation of all sentient life, Auslander.”

I turned, just as Eradne approached, a sympathetic look on her face.

“You will be tempted too; I hope you see the challenge with a better fate.”

I nodded.

“Will you-?”

She nodded, resting a hand on my shoulder.

“We will see to her,” she said, and I nodded again, tottering back to the grove tree and feeling slightly dazed.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Casey recovers, while the girls tend to Nathan.

_***_

_Is this all that we are? We wretched few… Is this all that we’re destined to become?_

//

“You killed him! You monster, you beast!”

The girl was sobbing but there was venom in her eyes.

An actual desire to kill.

When I went home, I went straight to my grandmother.

“Baba? Am I a monster?”

The woman gasped.

“No sweetie. You’re a child; and a very sweet one at that.”

She picked me up, and tickled me a little, and I giggled as she sat me down on her lap, a more serious look on her face.

“Who told you that you’re a monster?”

“Rebecca from class.”

“Oh? And was there a reason for her to say that?”

I nodded.

“I killed it.”

“It?”

“A rabbit,” I answered, and she frowned.

“And how did you kill the rabbit?”

I began to rub my hands, nervously.

“I gave him too many treats, and he died.”

The old woman frowned.

“Did you know that the treats would kill him?”

I shook my head.

“And why did you give him the treats?”

“Because he likes them.”

“Hm,” the old woman hummed, as she picked me up, and set me down on the floor.

“Well you definitely aren’t a monster, sweetie, but if your actions did kill the rabbit, then you are responsible. There are two things that you should learn from this. One, is that the things we enjoy are sometimes not the best for us, and in the case of Mr. rabbit, may be fatal even. The second, is that when you love something, your responsibility is not only to give that thing happiness, but to understand its needs, so that you can care for it properly.”

I nodded, studying my grandmother intently.

“Like you, my little rabbit. You are not like the others… you need a special kind of care, and that does not make you a monster, my love.”

I giggled as she pinched my cheeks.

“But what about Rebecca, Baba? She wants to kill me!”

“Well, we certainly can’t have her do that! But… maybe she’s just feeling hurt, since Mr. rabbit is gone. Did you love Mr. rabbit?”

I shrugged.

“He was fun, and I enjoyed feeding him and playing with him.”

“And will you miss that?”

I thought about it, then nodded.

“Well, Rebecca probably misses that as well. I’ll tell you what; after Rebecca has had some time to heal and cope with her own feelings, you should apologize to her.”

When I went back to school, I did apologize to Rebecca, but…

“I don’t care. Hoppy is not coming back, and you’re a monster!”

I reported the response to my grandmother, and she nodded.

“Grief can be a powerful thing,” she said.

“Well I think it’s stupid; and anyone who feels it is ugly!”

“Oh? Let me speak with your parents, and tomorrow, I’ll take you to see someone, okay?”

“Why?”

“Because I think there’s something you need to understand.”

The next day, my grandmother took me to a place I didn’t recognize, and there, I met a girl on a bed.

She was sick, and couldn’t move much.

“Hi Cindy. This is the grandson I’ve told you about,” my grandmother explained, and the girl waved at me, smiling.

They talked for a bit, and I paid attention at first, but soon the words drowned out into background noise, and my eyes zoomed in on a picture, on the table beside the bed.

There was a boy in the picture who reminded me of myself, and he was smiling and standing next to the girl in the bed, except she looked happy, and healthier too.

“Do you like the picture?” the girl asked, snapping me to attention.

I nodded, and my grandmother reached for it, and handed it to the girl, and she brushed her finger over the boy, tears forming in her eyes.

_Oh no! She’s crying. Will she call my grandmother a monster?_

I watched carefully.

“You miss him; don’t you, Cindy?” my grandmother asked, and as she nodded, she smiled, and wiped the tear away.

“You were right… little Nathan is just like him,” she said, and she looked at me and smiled.

As we talked, I felt a kind of happy feeling, especially when Cindy looked at me and smiled, and after we left, I asked my grandmother about it.

“Baba. Why did you take me there?”

“I thought you could learn an important lesson from Cindy,” she explained, and I nodded.

“She had tears, but she did not scream monster,” I said, and my grandmother nodded.

“She lost her brother. Just like Rebecca lost her Mr. rabbit,” she explained.

“He died?”

“Yes sweetie.”

I rubbed my chin.

“But… why did she smile, with the tears? Didn’t it make her sad?”

My grandmother nodded.

“It did sweetie. You see, people can react differently to the same feeling.”

“So… Rebecca and Cindy both felt the same thing? Grief?”

“Yes.”

“But Rebecca got angry, and Cindy… was happy?”

“Oh no, little rabbit. She wasn’t happy… but sometimes when you miss someone who you care about a lot, and they aren’t there anymore, you chose to remember them fondly, because you know that they would want to see you smile, rather than cry.”

I wasn’t sure I understood, but there was one thing I learned.

Rebecca’s actions were ugly, while Cindy’s were beautiful… and if I had to choose which of the two I wanted to emulate, then I would try to be like Cindy… but I was soon to find out that that was not quite as easy as it seemed.

“What is wrong with him?”

“Why is he smiling? Doesn’t he understand?”

“Something’s wrong with that child.”

But despite their words, I smiled.

“Hey, turd-face! What’s your problem? Is this a joke to you?” Julie said, shoving me hard in the chest.

“No, but momma hates it when we cry, so I’m smiling to make her happy.”

“She’s dead, genius. She can’t be happy or sad or anything! And she’s not _your_ mother!”

“Julie, that’s enough,” my grandmother intervened.

“He’s _smiling_ , Baba. At her funeral!”

“I said that’s enough. He’s dealing with this in his own way, now go find your brother.”

Julie folded her hands and stomped off.

“Am I doing something wrong? I wanted to smile, because it made mama happy.”

“No sweetie… it’s not you that’s wrong.”

“But everyone is angry,” I said, and she frowned.

“They don’t understand, my love, and sometimes the world will try to tear apart the things that are different. Like you… but you know that mama wanted to see you smile, don’t you?”

I nodded.

“When she smiled, she was beautiful. I want mama to be beautiful,” I said.

_Like Cindy, I thought._

“Then smile, my sweet boy. Be beautiful, and you will make the world beautiful with your smile.”

//

_Would you still think I was beautiful, mama?_

_With blood on my hands?_

_Would you still smile at me?_

_My smile could never reach that girl, and now she’s dead… now I’ve killed her…_

_Was it right?_

_She would have erased many smiles if I didn’t do something… wouldn’t she?_

I felt a painful twinge in my chest, and as it pulsed out from me, my thoughts went to Casey.

_Nate! Are you okay?_

Her voice spoke in my mind, and I quickly headed towards Eradne’s room, where she was.

As I entered through the door, Casey looked over at me, a worried look on her face, and Ryker shot a curious look between us, and he nodded, then headed for the door as I entered.

“What was that?” Casey asked, as I walked to her side.

“What was what?”

“I felt… a sadness… your sadness,” she said, and I sighed.

“Is that what this is?”

I considered the development with interest, but the thought slipped away as my mind seemed to refuse to concentrate properly.

 _What’s wrong with me?_ I thought.

“Nate. What happened?” she asked again, and this time I gave her a quick rundown of everything that had transpired while she’d been in bed.

She sat up, albeit with some difficulty, and I helped her get comfortable.

“How is your wound?” I asked.

“Not bad… just a little painful when I move, but I feel fine otherwise.”

We sat there in silence for a bit, as Casey studied me.

“Did you know that she was a psychopath?” I asked finally, and she shook her head.

“I doubt anyone knew. The company, uh… they hunt psychopaths for this program,” she explained and I tilted my head in confusion.

“They what?”

She sighed, tracing the spot of her wound with her fingers, as she readjusted herself.

“People like y-, no people like Emily… they survive a lot better in this world than ordinary people do. Manipulating others, easily committing acts of violence. They thrive here, and they’re considered as prized ‘assets’ by the company.”

As Casey tried again to readjust, I studied her.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“Ugh. I dunno. A pillow, or _something_ to lie back against would be godsend right now.”

“Here,” I offered, and she eyed me, as I directed her to scoot over, and I climbed into position behind her, I pulled her into my chest.

She seemed uncomfortable at first, but as she relaxed against me, I could see that she seemed visibly relieved.

“Did you really feel sad about killing Emily?” Casey asked, and I frowned.

“If that feeling really was sadness, then… I guess so?”

“Did you want to save her?” Casey asked, and I shook my head.

“I don’t really care about her. She was unapologetic even in the end, and she would never have changed… I knew that full well.”

“Then why did you want her to be apologetic?” Casey asked.

“If she had the capacity to be, then maybe I could have trained her to be useful,” I explained.

“So… you don’t feel sad that she’s dead,” Casey asked, and I thought about it.

“I feel sad that I had to kill her,” I offered, and she frowned.

“Why?”

I bit my lip.

“Because… I think it would make my mother sad, if she knew that I’d taken a life,” I answered, and Casey turned a bit to study me, a look of sheer incredulity on her face.

“I’m sorry- what?”

I snickered.

“It’s silly. I know… but it’s my reasoning behind almost everything I do.”

Her jaw dropped, but as she realized that I was actually serious, she turned back, and relaxed against me.

“So… would it have been fine if someone else had killed her?” Casey asked, and I rubbed my chin.

“Depends on who it was,” I answered.

“Really? Why?”

“Well, Francesca offered to do it, but from her expression I felt as if it would take her smile away too…”

Casey turned to study me again.

“What about me, then?”

I studied her, and smiled.

“Your smile isn’t easy to find, but I see the little flickers behind your eyes… the pain you hide underneath. So, no. I wouldn’t have let you do it either,” I answered, and she studied me, her mouth slightly agape.

“So… smiles? You just… want to protect them?” she asked, a little dubiously. “What about Emily’s smile then?”

I sighed.

“Her smile is one which only came at the cost of hurting others… by fulfilling every impulse no matter how vile or destructive. It is one which we couldn’t allow, unless she could be taught to smile without wreaking havoc and destruction.”

Casey studied me some more, before turning and relaxing again.

“I think I’m finally starting to understand you,” she said.

“Oh? So, does that change how you feel about me?” I asked, and she shrugged.

“I’m not sure…”

She was silent again for a bit, until she finally spoke.

“What about my smile? You said it was hard to find…” she said.

“Yeah… what about it?”

“… are you looking for it?”

I thought about it for a while.

“Do you want me to?” I asked, and she shifted a little, as she shook her head.

“If I ask you to, then it wouldn’t make me smile,” she said, and I snickered.

_Typical Casey, huh…_

“So… you want me to want to look for it?”

She frowned, then turned, and I leaned forward to support her, as she tried to turn around, onto her side, and winced a little as she did.

“I don’t want you to do anything, I just wanted to know if you were looking for it,” she asked, and I bit my lip, as I thought about it.

“I’m not sure… maybe I am? I mean… I haven’t been trying to make you smile, but I do know that I hate it when you frown…”

She studied me, a strange expression on her face that I now recalled seeing when we were in the baths the day before, with the princess, and I was still trying to figure it out when she leaned closer to me.

Her eyes flicked to my lips, and she licked her own lips as her gaze moved back to my own, and as I held her gaze, a strange kind of electricity seemed to crackle between us.

We were close… closer than I realized.

Close enough that just the slightest shifts in weight could result in our faces touching.

She was supporting her weight on her right hand, while I steadied her body from the left, and just as the tension seemed about to overwhelm me, she leaned forward just a fraction more, and she closed her eyes just as our lips brushed.

A warm wisp of air washed over me as she sighed, and I suppressed a gasp as she kissed me for real this time, and I returned the gesture by puckering my lips, and kissing her back.

We traded several kisses, before she broke away, and turned her head downwards, allowing me to plant a kiss on her forehead as she let out another deep breath.

“What the fuck am I doing?” she muttered, almost to herself, and I chuckled.

“I was about to ask you the same thing myself,” I answered, and she frowned.

“What happened to not making me frown?” she complained, and I smiled.

“This frown isn’t the problem,” I said, brushing her lips with my fingers. “It’s the one that makes you sit around with that glum look on your face, and heaving wistful sighs.”

She kissed my fingers, and nuzzled my hand, before retreating, and this time, turning away from me.

“Fucking hell, what is really wrong with me?” she asked. “You have like three girlfriends… I’m not the kind of girl who just gets on someone’s ‘list’,” she added, and I studied her, as she seemed to be in genuine turmoil.

“You know… Eradne kind of mentioned something to me. She said that I elicited desires in her that weren’t her own…”

“Oh god, there’s another one,” she said, rubbing her temple.

“Anyway, she called it the ‘manipulation of the Gods’. Does an ability like that exist?”

Casey studied me thoughtfully.

“There are some passive effects that we have that can affect ordinary humans… but even without my implant, that shouldn’t have any effect on me. That being said, for some reason since yesterday… it’s like I can’t stop thinking about you.”

“Do you think it might be my armor?”

Casey shook her head.

“Any special abilities like that would have been listed on your status,” she said, gesturing to my wrist.

She thought about it some more, until something seemed to click.

“Wait, this started after that bath… after the princess whispered into my ear. It’s _hypnotic suggestion_! It has to be!” she exclaimed, and I studied her.

“So… she hypnotized you into thinking about me?” I asked, and she nodded.

“It’s not hypnosis in the traditional sense; but an ability that directly manipulates your brain.”

I pondered the matter.

Wait… didn’t Cameron seem to relax after listening to the princess’ suggestions…

Did that mean…?

“That seems pretty powerful. Can the suggestion influence you to do other things?” I asked, and she nodded.

“It can, but the effect depends on a few things; like your mental ability, and anything that might be enhancing it.”

“Is there any way to defend against it, then? Or recover from the effect?” I asked, and she nodded.

“It wears off eventually, but there are abilities that can prevent it from taking effect; just generally though, having a high level of mental ability does help you to resist or overcome its effect.”

I gave the explanation some thought.

“So, now that you know that an ability is manipulating you, does that mean you’d be better able to consciously resist it?”

She shrugged.

“Would need to test it to really figure it out. I mean, it’s easy enough for my mind to keep going back to a particular thought when I’m just lying here, bored out of my mind and spacing out.”

“Hmm… what if I pinned you down and started trying to kiss you?” I asked, and she studied me. “Do you think you could resist me, or would the urge to kiss me back win out.”

She licked her lips.

“I dunno, maybe we should try; no wait, fuck. I’m only saying that because it’s an excuse to make out with you,” she said.

I snickered as she swore at herself, until she shot me a look, and shrugged.

“You know what? Fuck it. Let’s do it,” she said, and I chuckled again, before leaning towards her and kissing her.

“Wait, hold on. Let me, lie back so this wound doesn’t act up.”

I let her lie back, and then I placed a hand against her cheek, and as I leaned in and kissed her lips, she cooed into my mouth.

We exchanged a few kisses, before she let out an exasperated sigh.

“Fuck. Resisting this feels like fighting off water that I’m fully submerged in,” she groaned.

“Why? Do you think the princess is that powerful a mental ability user?” I asked, and she pondered the matter.

“It doesn’t make sense according to any of the logic I’m familiar with. I mean, she’s young… and the race she belongs to isn’t particularly well known for possessing any mental or telepathic abilities. I guess it could be something passed down through the royal bloodline.”

I shook my head.

“She wasn’t the child of the matron… she was chosen. Do you think the position of princess itself comes with special abilities?”

“If that’s the case, then this is some mechanic that I’m entirely unfamiliar with.”

As soon as Casey was done talking, she pulled me back down, and as we kissed, her lips parted, and as her tongue snaked its way past my lips, I pushed my own organ against hers, and she moaned again, as we kissed and made out.

“I wasn’t aware that we were still testing this,” I said, as she panted, and she moaned again.

“We’re not… but don’t stop kissing me,” she breathed, and as I kissed the side of her face, she purred, and her head turned upwards, as she eagerly gave me access to her neck.

I kissed along the length of her neck, enjoying the feel of her skin, and she reached with her right hand, and ruffled the hair at the back of my head encouragingly.

“I know I should stop this,” she said, and as I kissed the spot just above her shoulder blade on the right side of her chest, I stopped to study her.

“I will if you want me to,” I said, and she breathed deeply, before nodding.

“You should,” she said, and as I pulled back, she ran a hand through her hair, and sighed. “Honestly, I wanted you to kiss me everywhere until I came, but… the idea of returning the favor for you just makes me feel sick.”

“Are you serious?” I asked, chuckling, and she put a hand up as I leaned down to kiss her.

“What are you doing?” she asked, and I tilted my head at her in confusion.

“Kissing you… until you come,” I answered, and as I planted a kiss further down, between her breasts but over her shirt, she moaned.

“Mm, fuck. I’m serious… I’m not doing anything with you.”

“Yeah- and that’s fine,” I answered. “You took a knife to the chest last night… a knife that was intended for me, no less. You honestly can’t possibly believe that a little non-reciprocal oral is too much to ask.”

She studied me as I kissed her, this time over the stomach.

“I’m not returning the favor even when I get better,” she clarified, and I rolled my eyes.

“Do you want me to sign a contract? Or can I just eat your pussy and let you get some rest?” I asked, and as she bit her lip, she relaxed in my arms, her body already answering the question for me.

“Okay. Do it,” she said, and she lifted her hips up to allow me to slip off her pants, and as she spread her legs, I took in the view before me.

“What?” she asked, as I licked my lips in anticipation.

“You’re dripping,” I said, and she frowned.

“It’s not me, it’s the hypnosis,” she whined, and I snickered, as I leaned in.

I planted a little kiss along the smooth skin just over her sex, then moved up to her stomach, but as I kissed along her body, she squeezed her legs together desperately, and I smirked, as I ran my kisses back down to her dripping place.

Her lips were thin, and her folds slick with the juices of her arousal; and I began my incursion into her sacred place by first lapping at her juices that now coated the upper parts of her leg and her inner thigh.

She moaned, and squirmed in my arms, and as she winced, I shot her a quick look.

“Don’t overdo it,” I said, and she frowned.

“Then stop fucking teasing me, and just tongue me properly,” she chided.

I snickered, then leaned in, and planted a wet, sucking kiss over her slit, and she let out a long, drawling growl in response.

“Oh, fuck me, that feels good.”

I traced the outer folds of her pussy lips several times, before flicking at the little nub of her clit, and planting my mouth over the dripping wet spot, I stuck my tongue out, and buried it into the hood of her clit, while kissing her mound.

“Mnh. Keep that up,” she said, encouraging me, and as I kept the stimulation up, her body began to grind subtly into my face, and she let out a low, muffled stream of ‘ohs’, before she went still, her orgasm peaking, and she grasped my head and held me in place, as she climbed over the apex.

She slumped back onto her bed, panting, and as I stared up at her, my smile faded.

“You know, I came here looking for comfort,” I said, and she frowned.

“I’m sorry,” she said, but I quickly shook my head.

“It was worth it to see you smile,” I replied, and as she blushed, I climbed up, and kissed her, and she pulled me close and held me, as we exchanged a series of kisses again.

When we broke apart, she sighed, rubbing her head gingerly.

“My mind is breaking,” she said, and I chuckled.

“What do you mean?”

“I’m actually telling myself right now that maybe being hypnotized isn’t so bad,” she replied, and I snickered at her.

“Really? What other rationalizations are you having?” I asked.

“You don’t wanna know. I even told myself that it’s my duty as your advisor to know you in every way possible…”

I laughed at this, before frowning again.

“You know… I really missed you today. Your advice, I mean,” I explained, and she blushed a little.

“Really?”

“Yeah. I didn’t realize I depended on you so much already until you weren’t there and crisis after crisis kept popping up.”

She bit her lip, as I finished speaking, studying my lips with a slightly hungry expression.

“Maybe you should ‘show your appreciation’ a little more often then,” she said suggestively, and I snickered.

“Was that the hypnosis?” I asked, and she nodded.

“Although… maybe after I get better… we can talk about some reciprocation after all,” she said, and I laughed.

I helped her get back into her pants, and I placed a hand against her cheek, before leaning down, and planting a little kiss there.

“Rest,” I said, and she nodded, but as I headed for the door, I caught that little wistful look in her eye.

“Call me. If you need anything,” I said, tapping my head, and she groaned.

“Don’t tempt me,” she replied, and I smiled as I waved, and headed out the door.

As the door closed shut, I let out a sigh, then began to think about what we should do next.

Given that Palancar now posed a quite real threat, we’d need to organize a guard capable of defending our supplies constantly.

We did set up a temporary system of rotating between Francesca, Nolan, Jordan and Cameron… but our inability to tell time was really holding us back, since Francesca was constantly pushing herself past her ordinary limits, which was itself a danger given how effective she was in a fight.

I decided to pay a visit to Gisela, since she might know what could be done.

“Time?” the girl asked.

“Uh, like day-cycles. Year-cycles,” I explained. “Are there shorter segments used to divide up a day-cycle?”

She rubbed her chin.

“Like the light-cycle and night-cycle?”

I frowned.

“Smaller cycles,” I replied, and as she pondered the question, I decided to elaborate.

“Where we come from, a single day-cycle is divided into twenty-four parts. Each of these are called ‘hours’, and we use this to set a more precise timing to the division of tasks. For example, a person sleeps usually for eight hours.”

“Ahh, interval,” Gisela said, nodding; “there is custom for this.”

She held out her hands in a V-shape, with each hand outstretched to each side at a right angle from the other.

“Do as I indicate,” she said, and as I did, I studied her, and she moved behind me, and taking my left hand in hers, she adjusted my positioning slightly until-

“Whoa, what is that?” I said, as I felt an almost magnetic pull on my left arm.

“This is ‘constant zenith’,” she explained, and I nodded, as she moved her attention to my right arm, and as she adjusted this arm, I felt another force, this one resisting the position of my arm.

“This one is known by ‘wandering zenith’,” she said, and again I nodded.

She moved to my front, then opening my arms out to a ninety-degree angle, she nodded.

“When the wandering and constant zenith are so, it is known by ‘ascendant solstice’; and when the positions are reversed…”

She moved, so that my right hand occupied the place where my left hand was, while the left moved an equal distance in the opposite direction.

“This is known by ‘descendant solstice’. On alternating days, one represent light; the other dark. But the signifier changes with each day.”

I rubbed my chin, as I considered the information.

“So, this ‘wandering zenith’. It moves back and forth between these two points?” I asked, and Gisela nodded.

That was useful information.

It meant that each ascendant and descendant phase represented fifteen hours.

“Are these what you meant by ‘interval’?” I asked, and Gisela shook her head.

She positioned my arms out again, and this time, she moved my right hand a bit of the way towards the left.

“This movement is called ‘interval’. In both ascendancy and descendancy, there are five intervals. Like this,” she finished, as she demonstrated moving her hand in little ticks, until the left and right hand were together, then moving the other hand away while the first hand remained stationary, in another five equally spaced movements.

“Interesting,” I said, as I rubbed my chin.

 _So, each interval was three hours_ , and every day made up of ten intervals.

It certainly made dividing up guard duty a lot easier, but we would need a more accurate way to measure the intervals.

As I considered the info, however, I quickly realized that a rudimentary device could be constructed using nothing but wood and rope.

“Gisela… is there someone amongst the Kobalt who specializes in building things?” I asked.

She rubbed her chin.

“Things like what?” she asked.

“Chairs, tables… that sort of thing,” I explained, and she nodded.

“Yes. Matthias,” she answered.

“Do you think he could build something for me? At my direction?”

“Yes. But I will be in assistance to speak your words onto him,” she answered.

I nodded, gesturing for her to lead the way, and as we made our way out of the tree, I spotted Eradne in the distance, overseeing the burial of Emily’s body, and my chest tightened.

 _Maybe I should check on her when this is done,_ I thought.

We headed over to the man; Matthias, who appeared to be constructing a better supply cart for our long journey, and after relaying the design for the tool I had in mind, the man nodded.

“He says it sounds simple enough. It can be completed before second fade.”

“Second fade?”

“This is how my people refers the final light segment in light-cycle of day.”

So, late afternoon? Or evening.

Interesting.

It might actually not be a bad idea for us to adopt their terminology, rather than forcing them to adopt our own.

I nodded at this, then indicated to Gisela that I was heading over to check on the burial.

“Herr Auslander. The goddess is interred. She will supplant a new life,” Eradne said, and I nodded.

“Do you think I did the right thing?” I asked, and she rubbed her chin.

“Your action was just… but whether mistake or not, the true virtue will only be seen when looking back on this day from far beyond.”

I nodded, but just as I did, the princess’ voice spoke into my mind, and as I looked over to the tree, in the direction that I felt the slight tug of her presence, I spotted her.

 _Slip away to my chamber when you can,_ she commanded, before disappearing into her room, but Eradne spotted the look, and quickly moved to my side.

“Auslander,” she whispered, keeping her voice low. “Remember that one seed may bring hope, but two seeds with intertwined root, will only inhibit the other’s growth.”

I pondered her words, as I glanced at Gisela, then indicating towards the princess’ room, she nodded, and I headed off.

When I got to her room, however, I found that another Kobalt girl awaited me in her chamber, and I suddenly understood Eradne’s warning.

 _Will you seed her?_ The princess asked, and as I gulped, she shot me a questioning look. _Is she not acceptable?_

She turned to the girl, as if examining her again, and I quickly shook my head.

I approached the princess, and taking her hand, I pulled her closer to me, and using her body to shield our actions, I placed her hand over my belt.

She studied me questioningly.

 _It is done?_ She asked, and as I nodded, her eyes lit up.

She turned to the girl in her chamber, and quickly dismissed her.

 _But who?_ She asked, as she leaned in, and inhaled deeply.

Her eyes seemed to be trying to process the scent, but as she knelt before me, and inhaled deeply over my part, her eyes lit up.

 _This scent… so familiar, yet unknown. It couldn’t be… Eradne?_ She asked, and as I nodded, her mouth fell slightly open with shock.

 _You impress me beyond words,_ the princess said, studying me with a look of amazement.

I smiled, but my mind momentarily drifted back to the matter with Emily, and the princess quickly noted the slight inflection in my mood.

 _There rests a heaviness upon your heart,_ she noted, and as I nodded, she bit her lip. _Yet you do not seek solace?_

 _There is much to do_ , I thought, but even though I couldn’t relay that thought to Miriam, she smiled.

She leaned into me, and kissed me gently on the lips, before nuzzling me affectionately with her nose.

_Do as you please, then, mine Götze. I will see to your healing._

She kissed me on the cheek, and as I nodded, and headed out of the room, I let out a sigh.

 _Maybe being smothered in the bosoms of her servants later this evening wouldn’t be so bad after all,_ I thought.

All the more reason to get everything sorted out first.

I headed outside to check on Gisela.

“Gisela,” I called, and she turned to me as I approached. “How are the preparations coming along?”

“It is well. Your tool will be ready soon, I think.”

“What of the rest of the supplies?”

She took a quick look at the Kobalt around her, then pulled me with her.

“We are provisioning for journey, but there are things to consider. Council met last night to discuss, but we await your judgement.”

“On what?”

“We will need to depart this cluster, tomorrow if possible.”

“Is that enough time to get all the supplies needed?”

She shook her head.

“After last night’s attack, there are two feelings within this cluster. Some fear the disdain of Palancar, while others feel reverence for Herr Nathan and the princess.”

“Really? How come?” I asked.

“Your action against the straying Goddesses, and exoneration of Herr Helmut was viewed favorably. They see you like Götze, the name princess bestowed… and they respect the fearless Goddess who fights like Tuskan Roc. That she bows to you also elevates your status.”

“So those who fear Palancar… they want us to leave as soon as possible?” I asked.

She shook her head.

“Palancar’s position has not been made. They would not dare drive out such a one as the princess, nor risk offending the Gods.”

“Then why do we need to leave?”

“The one who listens… he is risk to us,” she answered.

“So, to gather provisions?”

“We will journey to further cluster. It will be much safer, and ability to provision; the same.”

“How far away?” I asked, and she frowned.

“We will discuss without ears,” she answered, and I nodded.

“I understand.”

“There is one more thing.”

She looked around again, before speaking.

“Amongst those who regard us with favor. Some have offered us assistance; like Matthias. But there are some who wish to depart amongst our ranks.”

“I see… more settlers would benefit us,” I said, and Gisela nodded. “How many did we leave Palancar with?”

“Forty-seven.”

“How many more have offered to join?”

“Seven.”

I wondered to myself if she counted Eradne amongst that number.

“But… there is advice I have.”

I studied her, indicating for her to go on.

“This grove possesses hunters. Warriors known for their skill in scoring treasured meat. They look to the fearless one with regard. If Herr Nathan is seen with the fearless one; walking as mates for their eyes to behold. We may find reward with some useful hunters from their ranks.”

“I see.”

As I cast a glance over toward the supply cart, I noted, with some relief, that Jordan was on guard, as I half-expected to see Francesca still at it, but my relief was short lived, as I spotted Francesca moving over to the cart to join him.

 _Maybe I could work with this,_ I thought.

“I’m gonna see what I can do about that, then,” I said, and Gisela nodded as she followed my gaze.

As I headed over to the supply cart, I took a look around, and as there did seem to be quite a few gazes looking in our direction, an idea quickly came to me.

 _Maybe we could put these armors to the test,_ I thought.

“Hey, Francesca… isn’t your watch over?” I called, and she frowned.

“I’m not on watch, I’m just checking on Jordan,” she replied, casting a conspiratorial look in his direction, and he quickly nodded.

“Uh, yeah. We were… talking about… stuff.”

I snickered at the two, then took a look around, and I spotted a few of the Kobalt’s bone-tipped wooden spears leaning against a nearby tree.

“Jordan… have you ever done any kind of fighting? Before coming here, I mean?”

He quickly shook his head, and as he did, I walked over to the tree, and picked up one of the spears.

It was lighter.

Lighter than our own spears, for sure… but much less deadly.

I tossed the spear at Jordan, and as he caught it, he examined the weapon, then shot me a wary look.

I took the other spear, and then cast a smiling gaze at Francesca.

“Do you mind going a round or two with Jordan?” I asked, and she snickered.

“Seriously? Fuck yeah!” she said, her eyes lighting up.

Jordan, however, seemed a little unsure.

“Really? Isn’t that kind of dangerous?”

I shook my head.

“Our bodies apparently heal a lot more quickly than regular ones do. Besides; you’re both wearing armor. Just… no stabbing at the face, I guess?”

As Francesca accepted the second spear from me, and she turned to face Jordan, he shrugged.

“Sure. Why not?” he said, and I quickly retrieved the actual spears that the two carried, and stowed them away in the supply cart.

“Let’s see,” I said, as I went for a nearby stick.

Using the stick, I made a circle on the ground, about fifteen feet in diameter, and Francesca beamed excitedly as she stepped inside.

I gestured to Jordan, who followed her in, as I took a seat on top of the supply cart, with the stick in my hand.

“So… push the other out of the circle?” Jordan asked.

“Or knock them off their feet,” I added, and he nodded.

As the two got ready to begin, a small crowd began to gather, and I smiled.

“On my call, then,” I said, and the two readied themselves. “Ready? Go!”

Francesca swept at Jordan’s legs, and as he evaded the attack, she jabbed with the other end of the staff, and as it hit him square in the chest, he stumbled backwards, and she dashed forward, and with her elbow, dealt the final blow, sending him toppling over and out of the ring.

“The first round goes to Francesca!” I declared, and Jordan shot me a glum look, as Francesca offered him a hand, helping him up.

As they moved to the center of the ring again, this time, Jordan seemed a bit more focused.

“Ready?” I called, and as the two nodded, I raised my hand, with the branch in it, before yelling, “Go!”

Francesca went for the same move, but this time, Jordan leapt forward as he evaded the sweep, but as he thrust his spear at Francesca, she turned her shoulder away from the strike, and as it glanced the protective piece of armor over her arm, the bone tip cracked and crumbled.

She smirked, as Jordan retreated, and the two circled each other.

Jordan made the first move, swinging straight at Francesca, and as she blocked the strike, she readjusted her grip on her spear.

She seemed to be watching Jordan closely, and as he made another swing, she jabbed at his arm with the butt end of her spear, and as the weapon struck the unprotected area by his shoulder, he winced.

He shot me a quick look, but I nodded, gesturing for the bout to continue, and he shook off the pain, dashing toward Francesca this time; but she read the attack well, as she jabbed at his foot, and as he teetered off balance, she bashed at him with her shoulder, and he went sprawling, rolling as he landed, just outside of the circle.

“Hm. Round two, Francesca,” I declared, giving her a little appreciative round of applause.

Some of the Kobalt also cheered, and I noted that the gathering around us was now slightly bigger.

“May I?” I said, indicating to Jordan, and he quickly nodded, but as he took a quick look around, he leaned in to whisper.

“Is this a good idea? If she beats you in front of everyone…” his words trailed, off, and I smirked.

“It’s fine. They already see her as the warrior,” I said, and he shrugged.

_Not that I intended to lose, though!_

As I stepped into the ring, I gestured to her weapon, and as she handed it to me, I examined the bone-tip that was attached to the end, and after undoing the cord that fastened it into position, I threw the item onto the floor beside the caravan, and returned the weapon to her.

“Good. Now I can stab with both ends,” she remarked, and I smirked.

“You’re really into this, huh?” I replied, and she shrugged.

I shot a glance at Jordan, and he suddenly realized that it was his job to officiate the bout, and he climbed into position on the cart, where I’d previously been.

“And, go!” he called, and Francesca lunged immediately.

Her thrust was aimed at my neck, but my armor quickly kicked my senses into gear, and the move seemed to slow down right before my eyes.

I dodged the strike with ease, and using my own spear, I aimed a blow at her weapon, deflecting it into the ground, and as the move took her off balance a little, I quickly tapped her with the opposite end of my spear on the shoulder; a light tap, but merely to show her that a straightforward attack like that would get her nowhere in a hurry.

She smiled, then readjusted her grip on her spear.

She began to circle me now, and I waited for an attack, until I decided maybe I should try an attack of my own.

 _Let’s see how quick this armor can really move_ , I thought.

I dashed at her, and slashed toward her neck from the left, and as she parried the blow, I made three more swipes in quick succession, and she parried two more, before ducking just under the third, and as she evaded, she spun, and swung at my legs, and I leapt over the attack, then dashed forward, closing the space between us in a single stride, and her eyes went wide as my knee came up, and collided with her breastplate; hard, and knocking her clean off of her feet.

She landed with a thud, but still within the lines of the ring, and even as I pursued, she quickly recovered, and as my spear came crashing down toward her, she rolled out of the way, and this time, her counter-swing landed on the unarmored spot just below my left leg.

It was a light tap, and I hardly moved, but if she’d landed that blow with one of our specially made weapons, the fight would be over, and I’d be missing a limb for the rest of my life.

I nodded in recognition of the blow, and she smiled, but the smile was quickly replaced with a look of determination _._

But now that enough people had gathered… I figured it might just be time to end this.

I kept my eye on her, as we circled each other, slowly, and as she shifted her grip on her weapon, I struck; I aimed a thrusting attack directly at the spot, focusing as much of my strength and speed as I could, and the ferocity of the attack seemed to catch her completely off guard.

She tried to position her weapon in place, to block; but her weapon was my target, and as the blunted tip of my spear crashed into the midpoint of her own, a cracking sound rang out, as my attack cleaved the weapon in two.

Francesca’s eyes went wide, but she recovered, breaking the weapon into two parts; she made a dual-swinging attack aimed at my neck from either side, and as I ducked under the blow, I tackled her, crashing into her breastplate with my shoulder, and as she fell to the ground, visibly winded, I rested my spear against her neck, and looked down on her, victoriously.

“Winner, Nathan!” Jordan called, and a series of cheers broke out from the Kobalt around us.

Francesca pouted, but as I tossed the spear aside, and offered her a hand, she took it, and as I hoisted her up, I pulled her into my arms and lifted her up a little, and spun her around to her delight.

“You were fantastic,” I said, as she giggled, smiling and blushing.

I took her into my arms again, and brushed the side of her cheek with my hand.

“I lost though,” she said, and I shrugged.

“I do have better armor,” I reasoned. “Besides… somebody, I’ve been told, hasn’t been resting properly, and keeps intruding on other people’s watch time.”

She blushed again at this, and I noted with pleasure, that many of the Kobalt who’d gathered to watch us fight, seemed to be watching the exchange between us with interest.

“I just want to be nearby in case I’m needed,” she reasoned, and I nodded.

“I understand. But I want you to be well rested enough to fight when you’re needed. Will you be fine with keeping watch now?” I asked, turning to Jordan, and he nodded.

“I’ve been here less than an hour now, I think. Francesca’s been at it for most of the day, and Cameron and Nolan’s watch is scheduled for the night. You should get some sleep. In a room,” Jordan clarified, casting a stern glance at Francesca, and she frowned.

As she turned to leave, a somewhat dejected look on her face, I called out to her.

“Hey! Are you up for taking a soak in the baths before bed?” I asked, and she shot me a curious look.

“That depends. Will you be joining me?”

“Yeah,” I replied, and she smiled teasingly.

“For the bath, or the bed?”

I smirked.

“Let’s start with the bath and see how it goes,” I offered, and she giggled, then headed away to the grove tree.

As Francesca left, Jordan retrieved his spear, and helped me clear up the supply area, before joining me at the supply cart itself.

“How are you holding up?” he asked, and I shot him a nervous smile, as I rubbed the back of my head.

“Just… keeping myself busy,” I replied, and he nodded.

“I still feel stupid for letting Emily take over my watch,” he admitted. “I didn’t really care much about Candace, but Francesca was sleeping. Right here. Not sure if I could live with myself if something had happened to her.”

I sighed.

“You were tired… we all were. She saw an opportunity from the chaos, and almost made us pay for it. We just need to make sure that we don’t spread ourselves thin the next time we have a crisis to deal with. That’s all… at least this time, we weren’t made to pay with the loss of someone irreplaceable to us.”

As we spoke, I noticed Raul’s gaze on us, and I nodded at Jordan, before heading over to him, and he cast a quick look over to where Eradne had buried Emily, before turning back to me, as I took a seat beside him.

“That girl… the blond. Did she really kill the redhead?” he asked.

“Yep… right under your nose, no less.”

He sighed, and I studied him.

“Do you miss your prisoner buddy? We were sending her away today, anyway.”

“She was going to ask to stay; as a prisoner. Planned to earn your trust and actually join the group and everything.”

I frowned.

“Not sure I’d have trusted her on that.”

He sighed.

“She didn’t really like Vanessa, but she didn’t trust you.”

“And you changed her mind?”

“Not intentionally. I just told her what you told me…”

He cast another wistful look over towards Emily’s gravesite.

“That girl is exactly what I warned you about. Large groups, you get people like her… you put a knife in her hand, and she slits your throat first chance she gets.”

“I know. That was the risk. Of course, me giving her a weapon without properly vetting her didn’t help. But we’ve got a reliable core now; and that’ll only become stronger as we filter out the elements that can’t co-exist with the group as a whole.”

I nodded at him suggestively as I spoke, and he snickered.

“So, I still have a chance, despite almost killing that other one?”

“Bianca,” I said, and he sighed.

“If it helps, I do feel bad… I just felt this anger in me ever since the day you and that girl told me that I’m never leaving this hell.”

“I wouldn’t say never… but if we are leaving, it’s not going to be through the ways we currently think we can. And if you truly feel bad, could I ask you to apologize to Bianca?”

He nodded.

“For what it’s worth, I really am sorry.”

As I stood up, Gisela waved me over as she caught sight of me, and I bowed slightly before leaving Raul and heading over to her side.

“Is it done?” I asked, and she gestured to the device.

It was a thin, tall wooden pole, with two wooden bars sticking out horizontally at a right angle, and fixed to the top of the vertical pole.

The two bars were connected at the ends by another bar, along which notches had been cut, with a little wooden marker sticking out at the center.

Moving to the device, I held my hands out in search of the ‘wandering’ and ‘constant’ zenith, and after finding the two points, I aligned the wooden marker with the constant zenith, and using my other hand, I determined that the wandering zenith was between the seventh and eighth hour of the afternoon.

Finally.

A clock!

As I breathed a sigh of relief, Gisela studied the device with some appreciation.

“This device is most useful, Auslander,” she noted, and I nodded.

“Can it be dismantled? For travel?” I asked, and she quickly passed the concern on to Matthias.

“He says it can be made as such. I will ensure it is done in time for our departure.”

I nodded, then bowed to the two, as I left them to their work, and headed for the grove.

The few hours of sleep I’d gotten in the cave that morning had scarcely been enough, and now my mental fatigue was quickly catching up with my physical exhaustion.

As I got the grove, however, I caught sight of Nolan, sitting with Myrinne, the girl from the council, and Johann, the elder Kobalt man who’d been to the far-off places where we were considering settling down.

“Hey,” I said, as I headed over to the trio. “How’re things progressing?”

“Getting an idea of what to expect without a map is pretty difficult, but I think there might be a map of some kind that we can use at our next destination.”

“That’s good, but… shouldn’t you be resting up for the night watch with Cameron?” I asked.

Nolan shook his head, smiling a little.

“No. Cameron and I had a chat, and your uh, ‘council’ decided it’d be best if I was taken off the watch to focus on the mapping stuff for now.”

“Huh… so Cameron’s on the night watch alone?” I asked, and he shook his head.

“Jeannie’s going to join her.”

I nodded, as she wasn’t a bad option, and I was fairly certain we could at the very least trust her.

“Are you sure you’re okay with that?” I asked, and he rubbed the back of his head.

“About that… can we talk?” he asked, and I nodded.

He excused himself from the table, and we walked across the large hallway to the far wall of the room.

“Look, I think I owe you an apology. Cameron’s important to me… she has been for a long time now. I… kind of felt a little worried that she was jumping into something with you, and… well, she has a long history of making some really bad choices when it comes to romantic interests, and I was just being a little bit overprotective.”

“I understand,” I said, and placing a hand on his shoulder. “I’m glad that she has someone to look out for her like that.”

He nodded.

As I turned to walk away, however, something came to me, and I turned my attention back to Nolan.

“Hey, I haven’t really seen you or Jordan take any baths yet,” I said, and he sighed.

“Between watch, and the baths being occupied during the day, I don’t think we had much time to,” he said, sighing, and I snickered.

“You can use them at night, you know. Just keep a small weapon close by.”

Nolan tilted his head, then smiled, and nodded appreciatively.

“Thanks. I think we might do that, then,” he said.

I gave him a final wave, before heading up to the rooms to look for Francesca, but as I walked past the corridor and headed towards her room, I heard her voice from somewhere off to my left.

That’s… Molly’s room, isn’t it?

I thought about heading to her room to wait for her, but the sounds of laughter caught my attention, and I quickly found my curiosity being piqued by the din.

I cast a quick look about the corridor, before stepping a little closer to the door.

“Trust me, he won’t be able to resist,” Molly said.

“I dunno… I just think he sees me as a kid, or something,” Francesca said.

“Oh puh-lease. Guys only pretend with that whole ‘kid sister’ thing. The fact that you’re younger probably drives him nuts! He’s just playing hard to get.”

“Really? What do you think?” Francesca asked, seemingly directing the question at someone else, and as I strained, I managed to pick up Evie’s reply.

“I dunno. I mean, I’m okay with him watching, but… maybe we shouldn’t focus too much on this stuff. Especially with everything that’s going on…”

 _Sensible,_ I thought.

“Oh, stop being such a kill-joy! The fact that we could die at any time is what makes this so urgent, right?”

“I guess,” Francesca answered. “I mean… it’s not that its urgent. I… I just wish we had more time together, sometimes. It doesn’t _have_ to be that in particular, you know?”

“Trust me, sweetie,” Molly replied. “He’ll make lots of time for you by the time we’re done with him.”

The three girls giggled a little, and I quickly made my way down the hallway to Francesca’s room.

I knocked on the door, then pretended to wait, before calling out as if I expected her to be in her room, and sure enough, her head quickly poked out of Molly’s room.

“Hey,” she said, and I turned around, feigning surprise.

“Hey. There you are,” I said, and she smiled. “Are you getting ready for that bath? I thought I’d come up and show you what to do with your armor.”

“Yeah. Is it okay if Molly and Evie join us for the bath, though?” she asked, and I snickered.

“Sure. I don’t see why not. Although… I was kind of under the impression that we were gonna get some alone time,” I countered, and she smiled.

“We will.”

She stepped out of the room, and I followed as she led me into her room.

“Are you still commando under there?” I asked, and she blushed.

“Only up here,” she said, tapping the breastplate, and I snickered.

We started by taking off her arm guards, and as I showed her Gisela’s trick for folding them up into little slivers, her eyes lit up.

“Fucking hell. These things really are something,” she noted.

I passed her one of the satchels that came with the survivor gear set, and we quickly stripped off most of her armor, leaving the breastplate for last.

“Will you do the honors?” she asked, as she held up her hands, and stuck her tongue out at me.

“If you don’t hold one of the plates in place, it could fall on your toes,” I warned, shaking my head disapprovingly, and she pouted, as she held the front of the breastplate in place.

I undid the straps, then removing the back plate, I set it down on the table, and just as she seemed about to turn around, I moved behind her, and rested a hand on the naked bit of flesh just above her hip.

“You know, you need to start taking much better care of yourself,” I chided.

Her shoulder slumped a little, and I placed my lips against the bare skin there, not in a kiss, but just letting them brush against her skin as she swayed a little in my arms.

“I guess I have been overdoing it, huh…”

“Understatement of the year,” I chided, and she chuckled a little.

“I can’t help it… I just want you to look at me,” she said, and I slipped my hand to the edge of her breastplate, just at her side, under her arm, and as I kissed her shoulder this time, I dipped my hand beneath the armor, and as it came into contact with a soft bit of flesh; the outer swell of a breast, I massaged the spot, and she cooed.

“It’s an unfortunate fact that my role demands that my eyes be everywhere at once,” I began, but as I turned Francesca around, and stared into her eyes, I continued, “but I’m looking at you now…”

She blushed, and as she hugged the front plate of her armor, I leaned in and kissed her, and as we broke apart, she sighed wistfully onto my lips.

“Am I dreaming?” she asked, and as I shook my head, she studied me, a cautious expression subtly hidden beneath her smile. “Are you just teasing me, then?”

I shook my head again, as I rested the palm of my hand against her cheek.

“Unless you no longer want to, I wish to spend tonight with you,” I confessed, and she studied me, swaying a little as she smiled.

“Why the sudden change of heart?”

“Emily,” I answered. “When she said that she could have killed you, it really struck me… you were asleep, right there… right where I asked you to sleep. And I wasn’t there to look over you.”

“Your presence was needed elsewhere,” she reasoned, and I nodded.

“And it probably will be again… but it’s not needed anywhere else tonight.”

“So, this is a ‘we could die at any time’ kind of thing?” she asked, and I shook my head.

“This is a ‘I’m done pretending I don’t want you’ kind of thing,” I answered, and she blushed.

“You want me?”

“Yes.”

“You _always_ wanted me…?”

“Yes.”

She studied me for a bit, biting her lip as she did.

“Well? What’re you waiting for?” she asked.

She let the front panel of her armor fall away from her chest, and as she threw the item aside, I drank in the view of her naked breasts, licking my lips hungrily as I did.

She backed away from me, beckoning me with her eyes as she did, and as I followed, I wrapped my arms around her lower body, and hoisted her up just as she backed into the far wall of the room, and as I held her, I buried my face into her neck, and kissed the sensitive spot passionately.

She moaned, and as I lifted her higher up, I ran my kisses along her chest, to the two perky breasts that stood proudly on her chest.

Her nipples were stiff, and as I alternated my sucking kisses between the two peaks, I took a moment to appreciate the wonderfully aesthetic nature of her sleek, tanned skin.

“You are beautiful,” I noted, and she moaned her appreciation into my lips, as she kissed me hungrily in response.

“I know you’ll probably tease me for being young, but I’ve never had my breasts sucked on before,” she admitted, and I smiled.

“Then I hope you don’t mind if I kiss more than just your breasts.”

As we continued to kiss, our tongues dancing in the muted afternoon light inside her room, however, I suddenly noticed another presence; or rather, a prying pair of eyes, taking in our passionate exchange with interest.

“It’s not polite to stare,” I called, and a muted gasp came from the doorway, which quickly pulled shut.

“Fuck. Those two are incorrigible,” Francesca said, as she pulled away from my grasp, and went to the door.

“Who was that?” I asked, and she sighed.

“Molly… maybe Evie too?”

I snickered.

“Oh, I see… I knew that Molly was a bit of an exhibitionist, but I didn’t quite peg her for voyeurism too.”

“How do you know that?” Francesca asked, studying me with surprise.

“I sort of caught her and Evie going at it last night; in the changing area down by the baths.”

“So, that was you!” Molly called, and I snickered as the door creaked open, and the girl stood in the doorway, her hands on her hips. “You know, you could have just stuck around and enjoyed the show.”

I chuckled, as her eyes darted between me, and the now semi-nude Francesca, an intriguing look on her face.

“So, am I getting an invite to this soiree?” Molly asked, and I snickered, as a timid looking Evie crept up behind her, and peeked in at the scene.

“Well, Francesca is the first timer here… so I’m leaving that request up to her,” I said.

As I turned to her, she shrugged, and the girls quickly filed into the room, giggling as they pulled the door shut.

“First times aside… we’ve kind of been thinking about doing a little something special for you,” Francesca explained, as I cast a questioning look between her and the two other girls.

“Something special?” I asked, and the girls nodded.

“To thank you for taking us in…” Molly explained. “And for everything else you do for us. We kind of noticed that you’ve been really working hard to make sure everything runs smoothly, you know?”

“Well, I do appreciate the gesture, but you all don’t really need to do anything… sexual, I mean. I don’t want your experience with us to be anything like what you went through with Vanessa.”

“Our time here, even with Emily’s craziness, has been heaven compared to that,” Evie said, and I sighed.

“Speaking of Emily… maybe we can help you forget that whole thing?” Molly suggested. “Do we have permission to disarm you?”

I snickered a little, then raised my arms in a show of surrender, and the girls quickly began to strip my armor away, giggling as they did.

I shot Francesca a quick look, silently asking whether or not she was okay with this, and she quickly nodded.

“To tell you the truth, I was a little nervous,” she admitted, and I smiled.

 _Not as if I’m complaining,_ I thought.

Though I probably could have helped her navigate those nerves, if we had the time to ourselves.

With my armor removed and carefully put away, the girls began to examine my body, and Molly in particular seemed quite amazed by my new muscular tone.

“Wow… you say our implants do this?” she asked, and as I nodded, her eyes flicked to my lower regions, and she licked her lips. “Does it… ‘enhance’ anything else?”

I snickered, then shrugged.

“If you mean size, I’ll let you be the judge of that… but I have learned a few tricks to improve performance.”

“Really? Like what?” she asked.

“Like being able to cum literal bucketloads repeatedly in succession,” I explained, and Molly’s eyes lit up.

“Yeah? I’m definitely testing that one,” she said, as Evie shot her a questioning look. “Francesca? Do you wanna do the honors?”

Molly gestured to my shorts, and Francesca nodded.

She helped me slip my shorts off, and as my tool sprang into view, Molly gave a suggestive ‘ooo’ in appreciation.

“If there is such a thing as the right size, then that, my friend, is it,” she said, and Francesca blushed a little, as she studied it with renewed interest.

As Molly led me to Francesca’s bed, however, I noticed that Evie had a somewhat interested, yet cautious look on her face, and as Molly caught me studying her, she snickered a little.

“Don’t worry… we’re not forcing her to do anything. She’s… exploring her options, so to speak,” Molly explained, and I tilted my head at the comment, my interest piqued.

“Have you ever been with a man?” I asked.

“Apart from, uh, Vanessa’s friends? No,” she said, and Evie studied me curiously, as I shook my head, and chuckled a little.

“What?” she asked.

“Well, you ladies outnumber us like three to one, or something? It’s a hell of a time to try playing both sides.”

Molly burst into a fit of giggles at this, then turned to Francesca.

“I think I’m starting to see why you’re crushing on him,” she commented, elbowing the girl suggestively.

Evie blushed, and Molly wrapped her arms around her, hugging her comfortingly.

“Our little Evie over here is your stereotypical catholic school girl… raised in a convent, and all that,” Molly explained.

I shot Evie a curious look, and she nodded.

“It was an orphanage,” she explained.

“Huh. You don’t say,” I replied, and as she studied my expression, she quickly shook her head.

“Wait. You’re an orphan too?” she asked, and I nodded, smiling.

“Well. Sort of. I was adopted eventually,” I explained.

“Were they good to you?”

“My step-parents were. My step-siblings… not so much.”

“Aww… look at these two parent-less losers bonding,” Molly teased, and I rolled my eyes. “Maybe we should let them ‘express’ their new bond.”

Evie shot Francesca a quick look.

“We’re supposed to be helping Francesca out… I don’t want to be in the way,” she said, but Francesca crawled over to my side, on the bed, and shook her head.

“Oh, I’m quite satisfied to see how this whole thing works before I get in there,” she said, and Molly grinned, as she moved behind Evie, and quickly removed the girl’s cotton shirt.

She stripped off her own clothes, as Evie moved into position between my legs, and as Evie’s eyes narrowed on my part, everyone’s eyes seemed to be on her.

“It’s nice, isn’t it,” Molly breathed, her hands reaching forward and cupping Evie’s breasts from behind.

I was pleasantly surprised to find that Evie was quite well endowed, as her breasts hung like ripe pears from her chest, with nipples that angled away from her body on either side.

Evie nodded hypnotically, as she studied my part.

“Nicer than Ronnie’s for sure.”

“Are you scared?” Molly asked, and Evie shook her head.

“Thanks to everyone… I feel safe. In control.”

Her eyes flicked to me, and as I nodded, she reached for my cock, and she smiled a little, as she felt it in her grasp.

“Are they all like that?” she asked. “Hot?”

I snickered in response.

“When I’m excited? Yes.”

“If you wanna crank up the heat, honey, then you _need_ to get them in between your breasts,” Molly added.

Evie nodded, as she leaned forward, wrapping her breasts around my shaft, and I shuddered a little at the pleasurable sensation, and she smiled at the elicited response.

“See? I told you. Your breasts were, like, made to smother a cock like that. Doesn’t she feel good?”

I nodded in response to Molly’s question, as I let out another appreciative moan.

“Well there’s something I can never do,” Francesca said, pouting, and I pulled at her nose, before pulling her onto me, to kiss her lips.

“I don’t need you to… trust me. There are other places to put that thing, that’ll feel much better for both of us.”

She frowned, and Molly cut in.

“Size isn’t everything. Yours are cute.”

“Cute? Guys don’t like cute. They like them big, mature, and full.”

“Au contraire,” I said, “I think cute is better than anything else.”

“Cute can’t do that,” she said, gesturing to Evie, and Molly giggled.

“That’s fine… that just gives you more incentive to share,” she answered, winking. “Besides… there’s a lot that you can do with more hands… and tongues.”

She moved around from behind Evie, and as the girl joined her on the opposite side, the two shared a sultry look, before leaning down to my cock, and I stared with open mouthed appreciation as they planted their lips on either side of my shaft, and as their lips met on either side of my cock, they slid their lips in perfect co-ordination along the length of my shaft, and I cooed in response.

“Now this I want to get in on,” Francesca said, and as she leaned down, and wrapped her lips around the head of my cock, the combined stimulation almost sent me over the edge.

The three girls worked me in tandem, and as my vision seemed to blur, and my senses seemed to dull away under the sheer overload of stimulation along my sensitive shaft, I had the vague feeling that the cum welling up in my balls was about to spew forth, and by the time I regained use of my mental faculties, a satisfied looking Evie was studying me, a heavy coating of thick creamy seed all over her chest, while Francesca and Molly giggled at me.

“If I’m not careful I might meet my end tonight,” I said.

“Well… you did say you’ve got some secret way to cum bucketloads in repeated succession. I say we put that to the test,” Molly said, and the girls all nodded in agreement.

“You have until I’m done cleaning all this cum off of Evie,” Molly warned, and I watched with interest as she began to hungrily lap up the cum off of her opposite number’s chest, making sure to suck and kiss her breasts hungrily as she did.

Francesca studied the two for a bit, before casting her gaze towards the remnants of seed dripping from my spent cock, and as I nodded, she leaned in, and tentatively licked, taking the moment to savor the taste, before smiling.

“It doesn’t taste bad,” she said… “and the consistency… it’s a little slimy, but something about it just makes me wet.”

“You and me both,” Molly said, winking, before returning her attention to Evie.

Evie was moaning, and as she leaned back, allowing Molly to climb over her and really go to town on her body, she cast me a suggestive look, gesturing towards Molly.

I climbed off of the bed, and approached Molly from behind, placing a hand tentatively on her hip.

“Oh? Already good to go, cowboy?” she teased, and I smirked, as I stroked my length suggestively.

She spread her hips, and arched her back, in preparation to receive me, and I reached down, and rubbed the folds of her pussy.

She was wet, and as I teased the length of her slit with the head of my cock, she purred, and cocked her hips back expectantly.

I pressed the head of my cock into her hole, and she let out a soft, low moan, as I slid, slowly into her.

“Mm. That’s it… nice and slow,” she said, and as I let my length slide back and forth inside of her a few times, coating myself with her slick, slimy juices, she returned her attention to Evie.

The girl seemed to now be completely clean of the remnants of my sperm shower, and Molly was now focusing her intent on the sensitive places on the girl’s body; her neck, her breasts, and from time to time, her lips.

I moved gently against Molly as I took in the sight of the two girls enjoying each other, and Francesca, not one to be left out, moved behind me, and wrapping her arms about my neck, she began to kiss along the sensitive area.

“You know, I thought sharing you would piss me off, but this is fun,” she said.

“If you think this is good, then wait until you join in,” I said.

“Oh, I’m not waiting on you to join in,” she said, and I followed her with my eyes, my curiosity piqued, as she slid from behind me, and after quickly slipping off the short cut cotton pants she wore, she climbed onto the floor beside Evie and Molly.

The two girls paused in their kissing, and as Francesca leaned down, and planted a kiss on Evie’s cheek, Molly wiggled back against me, and I moved against her with a bit more purpose, as Francesca and Evie began making out on the floor beneath us.

“Scoot back a bit,” Molly instructed, and as I complied, the girl leaned down, and began to plant her kisses around Evie’s mound, and the girl momentarily broke away from Francesca, to study the development.

Her hands instinctively went to Molly’s head, and as she held her face in place, she arched her hips, and thrust her sex into the girl’s mouth, desirously.

“Give her a good fucking,” Evie commanded, and as I slammed into Molly, she yelped, but she quickly refocused her attention on the girl’s pussy.

The two girls were moaning constantly, as I fucked Molly a little more intensely, and Francesca leaned down, and began to suck on one of those pear-shaped breasts, as Evie’s moaning intensified, an orgasm seemingly imminent.

I slowed my own thrusting a bit, allowing Molly to really focus her tonguing on the girl’s clit, and soon enough, her hips began to buck, and her moans streamed together into a steady growl, as she came, and her body relaxed onto the wooden floor, as she panted, a satisfied smile on her face.

“Hold me up for a sec?” Molly asked, sitting up, and as I complied, she spread her legs, and as she gestured to Francesca, the girl shrugged, then leaned down to the place where our bodies were joined as one, she began to lick the outer folds of the girl’s vagina.

Molly moaned and crooned in appreciation, and after a minute or so of that added stimulation, she nodded to me.

“Fuck my brains out,” she commanded, and an interesting idea came to me.

 _Might as well test out my newfound muscles,_ I thought, as instead of bending her over, I put my arms around her torso and stomach, and holding her in that upright position, I used my arms to move her gruffly along the length of my rod, while allowing Francesca to continue to lick and tease her with her tongue.

It took less than thirty seconds of that kind of stimulation before Molly’s moans escalated into screams, and I began to worry that our lovemaking would actually cause a disturbance in the treehouse as her orgasm hit her hard, and she continued to moan as I slid her along my length, prolonging the feeling for as long as possible.

“That was fucking awesome to watch,” Francesca said, and Molly giggled.

“It was even more awesome to experience,” Molly replied, and as I released her, she climbed off of my cock, and studied the glistening, firm, thing, with an almost hypnotic expression of appreciation.

“You really weren’t kidding about these abilities, huh?” she asked, and I shook my head, smiling.

“Sex is the one thing I never kid about,” I said, and Molly giggled.

“Well, Francesca. I think you’re up,” Molly said, gesturing towards me, and Francesca blushed.

“I’m starting to feel nervous again,” she said, and Molly scoffed.

“After all of this?” she countered. “Nonsense.”

But I shook my head, as I climbed back onto the bed.

“Come,” I said, and Francesca took my hand as I offered it to her.

I pulled her to me, and as she climbed onto me, straddling my lower section, I pulled her down to my lips, and kissed her.

“If you’re not ready, you don’t have to do anything,” I said, “we’ll take this one step at a time, okay?”

She nodded, biting her lips as she glanced down between us at my still erect thing.

She adjusted herself so that her own pussy could grind against it, and as she slid her body over it, she crooned with delight.

“It does feel good,” she said, as she returned her gaze to me.

I kissed her as she moved gently on top of me, and as the passion of our kissing intensified, I broke away from her lips, and began to run my kisses down her neck, to her breasts, which despite the much smaller stature when compared to Molly’s and Evie’s, I truly did love.

They were perky, and firm, and her tanned skin-tone gave them a delectable appearance that I could worship indefinitely.

I began to suck and kiss the little mounds, and as she moaned appreciatively, she paused in her movements, and I watched with interest, as she lifted her body up, and after grasping my thing and positioning the head against her slit, she slowly let my cock slide into her, and I moaned into her breast as the tightness of her virgin space wrapped deliciously around my shaft.

She bit down on her hand, as my length came finally against her virginal barrier, and as she slid me beyond that threshold, her fingers dug into me, and she paused; taking a moment to let the pain pass, before continuing to allow my length to press on into her previously unexplored territory.

“How do you feel?” I asked, resting a hand on her hip, and rubbing the spot gently, and she quickly shook her head.

“Good… I thought it would hurt a lot more than that, but I just feel good,” she said.

A smile crept onto her lips, as she began to move, riding me slowly, and as I moaned again into the flat expanse between her pert little nipples, she grabbed the hair at the back of my head, and ruffled it affectionately.

“How does it feel? Fucking a virgin?” she asked, and I groaned in response.

“Fantastic. Even better, since it’s you,” I said, and she moaned, as she increased the intensity of her riding.

Evie and Molly moved to our side, with the former in the latter’s embrace, as they enjoyed the show appreciatively.

“Does it feel so good, that you just wanna… cum inside of me?” Francesca asked, and I chuckled nervously.

“Let’s just say… that I really. Really… hope you’re close to an orgasm,” I said, and she shot me a teasing smile.

“Well… you better last,” she warned. “Because I’m not coming off of this thing until I’m satisfied.”

I placed a hand on her hip, and helped guide her riding to a steadier rhythm, and as I did, I began to meet her riding with little upward thrusts, penetrating more deeply into her unexplored places with each movement.

“This is exciting,” Molly said, massaging Evie’s breasts, as the two girls watched. “Do you think we might actually get to see him impregnating her?”

“There’s no way that that’s a good idea…” Evie began.

“Oh shush,” Molly cut in. “Just let them fuck in peace,” she chided, and I snickered at the exchange.

It was fine though.

I could tell that Francesca was quickly approaching her orgasm, and thanks to my earlier release, I was more or less sure that I could last.

I mean… I could have probably propelled myself to another orgasm if I wanted to… but Evie was right.

That was not a good idea.

At least… not right now.

Francesca’s hand went to her mouth, and she bit down on her index finger in an attempt to stifle the moans that were escaping her lips, but as I leaned forward and began to hungrily suck on one of her nipples, Francesca finally went over the edge, and her body went still, and she let out a muted shriek as she came, and as I moved her against me, while her orgasm continued to wash over her, she let out a series of moans, before collapsing on top of me.

“Fuck… that was good,” she panted, and Molly smiled happily.

“How are you holding in there, soldier?” she asked, and I took a deep breath, as another wave of exhaustion seemed to sweep over me.

“I think I’m done. My little head can keep going all night, but I’m running on like three hours sleep here.”

“Aww… well how about we give you a good send off, then let you drift off into dreamland smothered between all these girls combined?”

She jiggled her jugs for effect, and I smiled.

“I’m in your hands,” I breathed.

Francesca climbed off of me, and Evie quickly moved to my cock, and I watched with interest, as she seemed to be hungrily lapping up Francesca and Molly’s combined juices from my cock, rather than servicing me.

It felt heavenly, and as Molly leaned forward, dangling her own breasts over my face, I nuzzled my face into the fatty globes, reveling in the wonderful sensation.

She began to plant sucking kisses along my chest, as I licked and kissed her own breasts, and I gasped, as the feeling of another tongue probing along the length of my shaft joined in on the sensory overload.

I moaned pleasurably as the two girls serviced my cock, and as Molly’s breasts disappeared from my view, I felt her own mouth join the others, as she sucked the head of my cock into her mouth.

As I glanced down to my manhood, I spotted Molly’s breasts dangling over my stomach, as she sucked on me wantonly, and Francesca and Evie were alternating between planting sucking kisses along my shaft, and kissing each other, sometimes sandwiching my meat between their lips as they tried desperately to kiss each other around my pole.

I leaned back, reveling in the pleasurable sensations, when I suddenly felt a new one, as Molly began to suck on my shaft from the side, as the other girls joined her, and the three girls ran their lips along different sections of my cock, all from different angles, and the stimulation along the entirety of my shaft sent me into a state of bliss.

I felt myself drawing close to an orgasm, and as I did, I tried to imagine in my mind, the idea of an unlimited reservoir of cum, constantly spilling its barriers, and as I began to cum, the girls continued to suck on me, intensifying their sucking even further, and rope after rope of cum shot out of my cock, shooting into the air and landing on their faces, and even as they dripped, the continued sucking, and I continued to cum for what felt like an eternity.

My mind went hazy from the extended, heavenly simulation, and I wasn’t even sure when it came to an end, but as I looked down, I saw three satisfied faces, completely drenched in my seed.

“Wow. You really weren’t kidding, huh love?” Molly noted, quite impressed.

The girls began to clean up, but as they giggled, and most probably got in a little bit of fun of their own, I found myself drifting off to sleep, as the sounds faded away into the background.

***

“Nate? Nate, wake up.”

I woke up to Francesca shaking me, and as I groaned, I looked around, and found myself in the midst of a tangle of limbs.

The breast against my face seemed to belong to Evie, and I stirred as the sensation sent a pleasurable little pulse up my spine.

“Hey,” I said, trying to figure how to untangle myself, without waking anyone else up.

Francesca, I noted however, was dressed, and in her armor to boot.

“Why are you in armor?” I asked, and she frowned.

“I think there’s gonna be an emergency meeting. Cameron and Jeannie need to be there, so I’m covering until they’re done.”

I nodded, as I took in the information.

“Where is it going to be?” I asked.

“The princess’ chamber,” she answered, and I nodded in response.

I quickly gathered up my armor, but rather than putting it on, I opted to stow it away.

Francesca went for the door, but I reached out and took her hand.

She looked up at me, questioningly, and I pulled her close, and kissed her tenderly on the lips.

She blushed, and I reached out, and brushed her hair away from her face, caressing her cheek as I did.

“Be safe,” I said, and she nodded.

We headed out the door, going our separate ways as she headed for the entryway, and I made my way towards the corridor leading to the princess’ room.

Casey was there to my surprise, though thankfully, in bed, and Gisela gestured for me to join them, seated beside her.

Myrinne and the princess were also present, and as we waited for Cameron and Jeannie, I shot Casey a questioning look.

“Are you sure you’re okay to travel?” I asked, and she sighed.

“Despite losing my implant, my accelerated healing seems to be functioning well enough. I actually think I can walk, but Gisela’s already prepared a cart for me to be carried. I’ll be fine, though.”

I nodded as Cameron and Jeannie joined us, and the meeting began.

“Most apologies, for the inconvenience of timing,” Gisela began, but I waved a hand, dismissing the gesture.

“It’s fine. I’m sure everyone here understands the necessity behind the decision,” I said, and everyone quickly nodded.

“We called the meeting to discuss our move forward. This timing, we hope, may evade the ears of the one who listens, though to be safe, we may assume that our plans are heard,” Gisela explained.

“So, are we going to discuss our destination?”

Gisela shook her head.

“Our possible landings are several, and we have chosen amongst the furthest from Palancar, for added protection. The path we take will head off road, but with the runners unaware, the heading will be slowed, and somewhat, with danger.”

I nodded at the development.

“How many days journey?” I asked, and Gisela held up her hands, indicating seven fingers. “Can the runners be made aware of where we aim to be, before needing to rest for the night?”

“After the first two stops, then yes; but prior to that, the group will need to stick close, and the moving will be slowed.”

“How many of you know the destination?”

Gisela pointed to herself, and I sighed.

This was problematic.

We would be able to move no faster than our slowest members, and all stops would grind the group, collectively to a halt.

“Are we certain that such measures are required?” I asked, and Gisela rubbed her chin.

“They may be more than is necessary, but we have heard news that troubles…”

“Can it be discussed?” I asked, and she nodded.

“A high-ranking councilor has deployed runners… at least fifty. We are unable to discern the reason, but such a deployment is highly unusual.”

Fifty…

Fully armed, we could take down that number in our sleep.

But fighting them wasn’t our biggest concern.

Being tracked was.

Could we eliminate them? Or would that be viewed as an act of aggression?

There was a lot to ask, but I figured it would be best to wait until we were in a safer location to do so.

 _I’m starting to see the wisdom in getting as far from Palancar as possible_ , Casey spoke into my mind, and I nodded subtly at her.

I turned to Jeannie.

“Apart from Leanna, is there anyone whose hands you wouldn’t put a weapon into?” I asked, and Jeannie shook her head.

“Are you sure that’s a good idea, Nate?” Casey interjected. “They’ve gone after our weapons once already; we might just make it easier for them to go after individual targets.”

“If we’re moving together, then we won’t be spread out as far. I think it might dissuade a possible attack. Besides…” I turned to Gisela. “How far away can the runners stray from the main group, without losing track of them?”

“Easily, at least a thousand strides.”

“Strides?”

“If you’re running, it’s the distance between where your left foot and right foot land, when you’re making a leaping kind of stride,” Casey explained. “I think it’s about five feet, or one point five meters.”

“Meters? I thought you were American?”

“I’m a _scientist_ ,” she shot back, and I snickered a little.

“So… five thousand feet? That’s… almost a mile, right?”

Casey nodded, rolling her eyes as she did.

“So, if we were to create two units with about four or five runners, and one of our armored fighters, we could let those two groups roam in a circular pattern around the core group, and keep threats at a further radius from them, no?”

Gisela pondered the suggestion, relaying it to the princess.

“So, you and Francesca?” Cameron asked, and I nodded.

“Jordan will stay armored and with the main group, and the two of us will keep the main party safe from the outer perimeter.”

The princess smiled as she listened to the suggestion, then nodded, and Gisela reluctantly agreed.

“Good… so is that everything?”

Casey and Jeannie exchanged a look, and as I studied them, Casey spoke first.

“There’s one more thing, actually… I know you offered to vouch for Bianca, but you can’t exactly babysit her with your current duties…”

“I guess, but I hardly expect her to be any trouble really.”

Jeannie bit her lip, and at Casey’s prodding, she finally spoke.

“We don’t trust her, Nate… I know that she seems like a bit of a wounded kitten right now, but while the rest of the girls were being abused, she just sat there, and did nothing… there wasn’t even a reaction to show that she cared even a little bit about what was happening.”

I rubbed my chin, as I processed the information.

“So, you think she might be acting the part?” I asked.

“I don’t think we know her well enough to say that, but… none of us want another Emily situation on our hands,” Casey said.

“So, what’s your suggestion? As things stand, exiling an otherworlder is out of the question.”

“Make her pledge,” Casey said, and I frowned.

“I’m against that. If Bianca’s to be believed, and I think she is, for now, she’s been in an abusive relationship, and a pledge would mean giving someone the same power over her that her abuser had. It would make developing a trusting bond even more difficult.”

Casey shrugged.

“Then so be it. We’re taking a risk by keeping her. You can think of it as the price she has to pay for all that she’s done until now.”

I bit my lip, then nodded.

“Alright… I’ll go talk to her then,” I said.

“Herr Nathan,” Gisela interjected. “The present interval will end with emerging light. We wish to leave by then.”

I nodded, and the rest of the group also dispersed to make the required preparations as I left the room, and made my way up to Bianca’s.

As I passed the guard at her door, I knocked, though I figured that she would most likely be asleep.

To my surprise, however, as I entered the room, I found that she was sitting, curled up as she often did, by the edge of the bed closest to the window, and as soon as she spotted me, she wiped quickly at her eyes.

“Hey,” she said, her voice a little croaky, and I bit my lip as I approached.

“Are you okay?” I asked, noting that the stains left by her crying were still wet, and the streaks on her face quite recent.

She nodded nonetheless, clearing her throat before speaking.

“I’m just… really lonely, and it’s really scary here by myself at night.”

I nodded, and as I took a seat on the bed, she cast a longing look, and I gestured for her to come closer, and she quickly crawled over to me, and curled up in my lap.

“You’re the only one who’s come to see me,” she said, sighing.

“We’re… leaving this place soon. In an hour, maybe?”

She perked up at this, as she got up, to study me.

“You’re taking me with you, right?”

I bit my lip.

“The group… is against it,” I began, and a panicked look appeared in her eyes.

“No… please don’t leave me here. I- I can’t!”

I raised my hands, trying to calm her down a bit.

“I’m not going to leave you, but… the group made a decision about you that… I’m not sure you’re going to like.”

“What? What is it?” she asked, and I sighed.

“There’s a way to bind yourself to another person… using our implants,” I said, indicating to my wrist.

She held up her wrist as she studied me.

“Bind myself?”

“Yeah… like it gives them power over you. To tell you what they want you to do, and you’ll be compelled to obey.”

She bit her lip.

“You… you want me to do that?”

I sighed.

“No. I’m against it. But the group says they’ll only allow you to come with us if you agree to pledge yourself to one of our core members. Not necessarily me, but someone who’ll be able to sense your intent, and know if you mean anyone harm, and control you in the case that you become a threat.”

She frowned.

“They all hate me… I know they do. What’s to stop them from using this to just hurt me?”

“There are several that I can personally vouch for. That would never hurt you… and girls, too, so there’s less of a risk of someone turning you into a sex slave, or something like that.”

“I…I don’t trust them. I don’t trust anyone. Everyone turns on me eventually… everyone.”

She began to cry, but as I patted her on the shoulder, she suddenly turned towards me.

“Why can’t it be you? You… you wouldn’t hurt me. I can pledge to you, can’t I?”

“You could, but… you don’t know me either.”

“You saved my life. Even when that other girl told you not to, you still did it. If it has to be someone… then I want it to be you.”

She seemed pretty sure, and while it was the outcome I wanted, I made sure to act reasonably hesitant, in order to maintain that image of me that she saw.

I bit my lip, then nodded.

“Here,” I said, as I held my hand over her chest, and she gasped, as my implant began to glow.

“You need to say, ‘Nathan, I pledge myself to you’,” I said, and she nodded, repeating the line.

“Do you like the name Bianca?” I asked, and she nodded.

“Then, Bianca!” I said, and as the shadowy form of her body appeared in my mind, a chill ran down my spine.

 _What the fuck was that?_ I wondered.

That didn’t happen when any of the others pledged.

It was a feeling… a new feeling, and it didn’t even match anything that I even knew of.

“Was that it?” she asked, and I nodded somberly as my eyes narrowed on her, trying to process what exactly that feeling was.

“I’m glad,” she said, and I tilted my head, as the reaction did not line up with what I felt at all.

Her expression seemed happy, but… was that feeling happiness?

It couldn’t be.

Even I felt happy from time to time, and it definitely wasn’t that…

I tried to embed that sensation into my consciousness, as a determination arose in me to figure it out.

“I’m in your care now, aren’t I?” she asked, and I nodded. “Does that mean you can take me with you?”

I nodded again.

She crawled over to my side, and as she settled onto my lap, I stroked her hair and she hummed contentedly in response, and to my surprise, she quickly fell asleep.

I sighed.

We were leaving pretty soon, weren’t we?

Hopefully she’d be able to cope with the coming day’s journey.

In the future, we’d need to make sure everyone was getting sufficient sleep, so that we could maximize the use of daylight hours for travel.

As I studied her, I noted that the bruising around her neck didn’t seem to be fading…

It was a sharp contrast to Casey, whose stab wound already seemed to be on the mend.

I let her sleep for a bit, but as the sounds outside indicated that we were nearing departure time, I tried my best to gently rouse her from her brief slumber.

“Mmh,” she groaned.

“I’m sorry… I think we might be leaving soon,” I said.

She got up, and shook the sleepiness from her eyes.

“Do you have to leave me again?” she asked, and I shook my head.

“No. I think you’re free to move about now,” I answered, and she smiled, before letting out a yawn, and stretching tiredly.

I led her from the room, and down to the entry hall and out of the tree, where all of the otherworlders were already gathered.

 _Did she pledge?_ Casey asked, and I looked around, then spotted her in a cart beside the supply cart.

I walked over to where she was, nodding as I did, but as I approached the supply cart, Casey’s eyes went to the girl, who was casting furtive glances at everyone around us, while sticking as close to me as possible.

“Hey, uh, Bianca, was it?” Casey asked.

The girl nodded timidly, then glanced at me.

“You’ll be sticking with me for today, okay?” Casey said, and the girl frowned.

“Can’t I stay with you?” she asked, and I shook my head.

“I’ll be close by, but my task is much more dangerous than staying with the main group. You’ll be safer here,” I said.

She frowned again.

“Can I come with you anyway?” she asked, and Casey glared at her.

“Until we know that you can keep up with Nate, it’ll be best if you stay with the main group,” she said, shooting the girl an icy stare, bit Bianca looked to me again.

“I’ll keep up with you. I promise.”

Casey rolled her eyes, and I pulled Bianca aside.

“Close your eyes for a sec,” I said, and she nodded, immediately doing as she was told without question. “Now think about telling me something, and focus really hard on getting that message to me.”

_I want to stay with you I want to stay with you I want to stay with you I want to stay with you I want to stay with you I want to stay with you I want to stay with you I want to stay with you I want to stay with you I want to stay with you I want to stay with you I want to stay with you I want to stay with you._

“Whoa-”

_I want to stay with you I want to stay with you I want to stay with you I want to stay with you I want to stay with you I want to stay with you I want to stay with you I want to stay with you I want to stay with you I want to stay with you I want to stay with you I want to stay with you I want to stay with you I want to stay with you I want to stay with you I want to stay with you I want to stay with you I want to stay with you._

“Bianca, stop,” I said, shaking her, and she looked at me, questioningly.

“Did I do something wrong?” she asked, and Casey shot me a questioning look.

“No, uh… let’s try a different approach. I want you to take a look at everyone around us, and look for someone who stands out to you. Then, try telling me something about that person.”

She looked around for a bit, before her gaze narrowed on something, and as I turned to follow her stare-

_Why is she in armor? Is she special? Is she special to him? She’s pretty. Prettier than I’ll ever be. Why can’t I look like that? Her hair is short, but she looks cute. I don’t look like that with short hair. He said I looked like a BOY. Why did I look like that? Why can’t I look like her? She’s perfect. If she had slightly bigger breasts she would be better than perfect. Then Nate would look at her alone. I wouldn’t exist anymore. He would have sex with her. He’ll never have sex with me. He’ll throw me away, and they’ll laugh at me. And then I’ll be alone-_

“Bianca!”

She shook her head, then studied me again, and I cleared my throat before speaking.

“Just to confirm something… just now, what did you try to tell me? With your thoughts?”

She bit her lip, and looked away, a little nervously.

“That girl in the armor… I tried to tell you that I think she’s cute,” she said, and as I turned to look at Francesca, I frowned, as her tone indicated to me at least, that she was being truthful…

_Maybe she’s not aware of it._

As I studied her, a worried expression appeared on her face.

“What exactly are you trying to do?” she asked.

“The pledge you made earlier… it’s supposed to allow you to speak to me using your thoughts.”

“So… you heard my thoughts?”

“Sort of,” I answered, and she rubbed her chin.

“I guess I already told you what I was thinking the second time, but what was I thinking the first time?” she asked.

“That you want to stay with me,” I replied, and she gasped.

“You… you’re not just guessing that, are you?”

I shook my head.

“The second one, I didn’t really catch… but, you were thinking about Francesca’s hair, weren’t you? That you wished you could look that cute with short hair?”

Her hand went to her mouth, and she went red.

“I-is that all you heard?”

I nodded.

“More or less… the rest was garbled… couldn’t make it out, really.”

She had a thoughtful expression on her face.

“So, I can talk to you with my thoughts?”

“Well… that’s how it usually works, but with the others it’s different.”

“Others?”

_Why are there others? How many others? Is it her? Is it all of them? Are all of the girls your slaves? What am I-_

I snapped my fingers, and she quickly shook her head, as she came back to reality.

“It’s not what you were thinking,” I said, and she blushed again.

“God… this is embarrassing. I dunno what came over me.”

“It’s fine. You met Casey, right? The girl over there in the cart? And Raul; the man who attacked you. Both of them are my slaves,” I explained. “When they use this ability, it’s kind of like they’re just speaking normally into my mind. When you use it, it seems as if your thoughts are just spilling out all at once.”

“Huh… do you think I need to practice? To learn how to use it?”

“Maybe… either that, or your brain just doesn’t work the same way theirs do.”

She frowned.

“You mean, I’m not as smart as they are…”

“No… there are different brain types, that function differently. I doubt it has anything to do with intelligence, or any factor that you’re in control of for that matter. We can try practicing, if you’d like; perhaps when we stop for a rest. But I think it might be time to leave pretty soon.”

That panicked look re-appeared on her face, and she quickly looked around.

“Can’t I come with you?” she asked, again, and I frowned.

“I wasn’t kidding about the danger… I might have to fight. The people who’re coming with me might not even make it,” I said, and she frowned.

“You’d protect me. I know you would,” she said, and I frowned.

“I can protect you a lot more easily if you’re over here, with the rest of the group.”

I rested a hand against her cheek as she pouted, though the cute expression on her face was quite adorable.

“If you need me, you can reach me faster than anyone else,” I said, tapping my head. “And even if the message isn’t clear, I’ll hear you. Now as soon as we stop for a rest, you can come right to me, but I really want you to stay with the larger group; and Bianca? While you’re here… I want you to try your best to get along with everyone else.”

“But they all hate me,” she whined, and I snickered at the response.

“I don’t know… maybe they do? I have no way of knowing, really… but what I do know is this; the more they trust you, the less likely they are to keep you away from me,” I said, and her eyes perked up a bit at this.

“Really?” She bit her lip, as she cast a look around, and after spotting Casey, she nodded.

“That girl. You said she was your slave, right?”

“Yep.”

“Okay. Can you force her to teach me how to send better messages?”

“I don’t really force her to do anything. Just ask her, I’m sure she’ll be willing to help.”

Bianca nodded, shooting me one more longing look before heading over to Casey, and I offered a silent prayer that Casey would have enough patience to deal with her.

Gisela, however, was waving me over, so I headed to her side.

“Those who wish to join us are gathered. You should call the warrior goddess to your side and stand by the princess as she addresses them.”

I nodded, and after calling Francesca over, we joined the princess who delivered a quite impassioned speech.

Those who looked on seemed moved by her words, and as the speech came to an end, I headed over to Gisela’s side, surveying the new recruits.

I caught Ryker amongst them, but as I looked around, I failed to spot Eradne.

He caught my gaze, and as he gestured subtly, I nodded.

 _I guess Eradne left a message with him,_ I thought, though I felt relieved as well to know that someone with at least basic medical training would be with us going forward.

“Herr Nathan. Do you wish to know what was spoken?” Gisela asked, and I shook my head.

“Maybe later. How many have joined us?”

“More than I believed possible. Seventeen, nine of which are hunters of renown. Two amongst them have been placed on each of your squads,” she said, indicating to me and Francesca.

“Hmm. That’s good. There’s another thing I’ve been thinking about. Is there a way for our squads to signal to each other?”

Gisela nodded, gesturing to one of the hunters.

The man came over, and after Gisela spoke to him for a bit, he nodded, and removed a little pack that had been strung around his shoulder.

Inside was a kind of greenish looking weed that had been dried.

The man retrieved a little bunch, and at his urging, I took the thing into my hand.

“This shrub, when burned, produces thick, dark smoke. It is seen for many strides.”

“I see.”

As I held the bush in my hand, however, a new question occurred to me.

“How quickly can it be lit?” I asked, and the man produced a small, dried seed.

He held it between his thumb and forefinger, and as he squeezed down on it, a spark shot out from between his fingers, and I nodded appreciatively.

“The spark seed. It is the primary device of fire making, else flint stones are needed,” Gisela explained.

“I see. So, I take it everything is ready then?”

Gisela nodded, and as she did, the members of my squad and Francesca’s came forward, and we began to plan our movements so that we could maintain an equidistant orbit around the main group at all times.

Francesca’s group set out ahead of the main group, and after the main group departed, I waited until the runners with me decreed that we should move as well.

“Auslander. We fly,” the man said, thumping his chest, and I nodded, as I cast one final look upon the solitary grove tree, before turning around as we began to move through the woods.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Palancar intervenes, forcing the group into dangerous territory.

***

I stared into the distance; off to my left, trying to spot the main group.

When we first set off, I’d initially thought that we’d need to move at an accelerated pace to keep our one-mile radius from the group as we moved into more advanced positions in relation to them, but the main group moved slowly and stopped often, forcing us to move at a crawl.

On a good note, though; we’d detected no threat or tail from Palancar of any kind, and as the early morning coolness gave way to the sweltering heat that came with proper daylight sun, the group had begun to move with a more steady, consistent pace.

I wiped away at the sheen of sweat that had built up on my brow.

It was hot in here, and not a dry kind of heat like a California summer, but the humid kind of heat that made everything feel stuffy and claustrophobic.

 _Maybe Francesca did have the right idea,_ I thought, as we stopped for a momentary break.

I used the intermission to strip off my breast plate, and remove the leather shirt that I’d worn underneath, and after thinking about it for a second, I also lost the pants.

Going full commando wasn’t really an option, since the belt plate offered very little coverage, but as I recalled that Francesca had cut her own cotton pants to a shorter, more manageable length, I quickly decided to do the same to the piece of clothing that I’d entered this world in.

As I stripped, I caught a few inquisitive glances in my direction, and I snickered a little to myself.

_Were they as curious about our bodies as we were of theirs?_

Thanks to my rendezvous with Eradne, I now knew full well that their biological make-up was pretty much identical to ours, with only subtle differences apart from the green hue of their skin, but it seemed that that fundamental difference was enough to excite the imagination nonetheless.

I quickly donned the pieces of armor that I’d removed for the wardrobe change, and as we began moving again, I felt much more at ease.

We continued along until my group moved off to the left of the main group, but as we came to a stream, the group came to a halt.

“Did the main group stop?” I asked, and the man shook his head.

“We need to discuss. To keep current separation from main group, crossing stream is necessary,” the man said, and as I examined the stream, I found that it wasn’t particularly deep, nor too wide to cross.

“That’s fine,” I said, but the man shook his head.

“Beyond this stream blooms blighted grove, Auslander. Treading upon is with caution.”

“Why?” I asked.

“Die Aufhöcker!” one of the other Kobalt exclaimed, and the others seemed to cringe at the very use of the word.

I was about to ask what the word meant, when suddenly, a signal smoke went up, off to the right.

“Is that the main group?” I asked, and as the Kobalt man spoke to one of the others, a response came in German:

“Weiter weg von, Auslander,” the man said, and I nodded.

Further off then… so Francesca’s team.

“Meet up with the main group,” I instructed the others, as I drew my halberd from its resting place over my shoulder, and darted into the trees in the direction of the smoke.

 _Time to push this armor to its limits!_ I thought, but as I really kicked up the pace, my chest tightened, as the speed I moved at momentarily overwhelmed me.

It was exhilarating; like riding your bike downhill for the first time after you’ve just got the hang of riding, but I quickly found that controlling my movements at that speed was more difficult than I thought, and to my embarrassment, my shoulder crashed painfully into a nearby trunk that I was unable to move clear of in time, and as it knocked me off balance, I tumbled onto the ground and rolled about several times before coming painfully to rest at the bottom of a short incline.

I took a quick look around to make sure that my misstep went unnoticed, and I breathed a sigh of relief as I found myself alone in the brush.

The smoke was fading, but I could still make out the general heading, so I climbed to my feet and took off at a more sustainable speed, and soon enough I got to where the group was.

There was a large group of Kobalt surrounding Francesca’s group, and while her spear was drawn, her body language was calm, and measured.

 _Good girl,_ I thought to myself, as I approached the group.

“Halt there, Auslander,” one of the Kobalt called, and I turned my halberd around, and swung the butt end at the man, striking him across the face.

The blow lifted him off of his feet, and he landed painfully by the feet of one of his comrades, and the others moved to his side, and aimed their spears at me.

“Don’t assume you possess the authority command me,” I barked, as I slung my weapon over my shoulder and strode past the group without a second glance and moved to Francesca’s side.

“What happened? Did they attack?” I asked, and she shook her head.

“They ordered us to stay here, and I wasn’t sure what to do, so we sent up a signal. Should I have fought back?” she asked, and I shook my head.

“No, you did well,” I replied. “Let’s move to the main group.”

As I led the group toward the spears pointed at them, the Kobalt wielding them momentarily held their ground, but as I shot them a warning glare, they moved out of our way, and we walked away from the blockade and towards the main group.

We got there to the sounds of a commotion of sorts, as the princess, with Gisela and a few of her aides at her side, was standing at the head of the group, yelling at a group of Kobalt who were now standing in their path.

“What’s going on?” I asked, as soon as I moved to Gisela’s side.

“Palancar seeks to obstruct our migration,” Gisela explained, and I nodded.

There were around forty Kobalt in front of us, with a Kobalt man wearing on one of those toga-styled robes that I assumed meant he was a member of the council, standing at the fore, and engaging the princess in a quite heated debate.

As soon as he spotted me, he waved a hand dismissively at her, much to her chagrin, as he moved toward me.

“Auslander. Your people tread on Palancar soil. It is not acceptable,” he began, and I turned to Gisela.

“What claim do they have to the land?” I asked, and she bit her lip, indicating ahead.

“A grove seed has been sown; up ahead. By right, it would claim this land for Palancar, as long as the carrier of the seed is of legitimate association.”

“When was the seed planted?” I asked, dropping my voice to whisper, as I turned away from the councilor.

“This morning. Most likely, after our departure.”

I furrowed my brow.

I knew that Palancar, being the massive city that it was, still lay to the east of where we were, and that we would need to journey for several days before moving completely clear of its vicinity, but to obstruct us at this point seemed an unusual waste of their time.

“What’s their play here?” I asked, and Gisela shot me a questioning look.

“Play?”

“Sorry. I mean, what’s the purpose of getting in our way like this?” I asked, and she frowned.

“We cannot circumvent their lands by heading east, because therein lies Palancar.”

I nodded, having already guessed as much, as she continued.

“And west of here is a blighted grove that would cast us into danger,” she continued, and I frowned, as I suddenly recalled my group’s hesitation to even cross the stream we’d encountered.

“Across the stream?” I asked, and she nodded.

“Up ahead is an impassable mass of rock. To circumvent this new land, we will need to venture some way through the blighted grove.”

“How long would it take to cross?”

She frowned, thinking about it for a bit.

“Perhaps three, maybe four day-cycles? It is difficult to estimate, as the challenges are many.”

This was bad…

We’d left Miriam’s cluster to escape Palancar’s reach, but it seemed they were intent on forcing us into a confrontation.

There was no choice… we would have to brave this ‘blighted grove’.

“How far do we need to move to be out of their ‘territory’?” I asked, and Gisela frowned.

“Six or seven hundred paces.”

I nodded.

“Let’s move, then,” I ordered, but as Gisela spoke to the princess, the girl stomped her foot on the ground, and refused to budge.

Gisela shot me a pleading look, and I nodded, as I approached them.

 _To relinquish my resolve to a councilor, much less an imbecile like him, vexes me. It is an insult to my very existence!_ Miriam’s voice spoke into my mind, and I frowned, resting a hand against her cheek comfortingly.

 _If you ask it of me, I will relent,_ she continued, and I sighed, looking to Gisela to relay my message.

“Not for me, or for yourself… but for all who look to your leadership,” I said, and as Gisela spoke, she cast a glance back at the Kobalt who were now looking to her, and she nodded.

 _So be it,_ she said, but as she turned and walked away, a forlorn expression on her face, I turned to the councilman, and shot him a sharp glare as I committed his face to memory.

As we walked over to the stream where my group had been just a little earlier, I stole to Gisela’s side.

“That Kobalt; he’s on the council, isn’t he?” I asked, and as she nodded in response, I continued, “with whom does his loyalty lie?”

She bit her, leaning closer to me to whisper.

“Danebe.”

“Do you think this has all been his doing?”

She thought about it for a bit, before responding.

“The actions of Palancar right now align with his ideology. But I find it difficult to believe him the orchestrator.”

As we came to the stream, and the group pulled up to a stop, Gisela looked around, before adding:

“Even before we were cast out from Palancar… I suspected that his dissents and protests came at the direction of another,” she explained, and I nodded, taking a look around at the group myself.

The otherworlders in the group wore confused expressions, as most had not yet been told what was going on, but the sheer terror plastered on the faces of the Kobalt was quickly unnerving everyone.

As soon as I spotted Casey over by the supply carts, I quickly moved to join her, and as I did, she shot me a surprisingly relieved look.

_Please, for the love of God, relieve me of this girl!_

I chuckled a little as I approached.

“-but do you think he’ll like me more if I’m a fighter, though? It’s not very… girlish, is it? I don’t want to be useful, but not wanted.”

“Bianca, I don’t know what he prefers,” Casey replied, the exasperation in her voice completely unhidden, but Bianca seemed completely oblivious.

“Oh, Nate!” she said, as soon as she spotted my approach. “Did you come to check on me?”

She swayed girlishly, as she batted her eyes at me cutely, and I rubbed the back of my head.

“Sort of,” I answered. “There’s been a bit of a problem. Do you think you could gather up the rest of our group? Anywhere around here is fine.”

“Me?” she asked, looking around, and I nodded, chuckling a little.

“O-of course! I’ll be right back,” she said, and as she wandered off, I stared after her a little.

“Is she that bad?” I asked, and Casey groaned.

“Ugh! You have no fucking idea! What’s going on?”

“Palancar is getting in our way again. What do you know about a ‘blighted grove’ somewhere in here, by the way?”

“Inside the forest?”

I nodded.

“Never heard of it,” she replied, and I frowned.

As I kept an eye on Bianca, I noticed that she seemed to be talking to Leeanna, and I watched for a bit, since she was one of the otherworlders I’d have preferred to keep her from associating with.

She quickly moved on to Nolan, Jordan and Cameron, but I noted that she was talking to them for quite some time, rather than just telling them to gather up, and I let out a sigh.

“You were a much more efficient assistant,” I noted, and she groaned again.

“You know what, just… fucking help me out of here,” Casey said, and I shot her a dubious look.

“You really should rest for a bit, you know. Stab wound, and all that?” I countered, but she was determined.

“I can move around; its fine,” she said, and as she struggled to get out of the cart, I offered her a hand.

“Here; put your arms around my neck,” I instructed, as I got my hands under her; and I lifted her up, and away from the cart.

As I rested her down on her feet, however, I noticed she seemed a little flushed, and I chuckled at the response.

“I’m gonna go get the council together, but… would you stop undressing me with your eyes?” I teased.

“Fuck- I wasn’t doing that. Ugh! This stupid hypnosis!” she cursed, and I snickered at her as she screwed up her face and folded her arms angrily.

I spotted Gisela getting the Kobalt organized for our new route, and headed over to her.

“I wanted the council to get together, but is this a good time?” I asked, as I approached, and she nodded.

“It will do,” she replied, as she signaled to Myrinne.

She began to head over to the princess, but the girl shot her a dejected wave of the hand, dismissing her, and Gisela and I shared a little look of concern.

“She could use some cheering up,” I began, and Gisela quickly nodded in agreement.

We headed over to the supply cart, where Cameron was already waiting.

“Hey, can you tell this idiot that she might wanna rest a little after, I dunno, getting stabbed?”

“Oh, please. Compared to the gang rape, and losing my hand? This is practically a pin prick,” Casey answered, waving her good hand dismissively.

“That’s a clear exaggeration,” I replied, “I mean, I pricked my finger on a pin once, and whoo boy, that thing hurt for weeks.”

Casey shot me a wry look, and Cameron giggled at the comment, as Gisela and Myrinne moved to my side.

Gisela then indicated to one of the hunters from my group, and the man came over to join us.

“This is Helge,” Gisela began.

Everyone gave their names, and the man bowed in response.

“I am not worthy,” he replied.

“Helge is a hunter of this grove. He knows the dangers it poses better than most,” Gisela explained, and I nodded.

“So, what can we expect?”

“The danger most common is der geisterung.”

“Describe it?” Casey asked.

“Large creature. Half-Kobalt bigger than one full grown; fangs for tearing flesh, and claws which slice through bone like god-weapon.”

“Black fur?” I asked, and as the man nodded, I shot Cameron a look.

“You think it’s the thing we killed?” she asked, and I shrugged.

“Sounds like it. Actually, Gunter was there back then. Let’s just ask him,” I suggested, and Gisela hesitated, before requesting that one of the other girls call for him.

“Herr Götze!” Gunter called, and Gisela quickly scolded him.

“Ask him about the creature we killed on the day when he came to fetch us,” I requested, and Gisela nodded, before relaying the question.

Gunter quickly nodded, then began to speak excitedly, his actions indicating that he was actually giving them a breakdown of how it happened, and the Kobalt man, Helge, furrowed his brow at him.

They spoke for a bit, before Gisela dismissed Gunter, much to his dismay, and then turned her attention back to the group.

“This is unprecedented,” Gisela said. “The geisterung has never been seen that far south of Palancar.”

As she and Myrinne began to talk in their tongue, I noted that Casey had a worried look on her face.

“What are you thinking?” I asked, and she shook her head.

“I’m not sure… that creature sounds more like a monster than an animal,” she answered, and I frowned.

“What’s the difference?” I asked.

“There are animals native to this world. Some are so similar to earth animals that they may well be from the same class or order as modern-day animals.”

“And monsters?”

“Monsters are aberrations which fuse humanoid properties with… other things. Sometimes animal… sometimes objects, plants, even viruses or bacteria.”

I studied her carefully.

“Is that your company’s doing?”

Casey sighed.

“Honestly? I have no proof, but it’s a fair assumption. I mean, monsters are resilient to ordinary weapons; many use abilities similar to the ones our armor grant us; and they do seem to inexplicably pop up in areas where the company wants to keep otherworlders around, like the towns beyond Saker.”

I frowned.

“Why here then?”

She thought about it for a while.

“Can’t say I have an answer for that. This is way out of the way of any normal otherworlder hunting grounds, but who knows? Maybe the company has no part to play in this after all, and it’s all just random.”

I quickly glanced at Helge, who seemed to be trying to shrink away from the conversation taking place.

“Helge, was it?”

He nodded timidly, as if my uttering his name had physically struck him.

“How frequently do these creatures, what was it called again-?”

“Geisterung,” Gisela answered, as the man didn’t quite seem to understand where I was going.

“-right, geisterung. Do you have an idea of their numbers?”

“Numbers?” he asked, and Gisela quickly spoke to him in their language, and he shook his head.

“We tracked three, outside of _Kleiner Hein-_ ”

“The cluster,” Gisela explained, and the man nodded, before continuing:

“-two roam east of Palancar, along the fringe; the other, north of here, past the new grove. But within the blighted grove, their numbers are many more… and greater evils walk among them.”

“The Aufhöcker?” I asked, and the man shuddered a little, before nodding.

I glanced at Gisela and she frowned.

She spoke to the man, a bit angrily, and he quickly bowed, before taking his leave.

“What was that about,” I asked, and she shook her head.

“The geisterung is real; a thing seen, that our people have faced for generations. But the Aufhöcker is a myth. It is told to straying saplings to keep them to the path of the grove.”

I rubbed my chin, as I considered all of the new information.

“Hmm. I think I feel a bit more comfortable going into the grove now,” I said, stretching lazily, and Cameron shot me a surprised look.

“I’m sorry? What part about monsters and creatures from folklore makes you feel at ease about going in there?” she asked.

“Well, I’m fairly confident that we can handle this… geisterung, with our weapons. Even larger monsters shouldn’t give us much trouble with armor and all that. My concern was that there were enough of those monsters in there to make this a viable hunting ground for otherworlders, because then the possibility would exist that we might encounter some in there.”

Casey rubbed her chin, thoughtfully.

“You said they were like bears, right?”

I nodded.

“Yellowstone has like seven hundred bears,” she said.

“Over what kind of area?”

“About eighty-thousand square kilometers,” she answered, and I frowned.

“Again, with the metrics?” I asked, and she waved a hand dismissively.

“Deal with it.”

I shook my head.

“Fine then; from what I’ve been told, our path through the area is, uh… about a hundred kilometers?”

“In a straight line?”

I shook my head.

“We’re going around some impassable rocky terrain,” I explained, and Casey nodded.

“So that might be, like… a five thousand square kilometer area. I’d say there’s about fifty creatures in that area,” Casey said, and I nodded.

“So, about two hundred credits worth of monsters? I doubt that’d be worth anyone’s time.”

She nodded, as she paused to consider the situation.

“Although… let’s say for argument’s sake that there are greater monsters in there, and these… geisterung, aren’t apex predators in this area. That could easily push their numbers into triple figures within the same space… depending on what they eat, how they breed, et cetera.”

“You want me to get you a sample, or do you need to study them in their natural habitat?” I teased, and Casey shrugged.

“A little info wouldn’t hurt, but it’s not like I need to write a thesis about it,” she replied, and I suddenly noticed that Cameron was shooting me a teasing look, as her eyes darted between me and Casey.

“Well you two seem to be in sync today,” she said, and I tilted me head at her.

“What does that mean?” I asked.

“Oh nothing; you two just argue like an old married couple,” she teased, and Casey began to blush furiously.

“I was just trying to make sure Nate has everything he needs… to help us get through whatever’s ahead,” she replied, trying in vain to act as if Cameron’s comment hadn’t affected her.

“Everything he needs?” Cameron teased, and Casey’s mouth fell open, as she continued to blush.

“I-information! The _information_ he needs,” she clarified, stuttering a little.

I chuckled nervously, trying not to embarrass Casey any further since I figured she would probably dwell on it unnecessarily.

“Is there anything else we’ll need to do before setting out?”

Gisela nodded.

“The availability of food within the grove is uncertain. Our hunters will set out from here and forage what we can. We have enough supply to last three day-cycles; but it is best to expect complications.”

I nodded.

“How much time can we spare on that? I’d prefer if we get into the grove, and away from Palancar, before settling down for the night.”

“If we march, even two thousand strides into the grove, we will rest beyond where Palancar’s runners ever travel,” Gisela explained, and I nodded.

“Two thousand strides… at our current pace, we could do that in, what… an hour or two?” I asked, glancing at Casey, and she nodded. “How much time do we need to make preparations for the night?”

“The final quarter of the day’s last light is adequate,” Gisela answered, and I nodded.

“Well then,” I began, turning to face the grove. “Let’s get started.”

Thankfully, by the time we were done talking, Bianca had gathered up the rest of the group, and we gave them a quick rundown on the change in route, explaining the dangers involved, while also trying not to stress on it so much as to cause a panic.

Leanna seemed particularly disturbed by the news, but everyone else seemed to just accept the change as a necessary, if undesirable development.

Just as the meeting came to an end, however, Jeannie pulled me aside for a quick word.

“So, Bianca’s doing your personal bidding now?” she asked, and I rubbed the back of my head.

“Honestly, we kind of just sent her on that task to keep her occupied, because she was annoying the hell out of Casey,” I replied, and she frowned.

“I’m not sure if that sends the right message. A lot of us still harbor reservations about her supposed change of heart,” Jeannie continued, and I nodded.

“I understand… but she is trying. I hope everyone else does as well.”

I moved to where Casey was, and noted that she seemed to be in a bit of discomfort.

“You’re going back in the cart as soon as we cross that stream,” I began, and she frowned.

“Fine. It is starting to hurt a little,” she conceded, and I shook my head at her.

“I’m still up for using a healing potion, if you need it,” I began, and she shook her head in response.

“It’s fine. I might have lost the direct accelerated healing that my implant might have afforded, but my core will still generally accelerate the process; it just does so less efficiently.”

I rubbed my chin, as I withdrew the core from my satchel, and held it up for inspection.

“So, what would happen if you lost your core?” I asked, and she snickered a little.

“It can’t be extracted while I’m alive. Our cores don’t manifest in that form until our hearts stop beating.”

“So… what if you’re resuscitated afterwards?”

She bit her lip.

“Life doesn’t function here without one. I’m not sure why, yet… but unless you replaced the core, resuscitation just isn’t possible.”

As Casey spoke, I noticed Bianca creeping timidly towards us.

“So, did I do well~?” she sang, and I nodded, then ruffled her hair affectionately, much to her delight.

As I took a look around, however, I noted that the two subgroups within our team still seemed to generally keep to themselves, as Cameron, Jordan, Nolan and Francesca were off to one side, while Jeannie, Evie, Molly, and Leanna were off to another.

“I’m thinking of pairing off our group,” I said, and Casey shot me a panicked look as her eyes flicked over to Bianca.

“For what reason?” she asked.

“I think it might be beneficial for us in the long term if stronger bonds were formed between our members, and if everyone got to know each other better.”

“Don’t wanna just let it happen organically?” Casey asked, and I snickered at her.

“Organically, you and I would have never spoken,” I pointed out, and she frowned. “Besides, it’d be better for security too; to keep guard in pairs. And if people get to know each other better in the process, then all the better.”

Casey shrugged.

“Just be aware of who you’re pairing off with who,” she replied, grimacing as she took a quick look around.

“Uh, Nate. Do you think you could help me down to the ground? I wanna lie back, but I don’t wanna go back in the cart until we cross the stream.”

I snickered at her, then went to the supply cart and fished out one of the sleeping bags from our supplies, and after spreading it on the forest floor, I placed my arms around Casey, and swept her up, then rested her gently, down onto the covering.

Her breath seemed to be caught in her throat, and she shot me a thankful nod, as I did a quick check to make sure that she was okay.

I noticed, however, that Bianca was keeping a keen eye on us, and I decided to take her with me for the first pairing.

“You and Casey seem pretty close; is that why she’s your advisor?”

I shook my head.

“Honestly, she tried to kill me on our first day here. But she used to work for the company, and she knows a lot of info that we need to survive in this place. I guess I just showed her the benefits of working together,” I explained, and she frowned.

“I don’t know about the attempted murder, but she likes you,” Bianca whispered, and I chuckled at her.

“Very astute observation. Can I let you in on a secret?”

She quickly nodded, as she leaned in and shot me a conspiratorial look.

“Someone hypnotized her into falling in love with me,” I said, and her eyes went wide.

“Wow… is that even possible?”

I chuckled a little.

“I mean, I heard your thoughts earlier, remember? So, tell me; what do you think?”

She quickly nodded.

“How did you hypnotize her?”

“I didn’t,” I replied. “Someone else did.”

She put a hand to her chin thoughtfully, as I continued.

“As far as we know; the hypnosis can only be performed through direct eye contact, or through touch. We’re not sure whose doing it, though… which brings me to your first real mission, actually.”

“A mission? For me?” she asked, showing an almost childlike excitement at the thought.

“Yup. I want you to pay attention to what’s going on. If there’s anyone acting weird, or anyone going out of their way to look into someone else’s eyes, or touch them. I want you to report it to me. Do you think you can handle that?”

Bianca quickly nodded.

“Of course! You can count on me. I can be just as useful as Casey, or even the brown-haired girl with the armor!”

“Francesca.”

“Huh?” she asked, a confused look on her face.

“The brown-haired girl. Her name is Francesca.”

“Oh, right! Heey~, I should start with her. Maybe she’s hypnotized everyone into thinking she’s cute. I mean, I’m clearly the cutest girl here, right? Anyone who thinks otherwise has gotta be hypnotized!”

I snickered a little, before ruffling her hair again.

“I could pair you up with her, if you wanna do some recon,” I began, and she quickly nodded.

“Yeah! I’ll make sure to catch her right in the act. Just gotta be sure I don’t let her touch me… or make eye contact.”

We headed over to where Francesca was, and I let her know that she’d be on guard with Bianca.

She shot me a curious look, but didn’t seem to be too put off by the pairing, so I left them to it, and headed off.

For the rest of the pairings, I decided to place Molly with Cameron, and Jeannie with Jordan, since it allowed me to pair their members with ours, and in groupings of people that I’d noted had not interacted much.

As for Leanna, I felt it was best to place her in Casey’s care, which I hoped wouldn’t annoy her as much, but also since that pairing allowed me to not have to explain keeping a weapon out of Leanna’s hands given that Casey was pretty much stuck with the supply cart, which was the safest spot in our caravan.

That left Evie with me, which wasn’t too bad a coupling, since I’d already interacted a bit with Molly, but Evie and I hadn’t much spoken outside of our previous sexual tryst.

The final piece was Nolan, who rather than being placed on guard, I decided to leave with Johann and Myrinne, so that they could help further our understanding of what the landscape would be like, and where we could settle down as we continued further on.

We decided it would be best to keep the group close together, and let the guard pairs move in a circular pattern around the core, allowing us to keep an eye on things, as well as maintaining a more or less secure perimeter.

“Couldn’t you have paired us up,” Cameron asked, as she moved to my side, and I frowned.

“I will eventually, but I figured for the first day, it’d be best to go with pairings that allowed us to concentrate properly.”

“Oh~, so you wouldn’t concentrate well if we were on guard together?” she teased.

As she linked our arms together, and rested her head against my shoulder, I stole a quick look around, only to find that her public display of affection had attracted few, if any gazes.

“Nolan’s calmed down, I see,” I said, and she chuckled a little.

“Yeah… I kind of chewed him out,” she admitted, and I studied her admiringly.

“Well, I’m glad you did,” I said, but I frowned, as I suddenly remembered my suspicion about the possibly manipulated nature of our relationship.

I pulled Cameron with me, away from prying ears.

“Listen… there’s something I think you might need to know,” I began, and she studied me.

“If it’s that you’ve had sex with one of the other girls, I think I already told you that I don’t really care about that,” she began, and I shook my head.

“No, no. Nothing like that. It’s just… Casey seems to think that our princess is capable of using some kind of hypnosis,” I began, and she studied me, a nervous smile on her face.

“Hypnosis? Like, make you quack like duck, kind of thing?”

“Honestly, I’m not sure if it’s true, or what the limitations are, but… if it _is_ true, then it’s entirely possible that the first night we spent together was a result of her actions,” I explained, and Cameron frowned.

“So, you’re saying that I feel comfortable with you because she hypnotized me into it?”

I nodded.

“Again, this is just speculation, but… you hadn’t had penetrative sex in, what, years?”

“Almost a decade,” Cameron answered.

“Doesn’t it seem odd that you managed to cope with getting back on that horse with someone you’d only just met the day before? And who you had serious reservations about?”

She bit her lip.

“What about you? You were talking about being in love, and you’re not even sure you’re capable of it,” she noted, and I nodded in response.

“The thing is… I still feel as if whatever relationship I developed with you happened quite… naturally, almost, no matter how sudden it was. And I really did always crave this kind of closeness.”

Cameron nodded.

“I know what you mean. I really like feeling like this… being comfortable with you. Feeling safe. To be honest, I’m not sure I care if it was hypnosis or not. I want this,” she continued, and I smiled, kissing her on the forehead as we walked.

“I’m glad to hear you say that,” I replied, and she took a quick look around, before leaning up, and giving me a quick peck on the lips.

“Besides, hypnosis or not… I’m probably carrying your baby,” she said, and I smiled again, before gently brushing my fingers against her stomach.

As she moved away from me, I kept ahold of her hand for just a second, and she leaned back a bit, and winked at me with that girlish sway that I was beginning to outright adore, before slipping out of my hands and heading over to meet up with her assigned pairing.

I kept my eyes on her for a moment longer, before I turned and noticed Evie’s eyes on me, and I quickly moved over to her side.

“Hey,” I said, and she studied me for a bit.

“Hey yourself… does Francesca know about that?” she asked, and as I nodded, she shot me a dubious look.

“It’s complicated,” I began, “because of a misunderstanding, the Kobalt think that Cameron is my mate.”

Evie shook her head.

“And you couldn’t just clear that up?”

I chuckled a little, then relayed to her the story of our first ‘ceremonial’ coupling, and she stared at me in shock.

“So, Cameron might really be pregnant? And the two of you did that just so that you could be accepted by the princess?”

I nodded, a little uncertainly.

“Well, it started out that way, but Cameron and I really bonded since then… so it’s not entirely acting.”

Evie frowned.

“So, what is Francesca to you then?”

“Something… similar, actually. She and I really connected since we got here; and since the Kobalt hunters really look up to her because of her skill in combat; a relationship, or rather, the external appearance of one, elevated my status in their eyes.”

“So, you really like both of them, but they also have a part to play in maintaining your image as our leader? I guess having multiple partners kind of makes you seem more godlike in their eyes too, huh.”

I nodded in response, as Evie sighed.

“Just… be careful with Francesca. I don’t wanna see her get hurt.”

“Well, maybe you can help me with that; I was actually doing pretty well at fending off her advances until last night.”

“Fending off?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Don’t get me wrong; I really do adore her, and I don’t regret at all getting into that kind of relationship with her, but I’m a little older than she is, and in my eyes, I guess I can’t help but see her as a kid.”

“I get it,” Evie said, nodding. “She does give off a bit of a ‘little sister’ kind of vibe.”

 _Not that I find that unattractive,_ I thought, as I continued.

“I’m just not sure she’s really ready for the kind of serious relationship that she thinks she wants. I mean, you heard her joke about pregnancy, right?”

“Yeah. I know Molly gets her kicks off of that kind of dirty talk, but my heart skipped a beat at that one. By the way, does she know about Cameron; her possible pregnancy, I mean?”

I shook my head.

“Right now, apart from you and Casey, only a few of the Kobalt know about it.”

“Oh… should I feel honored?”

I chuckled a little.

“Maybe.”

As we walked, we came to the edge of the stream, and Evie cast a speculative look into the woods beyond.

“Is it just me, or does it seem darker on that side?”

“It’s not just you,” I replied, as I took a look up to the canopy far overhead, where a little bit of light at least, was trickling down to us, while the other side seemed cast in a kind of perpetual shadow.

Maybe the canopy was just a bit thicker at that particular spot, but it sure gave the woods on that side of the stream a menacing feel.

“We’re really in a whole new world here, huh?”

“At this point, I think we can accept that as an indisputable fact,” I remarked, somewhat bemused, and Evie snickered a little, as she ran her hands nervously through her hair.

“It still feels so surreal. Monsters, alien races… even these bodies; I mean, even without an implant, Casey’s recovering pretty quickly,” she said, casting a furtive glance back towards the supply carts.

“Accelerated healing is just the start of it. I’ve been told that, thanks to our implants, we age so slowly that we might as well be immortal.”

Evie scoffed.

“Some use that is when we could die horribly at any time.”

She shuddered a little, then let out a tired stretch.

“Does that scare you?” I asked, as she turned to study me.

“Death? I think it scares everyone, doesn’t it?”

“No, I mean… is it constantly on your mind?”

She thought about it for a while, then shook her head.

“When we first got here, and while we were with Vanessa’s group, it was all I could think about. But more recently it hasn’t been as bad, I think.”

“That’s good. I know it’s gonna be on everyone’s minds because of our situation, but hopefully we can get things to a stable enough level that everyone can feel more at ease.”

Evie let out another sigh.

“Kind of makes you wonder what we did to deserve being sent here, doesn’t it?”

I chuckled a little.

“Well then, maybe there’s a catholic schoolgirl in you after all,” I teased, and she frowned.

“You don’t think our actions have consequences?” she asked, and I nodded in response.

“Actions? Sure. But if you’re thinking that God is punishing you, all I have to say is that God didn’t send you here. People did.”

“Isn’t that just one of the ‘mysterious ways’ in which he works?” Evie asked, and I snickered a little.

“In my opinion, that’s just an excuse people use to justify a broken system. Like, why do poor people starve? ‘Because they committed some intangible sin that they’re atoning for’; which wealthy people say, while living in modern day castles, and indulging their every whim and fancy, no matter how vile.” 

“So, you don’t believe in God?” she asked, seeming quite intrigued.

“The only thing I believe in is statistics,” I replied, and she laughed.

“Statistics? I’ve been told they tell a lot of lies,” she replied, and I scoffed.

“ _People_ lie. Statistics don’t do anything, until we do something with them.”

“So, why place your faith in it?” she asked.

“There’s a saying, that if there’s a question that statistics can’t answer, then you simply don’t have enough statistics,” I replied, and she studied me.

“So, statistically speaking, does God exist?”

“I don’t have enough statistics to answer that,” I replied, and Evie laughed.

“What’s your personal opinion then?”

“My opinion? To me, whether God exists or not is irrelevant. The world around us continues to exist regardless, and we have to deal with the nature of that existence however we can either way.”

“Hm. So, what’s your opinion on people who believe in God then? Do you think they’re stupid?”

I shrugged.

“It depends. If you use your faith in God to feel a sense of superiority over others, or to belittle those who don’t share your belief, there’s a word I’d use to describe you that’s a bit worse than stupid. But if your belief in God is what gives you strength to cope with the difficult things that your circumstances throw at you? Then no, I don’t think that’s stupid.”

Evie smiled at me.

“That’s a nice way of looking at it,” she said. “Usually, everyone just looks down on me, and treats me like I’m an idiot for believing in something.”

I frowned.

“Well, not too long ago, those who didn’t believe in God were treated like that themselves… as if they were ‘too stupid’, or otherwise lacking in some way, and unable to understand something like faith. So, most likely the people who made you feel like that were reacting not to you, but to something that in their eyes you ‘represent’ which in the past made them suffer.

“It’s sad; but humans are like that. Constantly wounding others in retaliation for the wounds they suffered, and very rarely do they act against the thing that actually caused them pain. Instead, they look for easy targets; not that I’m saying that you’re weak,” I clarified, and Evie nodded her understanding, as I continued:

“They just look for the ones who probably won’t fight back. Passive people; those who are kind enough to swallow the insult, and ‘go quietly into the night’ as the saying goes.”

“Well, thankfully there are people like you to stand up for me, right?” she added, and I chuckled a little at the comment.

“I’m not sure I am what you seem to think I am. I mean, I spent my entire life being my adoptive sister’s punching bag for everything that her family ever did to her.”

She frowned.

“You said your adoptive siblings never really liked you, right? Was it just her?”

I shook my head in response.

“I had a brother, too. We never really got along, but he never really lashed out at me the way she did.”

She pondered my words for a bit.

“So, they had two kids? Your adoptive parents, I mean.”

I nodded.

“Biologically theirs?”

I nodded again, and she rubbed her chin.

“I don’t mean anything by this, but in that case, why did they still adopt you?”

“I’ve wondered that myself. I was no relation to them at all. Hell, I even tried to track down my real family and found absolutely nothing.”

“I never found mine either,” Evie said, as I studied her. “Does it bother you? Not knowing who they were?”

I shrugged.

“I guess I looked only because there were questions that I wanted answers to; but no, I don’t think it really bothered me all that much. What about you?”

Evie shook her head.

“The only thing I knew about my mother was that she left me on the doorstep of a convent. Sometimes I imagine what she must have been going through then, to do that… I actually thought that maybe if I found her, I could help her, and we could even be a family again, you know? But I guess that’s because I’ve never had anything that felt like a family.”

“Well, you could always start a family of your own,” I pointed out, and Evie chuckled a little.

“I dunno about that… most of my love interests aren’t exactly the kind that can give me babies,” she joked.

“Molly certainly looks like she’d try anyway,” I teased, and she blushed.

Her eyes flicked to me for a second, as she suddenly seemed a little anxious.

“Maybe, when we settle down… we could find someone to help us with that,” she suggested, but before I could even respond-

***Grrrrrawwhh!**

A low, deep growl sent us quickly on alert.

I scanned the woods up ahead, across the stream, until a little bit of movement drew my eyes to the thing…

A thick mat of dark fur.

Wicked, sharp claws on its hands and feet; and eyes that seemed to penetrate into my very soul.

“Get Francesca,” I said to Evie, “and one of the hunters.”

She nodded, turning slowly to leave, before taking off at a sprint.

The creature walked on all fours, slowly; snaking its way through the shadows of the grove as if stalking me, watching me intently.

It was almost as if sizing me up.

I reached for the halberd slung around my shoulder, and it stopped.

 _So, you know what this is then?_ I thought, as I crouched, preparing to lunge at any time.

As I studied the creature, I suddenly noted its eyes flick towards something behind me, and as I heard the thudding footsteps, I figured Francesca was running to my side.

The creature turned, and darted, and I dashed forward after it.

“With me!” I yelled, as I kept my eyes on the beast.

It was quick, but definitely not quicker than the top speed I’d achieved earlier; but moving that fast through unknown territory while chasing after a monster wasn’t exactly a wise thing to do.

I tapped my wrist as I ran, summoning up a little holographic display of my compass module, and took a quick note of the direction of the camp, as I returned my attention to the beast.

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Francesca’s form keeping pace with me, and I hoped that at least one of the hunters was following along as well, since they would be our only hope if we got lost in this grove, but in the second that I took my eye off of my target, he came to a sudden halt, and I skidded as I pulled to a stop just as a pair of claws flashed at me from somewhere to my right.

I got my arm up just in time to deflect the blow, but before I could register the creature’s position much less respond, a spear came bursting through the thick mat of fur, and a stream of blood erupted, as Francesca pulled the weapon from her kill.

 _Two of them!_ I thought, as my eyes flicked back to the creature up ahead.

The beast let out a loud, thunderous growl, but as it charged at us, I steadied myself, then stabbed it through the chest, before swinging my weapon, and throwing the creature out of our path, as it made one final, desperate swipe at me with its final bit of strength.

“Holy shit,” Francesca breathed, as she moved to my side. “Was that all of them?”

“I didn’t even see the second one until it struck,” I replied, as Francesca turned to face away from me.

With our backs together, we kept an eye out for more signs of danger; but the forest around us seemed still, until a pair of Kobalt came charging through the woods, and they stared at us with outright shock as they took in our respective kills.

“Lob sei den Göttern,” one of the Kobalt muttered, as they knelt before us.

“Is anyone else coming?” I asked in German, and the hunter who spoke shook his head.

“What do we do with them?” Francesca asked, as I took a tentative look back at the corpses.

“Was wondering that myself. Casey mentioned that monsters might be humanoid in some way, so I don’t suppose eating them is an option?”

Francesca headed off to the camp with the hunters, and to my surprise, when she returned with a group of eight hunters, she informed me that not only were the monsters edible, but their meat was quite nutritious, and delicious to boot.

Together, we hauled the beasts back to the stream where Gisela and a few others awaited.

“Magnificent kills,” Gisela noted, as many of the other Kobalt gathered on the opposite side of the stream to look on.

I noted, with some relief, that the fearful looks we’d seen earlier seemed to have been more or less assuaged for the time being, as the hunters got to work on preparing our kills.

“This is good, Nate,” Gisela added. “Two geisterung will provide us the food we require to depart. Only problem is, dressing; preparation… it requires time. Our departure will be delayed.”

I frowned, as the Kobalt began to skin the creatures with great difficulty using their inefficient bone tools, and I turned to Francesca.

“Nolan has a knife, right?”

She nodded, adding:

“And Jeannie has the other one.”

“Could my dagger work?” Evie asked, as she moved forward, and I quickly shook my head.

“Swap Jeannie’s knife for your dagger. The knives are more suited to this kind of work; and get Nolan’s knife,” I added, turning to Francesca.

Evie nodded as she and Francesca headed off, and as they returned with the weapons, I noted Gunter was following along with them.

He excitedly crossed the stream, then began to inspect the nearest carcass, then pointed to a spot on the shoulder.

“Cut here, if it pleases the Auslander,” the hunter requested, and as I ran the blade along the spot, the little energy core came into view, and I extracted it without much difficulty.

“Whoa,” Francesca breathed. “Look at that thing!”

“That’s weird,” I noted. “I thought they manifested in the wrist, where our implants were.”

“Why’d you think that?” Francesca asked, and I quickly recounted my first run in with the beasts.

“Aww, so you already have two kills?” she asked, pouting a little, and I chuckled at her.

“Its fine. There may be enough of these things in here to make a contest of this yet.”

Gunter pointed out the other energy core, which was somewhere in the knee of the second creature, but as the hunters continued to direct me on where to cut, I offered the blade to one of the Kobalt, only for him to bow deeply, desperate almost in his reluctance to touch, much less take the blade.

“A Kobalt will only draw a god weapon in the most dire of circumstance,” Gisela explained. “The risk otherwise, is too great.”

“Risk?”

“The Kobalt’s core is not like the God’s. Sustaining the energy required to use your instruments is beyond our capability.”

I made a note of Gisela’s words, as I would definitely need to ask Casey about that later on.

Francesca offered to help, and together, at the direction of the hunters, we assisted in preparing the monster’s meat.

The hardest part was the removal of the internal organs, which needed to be removed without being cut or punctured, as their contents could damage the creature’s meat.

It was slow, tedious work, but we still managed it in much less time than the hunters would have with their bone tools alone.

With the meat stowed, we were ready to set out, so we loaded up the supply carts and got ready to cross the stream.

The carts had to be carried over the waterway, and as soon as we were safely over the crossing, I helped Casey back into her perch on the cart, though I noted that she seemed to be in some serious discomfort.

“Are you okay?” I asked, and she waved a hand dismissively.

As the group got ready to restart their journey, I caught sight of Ryker, and I moved towards him.

“Hey,” I began, and he shot me a panicked look, before pointing to his ear.

 _Right. He probably had a message for me from Eradne, didn’t he? I guess they really didn’t want this listener to hear what it was,_ I thought, as I quickly shook my head and gestured towards Casey.

“Have you examined her recently?” I asked, and the boy nodded. “She seems to be in some discomfort. Is everything okay?”

He rubbed his hands together nervously.

“Her distress is worrying. Her wound heals, and her condition without visible sign of affliction; yet she displays the symptom. Forgive my incompetence, Auslander. I know not the cause.”

I nodded.

“Well, keep an eye on her for a bit, and let me know if you notice anything.”

A group of hunters gathered up near the stream, where the remains of the geisterung lay, and as I spotted Francesca amongst them, I headed over.

“What’s up?” I asked.

“They want to leave the remains somewhere off in that direction, away from where we’re headed. I offered to go with them, in case something is drawn to the remains and attacks, but they’re set on going alone.”

“Go with them,” I ordered, loud enough for them to hear, and Francesca shot me a thankful look as the Kobalt bowed, and they headed off.

The trip didn’t take long, and as soon as they returned, we resumed our slow journey forward.

“Hey, I hope you don’t mind, but we’ll be the forward guard for a bit,” I said, as Evie moved to my side, and she quickly shook her head.

“I’ve seen you in action; I’m safer by your side than I am anywhere else in this group,” she remarked, and I chuckled a little at the compliment.

“It really is darker in here though, isn’t it?” Evie noted, and I nodded, as I cast a quick look upwards.

It looked like vines of some kind were growing quite densely throughout the canopy far above us, which was filtering out even more light than the normal canopy already did, but there seemed to be a shadowy aura all around us that felt much more sinister than a simple absence of illumination.

“Do you think this grove really is ‘cursed’? Or are our tribal friends being just a tad bit superstitious?”

“I’m not sure,” I replied thoughtfully, “but… I think it might be unfair to dismiss the Kobalt’s concerns as superstitious given that most of their myths and legends have been references to the technology that our kind have introduced into their world; these monsters included.”

“So, you think this curse may be some kind of technology?” she asked, and I shrugged.

“I don’t know enough to make that claim just yet, but hopefully we can pass through this place without having to find out.”

We walked for what felt like several hours, when the group finally ground to a halt, and Gisela moved to join me.

“Is light fading already?” I asked, and she shook her head.

“Not just yet; but the harvested meat must be roasted and smoked before dark, and we have already moved sufficiently clear of Palancar.”

I nodded, and she bowed before heading off to make the required preparations.

As everyone began to unload their burdens and settle down, I noticed a trickling sound, like water, not too far off to my left.

“Hey, Evie. Watch my back a sec? I wanna check something out,” I called, and she nodded, walking with me as I followed the sound.

We walked a couple hundred feet from the camp when I spotted the little stream; it wasn’t wide enough to be a bother to cross like the one we’d traversed when entering the grove, but it seemed a pretty convenient spot to get water from while we made camp at that location.

When we returned to the group, I noticed that Gunter was leading Jeannie and Cameron around the periphery of the camp, and I studied them with interest.

They seemed to be collecting some gourd-shaped fruits from the floor, and taking them to the hunters who now had a fire going, and were roasting the meat over racks made by the creature’s bones.

While everyone went about their work, I decided to head over to Casey and the supply cart.

“If we’re stopping for the night, you should probably break up the guard pairs into a night watch,” Casey called as I approached, and I nodded, as I retrieved the time telling device from the cart, and went to work on setting it up.

I quickly identified the positions of the various zeniths, then adjusted the device accordingly, and sorted out the time.

“Well, it looks like we’re at seven in the afternoon, or twenty-two hundred hours,” I noted, and Evie shot me a bewildered look.

“Seven p.m. is nineteen hundred hours, no?” she replied, and I snickered a little.

“On earth, yes; but on this planet, a day is thirty hours long,” I replied, and Evie’s eyes went wide.

“Fuck me,” she muttered under her breath. “No wonder the days feel so long.”

“According to Gisela, we have about two hours before sundown, and the night will last just under five segments, so let’s say, fourteen hours? So, sixteen hours of watch,” I explained, and Casey frowned.

“That’s a long time. If we do eight hours each, then the last watch will wake for twenty-two hours straight the next day,” she noted, and I nodded in response.

“We should talk to Gisela, and find out how they usually handle this.”

I hailed Gisela, and she quickly came over to join us, and as I explained our concern, she nodded.

“The runners usually arise in the final segment before first light. Eating is done while darkness lingers, so that journey can begin with light; but for long journey, a daylight repose is customary. When the ascendant zenith shifts to descendant phase, those who kept last watch can sleep; just a bit longer than a segment, before afternoon journey commences.”

“You said a segment is three hours, right?” Casey asked, and I nodded. “So, a four-hour nap, I guess, in sixteen hours of daylight? If we make camp just as darkness falls, and prepare to leave before the sun comes up, then we get, what, twelve hours of walking? We can easily make our thirty kilometer per day target in that time,” Casey said, and I quickly nodded in agreement.

“If we sleep two hours after darkness falls, and wake up two hours before sunrise, then we get a ten-hour sleep-period,” I began.

“So, two watches, five hours each?” Evie asked.

Casey nodded, but I rubbed my chin as I thought about it.

“Actually, I think it might be better to split the watch into four and six-hour shifts. If the four-hour group sleeps as soon as the sun sets, then they can get eight hours of sleep before waking up at the end of the six-hour watch. Then, the six-hour watch can sleep during the four-hour day-period, to make up their eight hours.”

“That makes sense,” Casey answered, but I frowned, as I suddenly remembered something.

“Is eight hours going to be enough to deal with a thirty-hour day?” I asked, and Casey quickly nodded.

“For normal humans, it wouldn’t be. But for us, it won’t be a problem.”

“Because of our implants?” I asked, and she nodded. “Then what about the Kobalt?”

She turned to Gisela.

“How long do your people usually sleep?”

“A little over three segments,” the girl answered, and Casey nodded.

“So, ten hours.”

I turned to Gisela.

“If your people need to rest or anything at all, please advise us on what their needs are,” I said to her, holding her gaze as she nodded slowly. “I know that most are willing to push themselves for our sake, but we need as many of them to survive as possible if our settlement is to prosper.”

“I will take heed of your suggestion, and act accordingly,” Gisela answered, as she bowed, and took her leave.

“Nate; one more thing. You shouldn’t put yourself on any of the watch groups,” Casey added, and I turned to study her.

“That won’t set a good example,” I countered, and she shook her head emphatically.

“You being tired when you need to make decisions and plan ahead isn’t beneficial to the group.”

“I agree with Casey,” Evie added, and I bit my lip nervously, as she continued, “I highly doubt anyone would object either. We’ve all seen by now how important your leadership is; not only to our group, but these Kobalt people as well.”

I thought about it for a bit, before nodding reluctantly.

“Hm… alright. So, we’ll split the armored fighters between the two watches then?”

Casey nodded.

“Put Francesca on the later watch, since you’ll probably be up in the earlier part of the night anyway, and during the day while she’s asleep you’ll also be around.”

We ended up splitting the watch up into two groups; Jordan, Cameron and Jeannie, for the first watch; and Molly, Evie, and Francesca for the other, partially at Evie’s suggestion, though she didn’t seem to realize at the time that the trio would be split up for most of their time on watch anyway.

After organizing that, I decided to ask Casey about what Gisela had said, about the risks associated with the Kobalt using our weapons, and she rubbed her chin thoughtfully, as she listened.

“Well, it can be risky, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be… though, I guess this sort of thing is difficult for them to understand. Our cores are basically what gives power to the weapons, which allow them to cut as effectively as they do. The same goes for our armor and the protection that they offer, as well as the abilities that they allow us to use.”

“But… they have cores as well, don’t they?”

Casey nodded, as she continued:

“Exactly. The difference, however, is our implants; which is an interface tool that directs the energy from our cores to where it is needed. Without an implant, they basically deplete their energy cores quickly, and the naturally occurring cores that they are born with possess a lot less energy than the ones we enter this world with in any case.”

“So, they really can never possess the kind of capabilities that we arrived here with,” I noted, and Casey shook her head.

“That’s not right. It’s entirely possible for them to do the things we do; it just requires an extensive amount of effort, and the right kind of instruction.”

“Even without an implant?” I asked, and she nodded.

“Think of our implant as a cheat tool, which naturally does a bunch of things that can be learned anyway with enough time and effort; or a strong enough desire. That’s why there’s a Kobalt out there who can basically listen in on conversations from many miles away.”

 _Or how the princess can use hypnosis,_ Casey finished the sentence in my head, shooting a quick glance at Evie, and I nodded.

“Wait, there’s a Kobalt who can listen to conversations from many miles away?” Evie asked, and Casey nodded.

“It’s why we had to hurry away from the cluster,” I explained, and Evie nodded slowly.

“So, those abilities. Any of us could learn them?” she asked.

“Technically, yes,” Casey answered, “but knowing the right techniques to learn them helps a lot; while having a piece of armor that unlocks the ability will get you there faster than anything else.”

“So, where does the risk come in?” I asked.

“When our cores deplete, our implants deactivate our weapons and armor, so that the feedback from trying to use an energy powered weapon can’t harm us. They don’t have such a mechanism.”

“What does the feedback do, exactly?”

“Depends on what the item they tried to use is, but the effects are usually consistent with the symptoms of radiation poisoning; headaches, nausea, vomiting. If the item is high powered, however, you could suffer temporary loss of limb functionality, or, in extreme cases, muscle petrification. Most of the effects go away over time, while the muscle petrification requires higher level healing potions, or a similar type of medical treatment.”

I frowned.

“I’m not sure if I get it, honestly. I was under the impression that our abilities were able to transcend the realm of what is humanly possible; but it seems as if we’re limited, no matter how you look at it, by the capacity of the energy stored in our cores.”

“Well, that limitation becomes less of a factor over time, and with use.”

I tilted my head at her.

“What do you mean? Through the increase in efficiency?”

“Increased efficiency is one way, yes; but our cores total energy capacity also increases as we use it. If we deplete our cores completely, then you can significantly accelerate the rate at which that capacity increases.”

“I see. So, should we start using our cores way more on a daily basis?” I asked, and Casey shook her head.

“When your core is depleted, you’d need to sleep for some time, and spend some significant downtime while recovering from the energy spent.”

“So, not while we’re traveling and in constant danger.”

“Pretty much.”

As I glanced across the camp, I caught sight of Bianca, and a thought suddenly occurred to me, but as I took a quick glance at Evie, I figured it was best to wait until I could discuss it with Casey alone.

Casey, however, was now squirming a bit, and as I studied her, I noted again the look of incredible discomfort on her face.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” I asked, and she quickly nodded.

“I’m fine,” she replied.

I kept my gaze on her, but as night began to descend on the camp, a few fires went up about the perimeter, and everyone gathered in little huddled groups for their evening meal.

“Herr Nathan. A word?” Gisela called, as she caught sight of me.

“Sure. What is it?”

“We wish to arrange for sleeping. We have organized four areas. One for the princess, one for the Kobalt guards, and one for the people. Will one area be sufficient for the Gods?”

I nodded.

“About the sleeping arrangement, though. You mentioned hanging sacks?”

Gisela bit her lip nervously.

“My apologies, Herr Nathan. We were unable to acquire the cloth required to construct these due to our early departure from _Kleiner_ _Hein_.”

“Will we be able to acquire the cloth at our destination?”

“Some… but enough to construct the sacks? Maybe not. Assistance was expected from sympathetic allies within Palancar, but given their actions, I do not believe it still possible.”

“Will we be okay with clothing, then?”

“Yes. Sufficient supply remains to mend and maintain existent reserves. We can even clothe the Gods if necessary.”

I nodded, as our own starter sets of clothing were barely sufficient as is.

“So, what’s the plan for sleeping?” I asked, and Gisela gestured to the little fires being lit around the camp’s perimeter.

“Wister-weed. When burned, it produces very little smoke, but smolders for some time, emitting fumes which night critters find intolerable. We may sleep upon the earth, under spread of scrap clothing, until required material can be acquired; if it pleases the Gods.”

“That should be fine,” I replied.

Gisela moved closer to me, before whispering.

“There is accommodation; within the princess’ quarter. For Herr Nathan, if you wish companionship for sleeping.”

I bit my lip, as I nodded slowly.

“How has the princess been?” I asked, and Gisela furrowed her brow, worriedly.

“She seems quite melancholy,” Gisela replied, and I nodded.

 _Maybe it’s time I tend to my wife?_ I thought, with some amusement.

“Gisela. Does the princess speak the old tongue?” I asked, and she thought about it, before answering.

“Her understanding is sufficient, but she does not speak much of it herself.”

It wasn’t ideal, but at least we’d be able to communicate, somewhat, until one of us learned the other’s language.

As we spoke, everyone had begun settling down to eat, gathering in little groups around the encampment, and I figured it was as good a time as any to let the first watch take up their position.

Gisela had assigned her own roster of guards to match our own set-up, so that groups of three hunters accompanied each person keeping watch.

My instructions to the otherworlders in our group were simple; their job was primarily to safeguard the camp, not engage threats.

If we were under attack, they were to fend off the attackers until sufficient help arrived to counter-attack; but if a threat were to appear without attacking directly, one of their hunters would fetch the armored fighter in their group, and they would then decide if it could be handled without help, or if not, to wake more experienced fighters before proceeding.

The idea was that I should be woken up when any threat presented itself for the time being at least, but in the future, as more fighters emerged from amongst the group, stepping up as Francesca already had, that those fighters would then take some of that load off of our collective shoulders.

_Nate. I think I need your help._

I turned to the supply cart as Casey’s voice spoke into my head, and I quickly headed over to her side.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, as she squirmed a little, her discomfort seemingly intensifying from earlier. “Do you need me to get Ryker?”

She quickly shook her head.

“No. No, just… help me down.”

I shot her a questioning look, but as she returned the stare with a pleading expression, I quickly complied.

As I placed her down, she took a quick look around.

“Is there anywhere we can go… away from the group?”

I rubbed my chin.

“Is this a bathroom type emergency? Cuz there’s a designated area for that.”

She bit her lip.

“Something like that, but I don’t wanna be near anyone else.”

I snickered a little at her.

“Fine, fine.”

I withdrew one of the bone-tipped hand shovels that the Kobalt used for digging holes when ‘attending to business’, before leading Casey away from the camp, and down a small incline to a thick bit of bush.

“Is this fine?” I asked, and Casey bit her lip.

“Yeah. Can you keep an eye out… while not looking at me?”

I rolled my eyes at her, before nodding.

 _Seriously,_ I thought. _Everyone else has been using the bathroom without all of this hullabaloo!_

Nonetheless, I kept to my word, but as Casey seemed to be taking longer than I expected, I bit my lip nervously.

“Is, uh… everything alright?” I asked.

“Just… gimme a sec,” Casey panted, and I suddenly felt genuinely worried.

Her voice sounded labored.

Pained, even.

Just what the hell was really going on?

I gave her few more minutes, when finally, I heard her let out a frustrated cry.

“Ugh. Why is this fucking stupid, ugh!”

I quickly turned around, and as I caught sight of Casey squatting down on the ground, her pants around her ankles and with her good hand placed over her sex, my eyes went wide.

“Casey?”

“Jesus, fuck!” she cried, quickly struggling to pull her pants up as soon as she caught my gaze. “I told you to give me a fucking second!”

I quickly spun around, turning away from her.

“I’m sorry, but what’s going on? Talk to me…”

She let out a groan.

“I… I dunno what’s happening. It’s like… burning almost, down there.”

“Burning like an infection?”

“Wha-? No, like- like I’m horny!” she spat, and I turned a little, raising an eyebrow.

“I’m sorry; what?”

She let out another frustrated groan.

“I know I sound stupid, but… I felt horny, like stupid fucking horny, all day… I just ignored it, but then the burning started and; it hurts, almost. It’s like… intolerable!”

I turned around slowly, and I saw tears in Casey’s eyes, as she wrapped her arms about herself, crouched down on the ground.

This girl had been stabbed, raped, and had her hand cut off, and yet I still never saw her appear in greater discomfort that she did right now.

I immediately understood that the situation was, indeed serious.

“Okay… so did you cum just now?” I asked, walking to her side.

She shook her head.

“I can’t… I dunno why. It’s just not happening. I even… thought about you. Not cuz I wanted to-!”

“Yeah, yea. I get it, hypnosis,” I replied quickly, raising my hands, and she frowned. “Do you want me to help you?”

She bit her lip, as she studied me.

“Will you?”

I snickered her a little.

“You are such a fucking moron sometimes. Obviously I would.”

“There’s literally no right way to ask for something like that,” she replied, as I moved behind her.

I rested a hand on her right leg, and she shuddered, as I ran my hand along the inner expanse of skin there, until it met with the wetness that had run down onto her inner thigh.

“You’re fucking dripping,” I noted, with some surprise, and she gave a pained nod.

“This is worse than anything I’ve ever felt,” she said, fighting back tears.

“Seriously? Worse than getting stabbed?”

“You have no idea,” she whined, and I frowned.

“Do you think it was the princess’ hypnosis?” I asked, as I quickly moved my fingers to her slick, dripping wet mound, and as I began to rub my fingers back and forth along the length of her slit, she shook her head, as she bit down on her finger to stifle a moan.

“I think I did this to myself,” she mumbled, her fingers still in her mouth.

“How?”

“Fucking… Bianca! She just wouldn’t stop talking about you… it made me think about you way more than I wanted to, and before I knew it. Ugh!”

“You don’t have to sound that disgusted,” I replied, snickering a little, as I began to focus my rubbing on the little bud of her clit.

“Fucking hell, Nate. Stick a finger inside of me, will ya? Rubbing it just isn’t enough.”

I withdrew my hand from around her, then reaching up from beneath, I searched around until I found her opening, and my finger slid in without resistance, as her juices began to leak down onto my hand.

I probed her insides for a bit, before sneaking another finger in, but it wasn’t until I got a third finger in there that she really started moaning, as she reached down and began to massage her own clit to aid in the stimulation.

“That’s it… keep going. Really… give it to me,” she panted, and as a few muffled moans escaped her lips, her body went still, and I gasped as her hips began to jerk, and stream after stream of juices gushed onto my hands.

“Fucking hell,” she panted, as she recovered from her orgasm. “Did I just fucking pee myself?”

“I think that’s called squirting,” I replied, and she shot me a wry look, before biting her lip.

“Fuck… it still burns,” she said, as she clamped her legs down on my hand, and ground herself, almost involuntarily, against my fingers.

“Maybe if you have another orgasm?” I suggested, but as she studied my fingers, still buried inside of her mound, she shook her head.

“I think I need something else inside of me,” Casey said, and as I studied her, she averted her gaze.

She climbed onto her knees, and keeping her gaze on the ground, she arched her back, and flexed her hips, displaying her bared bosom to me expectantly.

“Are you really gonna make me ask?” she said, and I quickly shook my head as I took a quick glance around, before removing the belt plate around my hips, and fishing out my cock.

Even in the darkness, I could see the glistening sheen of wetness on her puffy lips.

Her mound was red and practically swollen, and as soon as my cock made contact with her entrance, she jumped a little, before settling down, and I slid inside without even a hint of resistance; but as soon as I engulfed myself in the blissful embrace of her depths, her muscles began to contract, and I shuddered a little, as her insides seemed to practically suckle me with a lustful hunger.

As I moved in and out of her several times, she pushed back against me impatiently.

“Don’t play with me Nate. Just fuck me senseless.”

I adjusted myself, raising one leg up, while bracing downwards on my other knee, and after grabbing onto Casey’s waist to anchor her, I began to pound into her with intent.

“Fuck… me. Yes!” she cried out, and I took a quick look around.

We were alone, but not so far away that we could let our inhibitions go completely.

“You might wanna muzzle yourself,” I chided, and she placed her stumped hand to her mouth, and bit down on her forearm, as I continued to pound into her with abandon.

Her shrieks were muted, but muffled yelps poured from her lips every time my hips collided with her ass, and the obscene sound of skin slapping against wet skin punctuated our visceral copulation.

Casey’s shrieks were pure pleasure, but I quickly found the extreme stimulation from her tight, slick tunnel, which was gripping me like a vice, was pushing me close to an orgasm of my own.

“I’m getting really close,” I warned, and Casey quickly shook her head.

“Don’t you dare stop!” she shot back, but as my orgasm seemed imminent, I withdrew from Casey’s cunt, and without taking a second to think about it, I aimed my cockhead at her asshole, and she shot upright as I began to sink into that new, tight space.

“What’re you… oh, fuck…” she moaned.

She was dripping, and her juices were everywhere, making my entry as buttery smooth as could be, and her initial surprise quickly gave way to a new impulse.

“Fuck my ass, Nate!” she croaked, and I quickly obliged, taking just a few pumps to properly lubricate her rectal canal, before resuming my frenzied assault.

I reached under her, and planted a finger against her clit, allowing the digit to stimulate her as I pounded her ass mercilessly, and even as she bit down onto her forearm, a stream of whimpers was pouring nonstop from her lips.

My own orgasm came, and as I emptied my balls deep into her bowels, she bucked her hips in a desperate attempt to meet my own orgasm with one of her own, and she was rewarded in mere moments, as her body went still again, and she began to shudder uncontrollably under me, liquids once again gushing forth from her urethra, as I continued to pump her with spurt after spurt of my creamy rich seed.

Casey shuddered a little as I withdrew from her, before wrapping my arms around her as we collapsed to the floor, and she relaxed in my arms, curled up into a little ball while she recovered from the experience.

She remained like that in my arms for a while, until finally, she spoke:

“Well, at least it doesn’t burn anymore,” she said, and I chuckled a little, as I pinched her nose playfully.

“You might need a whole change of clothes, though,” I replied, as I studied the sticky mess that was now her pants, and underwear.

She frowned, but as I released her from my arms and she climbed to her feet, I withdrew one of the cloaks that I’d kept with me from my satchel, and she breathed a sigh of relief.

“There’s a stream up ahead. Do you mind if we go and clean up a bit?” I asked, and she quickly nodded, wiping off some of the liquids dripping from her, before allowing me to drape the cloak around her body.

We quickly made our way to the stream, and Casey cursed as soon as she touched the water.

“Fucking cold as ice,” she said, and I stuck a hand into the stream, and nodded.

“Kind of refreshing though, in this humid weather,” I said, and she shot me an incredulous look.

“Now I believe it. You’re a psychopath alright,” she shot, and I smirked at her.

“Is this even clean?” she asked, and I studied the stream.

“Running water is supposed to be safe, right?” I asked, and she nodded.

“I guess.”

We quickly dabbed the water about, cleansing ourselves as best as we could, and Casey quickly washed out her clothes, only to study the now dripping wet things with a frown.

“Fuck. We don’t have anything up there for me to change into, do we?”

“Lucky for you, the Kobalt have us covered,” I said.

As soon as we were done with our rudimentary bath, I quickly donned my belt-plate, then led Casey back to the camp, and towards Gisela, who was studying us with a curious look.

As I explained the predicament with clothing to Gisela, her eyes kept flicking between the two of us, and she nodded, gesturing to one of the princess’ attendants, who quickly led Casey towards their quarters.

“We will tend to the goddess,” she promised, and I nodded, as Casey shot me a slightly panicked look before being whisked away.

I was still looking after her when a pair of hands suddenly wrapped around my neck from behind, as a familiar voice sang into my ear:

“Guess who~?”

“Jesus, Bianca.”

“Is it Jesus, or Bianca?” she asked, and I snickered a little.

“Judging by the breasts pressing into my back, not Jesus,” I replied, turning around, and she blushed a little as she studied me.

“Did you miss me?” she asked, and I nodded, rubbing the back of my head, as I turned to walk with her.

“So, what do you have to report?” I asked, and she quickly glanced around, before speaking to me in low, conspiratorial whisper.

“I think the brunette is in love with you,” she said, and I snickered a little.

“Love is a strong word,” I replied, and she shook her head.

“It’s true! I swear. But… I don’t think she’s the one doing the hypnosis.”

“You’re certain?” I asked, and she quickly nodded.

“Yup. You see, first I started watching her closely, trying to see if I could catch her in the act. But the only thing I found out is that she looks at you every fifteen seconds. Just… little glances, and she knew I was watchin’ too, so she was sly; but I still saw.

“Then I thought to myself; why didn’t she just hypnotize you if she’s in love with you? That’s when it hit me! If she was hypnotizing everyone, then they’d all be looking at her, wouldn’t they? But apart from those green guys with the pointy sticks, no one was really lookin’ at her. ‘Specially not every fifteen seconds, like she was doing with you.”

“Wow. You really put some thought into this, huh? I’m impressed,” I said, shooting her an admiring look, and she smiled happily.

“So anyway, I kept my eyes out; and that’s when I noticed that a lotta people seem to keep looking at you. Like, some look to you like a leader; you know, admiring looks. But then there’s the girls. There’s the redhead with the short hair… and that shy, black haired one who was with you all day. I just thought you had a little admirer’s club, but the green girls keep lookin’ too!

“And that’s when I figured it out. Someone’s hypnotizing the girls into falling in love with you!”

I bit my lip nervously, as I studied her.

“Oh, you don’t need to worry about me. See, I was cooped up in that room all the time; so I know that any feelings I have for you are legit. Which is why you can trust me, and only me,” she added proudly, before continuing in that conspiratorial tone:

“Anyway. I’m pretty sure I know who’s been hypnotizing the girls.”

“Who?” I asked, genuinely curious, and she looked around again, before whispering the answer into my ear.

“Casey.”

I snickered a little, letdown by the anti-climactic revelation.

“But, wasn’t she herself hypnotized in the first place?”

“Oh, I’m sure that’s what she wants you to think; but that’s just some clever acting on her part. See, she’s manipulating this whole scheme. She pretends that she’s one of the supposed victims, while pulling the strings herself. It’s foolproof!”

“But, what does she gain from making the girls fall for me?” I asked.

“She can’t make them all fall for her, can she? Well, maybe apart from the redhead, cuz she’s definitely giving off some ‘lesbo’ vibes. Anyway, get this; instead, she draws them to you, who she has some control over since she’s basically your main advisor. Until I came along, at least,” she added, winking as she did, and I snickered again.

“There’s just one flaw in your theory,” I said, and she frowned.

“What?”

“The hypnosis is temporary, and wears off pretty quickly. So, she couldn’t exactly be the one pulling off the hypnosis all day when she was stuck in that cart, could she?”

“Fuck. I didn’t know about that… I might need some more time to figure this out,” she said, and I ruffled her hair as I did.

“No, I think you’ve done enough,” I said. “That was basically a test, anyway.”

“A test?”

“Yup.”

“Did I pass?” she asked, and I quickly nodded.

“With flying colors. Now there actually is something I want you to do for me, but its only if you really want to do it.”

“What is it?” she asked, her curiosity piqued.

“I should warn you. It’s dangerous,” I warned, and she began to hop back and forth.

“Is it important?”

“Extremely. I mean, there’s literally no-one else I could even think about asking this of.”

She began to gnaw at her fingernails.

“I’ll do it. Just tell me what it is!”

“I don’t want you to agree until you know what you’re getting into,” I said, and she frowned.

“I’m literally agreeing no matter what it is!” she shot back excitedly, and I chuckled a little, as I guided her over to the supply cart, where four Kobalt guards stood by, keeping watch on our supplies.

I greeted them in German, as we walked past them to the supply cart where our weapons were stashed, and I rummaged around a bit, then produced one of the daggers from our weapon cache.

“Are you giving me a weapon?” she asked excitedly, and I shook my head disapprovingly.

“Sort of; now you’ll be using this for your task, but only under my supervision.”

She pouted a little, as I continued.

“What do you know about our weapons?” I asked, and she shrugged.

“I dunno much about them. Vanessa never let me use them either.”

“Hm. Well, they’re special; unlike ordinary weapons, they can cut through basically anything without much effort.”

“Really?”

As I passed the weapon to her, she withdrew the dagger from its case, and after examining the blade a little, she shot the supply cart a quick look, then without a second thought, she swung, and the cart fell down with an unceremonious clatter, lopsidedly, as one of the wheels on which it stood had been sliced along the length, and a piece of wheel now lay beside it on the floor.

A few gazes shot in our direction, and I gulped.

_Fuck! Hopefully that can be fixed, right?_

“You might wanna be a little more careful with that,” I warned, and she blushed.

“Sorry~,” she said, with a dopey kind of grin that I couldn’t help but notice looked particularly cute on her.

I patted her on the head, and she smiled sheepishly as I led her away from the cart, to a little pile of rocks that was lying around within the camp boundaries.

“Here. Try these,” I offered, and she shot her blade a slightly doubtful look, as she studied the stones.

“Even stone?” she asked, and I nodded.

“Go ahead. Test it for yourself,” I offered, and she stuck her tongue out a little, as she raised the blade, then swung with all her might at the rocks.

But as the blade sliced cleanly through the stones, the lack of resistance caught her off guard, and she teetered off balance for a bit, before toppling over, a little dangerously, towards the ground.

I reached out and caught her just before she landed, and she smiled as I scooped her up, and brought her back to her feet.

“Did I miss?” she asked, and I shook my head, as I leaned down to inspect the damage.

I picked up one of the stone pieces, and showed her how it had been cleanly sliced along its profile, and she studied the object with interest.

“Well would you look at that. Anyone can be a danger with these things… ooh, that’s how Emily killed Candace!” she suddenly declared, before frowning. “Are we sure we want one of these in everyone’s hands? It seems kinda dangerous.”

I chuckled a little.

“Well, putting one in Emily’s hands was certainly a mistake. And you’re banned from keeping one yourself, ‘Mrs. former minion of Vanessa’,” I said, and she put her hands on her hips.

“I have literally no argument to make against that,” she said, letting her hands fall away, and I chuckled at her again.

“Try to keep your balance this time,” I said, gesturing to the rocks, and she nodded; but instead of gearing up for a mighty swing, she stooped down in front of the rocks, then made a quick, small slash, cutting the rocks just as efficiently as she had with her first, big swing.

“Easy peasy,” she declared, and I smiled.

“Okay. Now for the experiment-y part. Keep doing that until the blade stops cutting,” I said, and she frowned.

“They stop cutting?” she asked, and I nodded.

“I’ve never seen it myself, but apparently they do… which is what we’re testing out.”

Bianca pouted a little.

“Heey~, I thought this was something super special important,” she complained, and I nodded.

“It actually is,” I replied, as I stooped down to join her, while withdrawing one of the energy cores from my satchel. “See this?”

“Whoa. Is that the core thingy?”

I nodded.

“We have one of these inside of us too. It’s what powers things like these weapons, and when we use the weapons, it depletes the energy inside.”

“Oh, I see. Wait- I won’t die if it depletes, will I?”

“No, no; you might get really sleepy, and sleep for a long time, but you won’t die.”

“Hnn~. And why are we doing that?”

“Because every time your core depletes completely; it regenerates to a higher capacity than what it originally had.”

“Ohh. I see~. So, we’re doing this to make me stronger… but not muscle stronger, but energy core stronger. I think I like this. I kind of wanted to fight, but I don’t wanna look all athletic and trim like the cute, brown haired girl. So~, will I be a fighter if I do this?”

“The best one I have; a super soldier, basically,” I replied, and she smiled happily.

She approached the stones, sticking her tongue out of the side of the mouth as that determined look appeared on her face again, and she began to slice at the stones again and again in quick repeated succession.

Every time, the blade sliced through the stones, and as she sliced repeatedly, eventually the little pile was reduced to nothing more than dust and rubble, and Bianca winced, as she rotated her slicing arm gingerly.

“Jeez~. How many slices will it take for this thing to run out?” she complained.

I rubbed my chin, as I considered the predicament.

If this mechanism works the way I think it should, then the resistance offered by the material being sliced probably affects how much energy is being used when slicing, right?

So, she probably needed to cut something that offered more resistance… but short of metal, what could she cut that offered more resistance than rocks?

I was still thinking about it, when I suddenly remembered that our armor actually resisted the cutting effect.

Of course, the reason why it did that was due to using the same kind of energy and technology that the knife used, but if Bianca tried to cut armor that was being worn, that would probably drain her energy faster, wouldn’t it?

Come to think of it, in my battle with Raul, didn’t my blows against his armor seem to drain my energy faster than doing anything else?

I moved back to the supply cart, and withdrew one of the spare chest armor pieces.

Would it be better for her to stab someone wearing it, or for her to wear it herself, and be stabbed?

Given that I was the only person around, and it was probably a bad idea for me to deplete my own core’s power on a whim, I decided to let her wear the piece.

“Ugh. It’s like, really big and bulky,” she began, but as I fastened the straps, and the armor began to reconfigure itself to her form, her eyes lit up, and I noted with some interest, that the armor’s new form seemed to accentuate her shape, most notably her breasts, in a way that was quite unlike the plain shape that Francesca’s armor had taken.

I studied the development with some amusement, as I knew full well that there was no functional use for breast-shaped armor.

 _Maybe the wearer had a part to play in deciding what form the armor would take?_ I thought.

Bianca studied the armor with a wide-eyed amazement.

“Damn. I make this armor look _good_ ,” she noted, shooting me a cheeky grin. “Don’t I?”

I rubbed the back of my head, as I nodded.

“So, what now?” she asked, and as I withdrew my halberd, she studied me. “Wait… are you gonna hit me with that?”

“Yup,” I replied, and a panic look crossed her face.

“What if you cut me in two?”

“The armor protects you,” I replied, and as she frowned, I tapped my own breastplate. “Here. Try stabbing me right here.”

She took the dagger in her hand, then made a stabbing motion, and she gasped as the blade deflected off of my armor with a sharp, metallic clang.

As she stowed away her blade, however, she began to gnaw at her fingernails nervously.

“Don’t hit me hard, okay?”

“I won’t,” I promised, as I instructed her to keep her hands clear, and taking my halberd, I made a slashing cut across the front of the breastplate, and while she frowned as the strike knocked her a few steps back, she studied the area where I’d struck with some interest.

“Wow. Not even a scratch!”

She held her hands up again, and readied herself as I made a few more strikes, and it didn’t take long before her armor let out that blue pulse, and she frowned, as the thing basically came apart, with some help from me, at the straps.

“That’s not very sturdy,” she said, and I snickered at her.

“Only when the bond has been broken; otherwise it’s basically perma-sealed. Try this now,” I said, indicating her knife, but as I directed her to another pile of rocks, she slashed at it, and once again, the blade sliced through without a hint of resistance.

“My core still has some juice then, huh,” she noted, and I frowned.

I retrieved the piece of armor from the ground, then studied it.

This was the tier one piece, wasn’t it?

Casey did say that they sheared off more easily that the higher-level stuff, but I guess that capacity had nothing to do with the capacity of our energy cores, huh…

I tried to put the armor back onto Bianca, but even as I fastened the straps and tightened them, it didn’t seem to activate, and I was still studying the problem when Casey called out to me.

“What’re you two doing?” she asked, and I turned to spot her walking over dressed in the toga style robes that usually indicated one’s status as a councilmember.

“Well, look at you, councilwoman,” I replied, and she blushed a little, before turning back to Bianca.

“What’s this about?” she asked again, and I frowned.

“After armor’s been sheared off, how do you get it back on?” I asked.

“Just give it a minute,” she said, and sure enough, as we spoke, the little pulse of light that indicated its activation flashed, and Bianca tugged at it, making sure that it’d truly bonded in place.

“Seems solid,” she said, tapping herself on the chest.

“If I’m trying to deplete Bianca’s core; is it more efficient to let her do it by stabbing someone with armor, or by wearing armor and having it sheared off?”

Casey studied me.

“Stabbing will be faster, unless the armor is a high enough tier to not keep shearing off constantly,” she replied, studying me warily. “Why are you depleting Bianca’s core, though?”

“Nate is making me into a super soldier!” Bianca declared proudly, and Casey shot me a really sharp glare.

“Um… could we have a word, Nathan?” Casey asked, and Bianca giggled at me.

“Uh-oh; she used your full name,” Bianca teased.

“Haha, very funny; now hand over the weapon, you,” I chided, and she pouted, before handing me the dagger, and sticking her tongue out at me as I left with Casey.

“There are not enough words in fucking existence to explain in sufficient detail how astronomically bad an idea this is,” Casey shot, and I frowned.

“Oh, relax. It’s fine. She’s basically my slave, and she’s one of the only otherworlders who we can reliably deplete on a constant basis, since she’s not really on watch, or doing anything else that we can’t spare.”

“Fucking hell, Nate. She’s unstable. The group barely trusts her; and I’m not sure many of us can stand her either. What the fuck are you thinking here?”

“I need to know what a properly developed core is capable of. She’s perfect for this.”

Casey let out another exasperated groan, as I pulled her closer to me.

“Look; worse case scenario, we end up with a super soldier who serves no real purpose except doing miscellaneous tasks, right? Unless there’s something about an increased core capacity that I need to know about.”

Casey bit her lip, then frowned.

“As your advisor, I’m against this because of who Bianca is; in practical terms, the biggest worry you have is that she’ll develop some ability, like hypnosis or something else that can manipulate large portions of the group, and end up being uncontrollable.”

“And the chances of that are?”

“Highly improbable,” Casey answered, sighing as she did. “Look; just, be careful, okay. And try to get her to keep that super soldier thing to herself. The group isn’t gonna like this if they hear about it… especially like that.”

“Agreed,” I said, as we walked over to where Bianca stood, waiting.

“Hey, I had an idea,” she said, as I approached her.

“What?”

“Can’t we use prisoner guy as the punching bag? For me to do the slashy slashy?”

She made a slashing motion with her hand, and I rubbed the back of my head, as Casey shot me a warning look.

“If you use this to kill him, we’ll probably execute you,” Casey said, and Bianca frowned.

“Heey; I’m not a murderer like Emily.”

She shot me a look, and I bit my lip nervously.

“He did almost murder you,” I said, and she folded her arms.

“Ugh; I _so_ don’t care about that. If he hadn’t done that, we would have never gotten close like this, now would we? As far as I’m concerned, he did me a favor,” she replied, and I shot Casey a ‘lets give it a chance’ look, as she threw up her hands in exasperation.

“I give up. Do what you want!” she exclaimed, as she moved over to the cart, only to notice the damage that Bianca’s first swing had done. “What the fuck happened to the cart?”

“Uh…”

“It was an accident, I swear!” Bianca cried out, and Casey sighed again.

She stomped off towards Gisela’s sleeping area, presumably to let them know about the damage, and I bit my lip nervously, as Bianca shot me a wink.

“Well? She didn’t say no~,” she sang, and I snickered a little, before handing her the knife.

We headed over to where Raul was, and after explaining what we wanted to do, he raised an eyebrow at me.

“Is this my penance for almost killing her?” he asked, and I shrugged.

“It’s more like, you’re being conveniently used,” I replied.

He complied nonetheless, and I strapped on the armor to his body, as he kneeled before Bianca, with his arms tied behind his back.

“Bet ya didn’t see this coming, huh,” she said, her tone a little more teasing than I’d expected, and the man sighed, as he answered.

“Just get it over with. I’ve had enough of this world already, anyway.”

Bianca walked up to the man, then drew her dagger and stabbed at his armor over where his stomach was several times in quick succession.

“Where’s my money, bitch? Huh? Where’s my money!”

Raul shot Bianca an incredulous look, before glancing at me.

“Is she for real?” he asked, and I snickered a little, as Bianca put her hands on her hip angrily.

“I’m not done with you yet!” she yelled, as she began to stab him repeatedly again. “Get shanked, bitch!”

I snickered at her, as Raul shook his head, disapprovingly.

“Where do you get these crazy bitches from?” he asked, and Bianca paused her stabbing, studying Raul for a second, before raising her free hand and delivering a cracking backhanded slap to Raul, right across his face.

“Watch who you’re calling bitch, bitch!” she said, and Raul seemed momentarily stunned by the slap.

“That was surprisingly well delivered,” I said, laughing, as Raul shook his head.

“I’ll begrudgingly admit that it was,” he said, turning to Bianca, and I noted that he seemed to be studying the scarred area around her neck.

“I’m sorry… for that, I mean,” he said, nodding at her neck, and she folded her hands, and shook her head.

“Not as sorry as you will be,” she said, as she began to stab at his armor again, and soon enough, the piece deactivated, and fell to the floor with a thud.

As I reattached the piece, and waited for it to reactivate, Bianca headed off to slash at some rocks, and Raul glanced after her.

“She’s… something, huh?”

“She can be a bit much, but I find it quite endearing, personally.”

He raised an eyebrow at me, before letting out a sigh.

“You’re pretty brave to step foot into a place like this,” he said, before adding, “or stupid.”

I turned to study him.

“Elaborate.”

“This is a monster spawn zone… you might think its great for hunting them, but the more you kill, the stronger the monsters that’ll start coming after you… until you attract the originator itself.”

“Originator?”

He shrugged.

“I didn’t come up with the word, but they’re not to be messed with.”

“What are they?” I asked, and he shot me a curious look.

“Doesn’t Mrs. ‘I work for these people’ know all about these things?”

I shrugged.

“She was just an employee; that doesn’t mean she knows everything.”

He sighed.

“Originators are the ones who produce the monsters in a place like this,” he said. “There are legends. I’ve heard people say that they’re the fallen souls of otherworlders who died, but whose souls refused to move on to... wherever souls go when their bodies die.”

“Sounds like a myth. Have you ever met one?”

He laughed.

“They aren’t the kind of things that you ‘meet’. If you encountered one and lived to tell the tale, then you have a story for the ages; that is, if you didn’t cash in on the core and buy your ticket home first.”

“Their cores are worth that much?”

“Supposedly,” he answered, and I frowned.

“What happened to the whole ‘worth garbage’ thing?”

“I was talking about things that we could realistically kill,” he replied, and I rubbed my chin as I processed the new information.

_Did Casey really not know about any of this?_

I wasn’t sure if the knowledge was reliable, but it was more than what we had going into this place, and in any case, we had already planned to move through this zone as quickly and cautiously as was realistically possible.

As his armor bonded back into place, I called Bianca over, and she resumed her stabbing, but this time, her movements seemed to be quite fatigued, and I noted that she seemed to be a little unsteady on her feet.

“Whoa there,” I said, as she almost toppled over, and she shook her head, as she studied me.

“Was everything always spinning like that?” she asked.

“Here; try slicing through this rock,” I offered, but as the blade cut through it, I frowned again.

_Just how much did it take to deplete this core?!_

Bianca resumed stabbing at Raul’s armor, when suddenly, we heard a dull metallic clang, as opposed to the more lively sound that her jabs usually made, and this time, as she aimed a stab at one of the rocks, the knife rebounded off of the thing, and clattered out of her hand.

“Nate… I, uh-” she began, and as she fell, I moved quickly, catching her once again before she could hit the floor.

Her body went limp in my arms, and I quickly gathered up the knife, before whisking Bianca away to the nearby sleeping area which had been prepared for us.

Thankfully, everyone was either asleep or on watch, and as I rested her down onto a little bundle of rags, she held on to my hand.

“Come… put me to bed,” she mumbled, her hand quickly slipping from mine, and I leaned down, and kissed her on the forehead.

“I’ll be back in a bit,” I promised, as I headed back to Raul to retrieve the armor, then over to the supply cart, which was now being repaired by a couple of Kobalt workers under Gisela’s supervision, along with an annoyed looking Casey.

“Are you done playing with your girlfriend?” she asked sarcastically, and I quickly nodded.

“Bianca’s out cold. By the way, Raul just told me some stuff,” I said, as I quickly recounted his words to her.

“Originator? I’ve never heard the term… or anything about a monster which ‘spawns’ others. I have heard about monsters so tough that only groups of experienced otherworlders stand a chance against them, but I’ve never seen an actual case, so as far as I knew it was just a theoretical thing that might not even exist.”

As Casey finished speaking, she stifled a yawn, and I shot her a disapproving look.

“You’ve been so active today that I keep forgetting you were stabbed. Go get some sleep, already,” I chided, as I shooed her off to bed.

“Fine, fine; but I don’t think it’s the stab wound that wore me out,” she leaned in to whisper, and I snickered at her as she trudged off toward the sleeping area.

“Gisela. How bad is it?” I asked, as I moved to her side.

“It is repairable; temporarily.”

I nodded, before casting a glance back toward the princess’ camp.

“Is the princess asleep?” I asked, and she nodded.

“I know you desired to offer consolation, but princess requested not to be disturbed,” Gisela warned, and I frowned.

“This whole thing really upset her that much, huh?”

Gisela nodded.

“Will you be entertaining a goddess tonight?” she asked, and I pondered for a bit.

“Maybe. You said space was prepared for me over there, right?”

Gisela nodded.

_Maybe I could spend some time there with Cameron? After her watch was over?_

At my request, Gisela showed me where the prepared spot was, while also pointing out where she would be sleeping, so that I could wake her if I needed anything throughout the night.

I thanked her for the gesture, then headed back to the otherworlder’s sleeping area, to check on Bianca.

“Mmh, Natey? You came,” she purred, as I settled down next to her, and she crawled into my lap, and curled up there, humming contentedly as I stroked her sleek, black hair.

“I did say I would,” I replied.

Casey stirred and cast a quick glance in my direction, before shaking her head disapprovingly, as she turned and went back to sleep.

“I know,” Bianca mumbled sleepily, “but people lie to me all the time.”

She went quiet for a bit, before speaking again.

“Did I do good today?”

“Yes. Exceptionally so,” I praised her, as I continued to stroke her head reassuringly, and she gave another contented ‘hm’.

“Natey… you wouldn’t hurt me, would you?”

“I would certainly try not to,” I offered, and she pouted a little.

“I meant… hitting me,” she clarified. “I know I can’t have you all to myself… but I don’t mind. As long as you promise. Promise you’ll never hurt me?”

“I promise,” I answered, and she relaxed again, her breathing eventually evening out into soft little wisps through imperceptibly parted lips, as she drifted off to sleep.

“Do you need a cuddle as well?” I called, and Casey turned, frowning at me, before slumping back with a sigh.

“I already told you. I have no intention of being on anyone’s ‘list’,” she shot back, and I snickered a little, as I crept over to her side.

“If my advisor is getting trouble sleeping, then it’s my duty to make sure she gets enough rest to be effective in her role, no?”

She grumbled as I rested a hand on her hip, but after a few moments, I felt her fingers creep timidly to meet my hand, and I took her hand in mine as she pulled the hand closer to her chest, and she let out a sigh, as I began to stroke her back, with soft, soothing strokes.

We remained like that for a bit, before she rolled over onto her back, and turned to look up at me.

There was a searching look in her eye; as if she was trying to find the words to say something, and I was about to ask what it was about, when a call alerted me to something on the other side of the camp.

“What was that?” Casey asked, as I looked over in the direction of the disturbance.

“I’ll go find out,” I replied, as I got up and headed across the camp to where a small group of Kobalt were gathered.

When I got there, I noticed that there were several gazes directed upwards, to the tree branches that hung above us, and as I spotted Gisela I hurried over to her side.

“Did something happen?” I asked, and she furrowed her brow worriedly.

“A Kobalt is missing.”

“Hunter?” I asked, and she shook her head.

“A common from _Kleiner Hein_ ,” she replied, and I frowned.

_The cluster?_

_Then, was it a spy? Or did something happen?_

“Why is everyone looking up?” I asked, and Gisela bit her lip nervously.

“The hunters claim he was asleep, and did not leave. They fear that he was attacked by something…”

“A geisterung?” I asked, and she shook her head.

“Die Aufhöcker,” a nearby hunter cut in, and Gisela let out a sigh.

She seemed about to speak, when a call alerted us again, and as we began to move in that direction, we heard a scream.

Most of the hunters followed the scream, but as I stared off in the direction of the initial cry; I saw something...

The shifting of branches as something moved across them.

It was subtle at first, until a loud noise alerted me.

 _What the hell?_ I thought. _Did it just jump from one tree to another?_

I followed the movement as it shifted from tree to tree, but in the darkness, I could barely make out a thing, until the trail led me to a tree which emitted a faint sort of glow of its own.

The movement paused for a second, and as I focused on the tree, trying hard to spot anything out of the ordinary, I suddenly noticed a wicked pair of eyes, very much like the eyes of the ‘geisterung’ creature that we’d faced off against earlier.

I swallowed uncertainly, as the creature’s gaze seemed to be fixed squarely on me, until it reacted to some movement behind me, and in a flash, it leapt away with incredible agility; grabbing onto a branch and swinging itself across to another tree, and disappearing into the bushy canopy there.

For a second, I considered following the thing, but something in my gut told me that that wasn’t a good idea.

“Herr Nathan! The common has been found,” Gisela began, and as I turned, I could tell from the panicked look in her eyes that though the missing man had been found, all was not well.

“Show me,” I said, and I darted after her to a gathering crowd, and as we parted the group, the sight of the Kobalt man came into view.

His neck was a mangled mess; as if something had ripped his throat out from the side of his neck, and as I moved closer, I noted that a spot over his elbow had been torn open, but unlike the wound on his neck, this one was done with a more surgical like precision.

As I examined the man, Casey moved to my side.

“Casey… you said the Kobalt have cores, don’t they?”

She nodded slowly, her eyes on me as she tried to gauge the reasoning behind my question.

I examined the man a bit, then turned to Gisela.

“Was his core removed? Before I came here?”

She shook her head, then indicated to the would on his arm.

“He fell from somewhere above; like this,” she said, and I turned to Casey.

“It took his core,” I muttered, and her eyes went wide as she finally understood the reason behind the look of grave concern look on my face.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A battle ensues, and the group struggles to survive the night.

***

“What would a monster do with a core?” I asked, and Casey blinked several times, her eyes flicking between the Kobalt, and my own concerned gaze.

“I- I don’t know,” she answered, apparently as flabbergasted by the development as I was.

I turned to Gisela.

“Do monsters ever do that?” I asked, and the girl quickly shook her head.

“It is not within my understanding,” she replied.

As we spoke, Cameron came over to join us, but as she took one look at the body in front of us, she turned and began to retch, as she spilled the contents of her stomach unceremoniously onto the earth beside her.

I quickly moved to her side, and placed a hand on her back, rubbing gently as she continued to vomit for a bit.

“I’m fine,” she quickly said, as she took a labored breath in, and wiped away some tears from her eyes.

Casey shot me a worried look, and I bit my lip nervously, as I led Cameron away from the grisly scene, and toward the sleeping area prepared for us.

I lay her down on the bed of rags, but as I sat down beside her and took her hand, she quickly shot me a disapproving look.

“You don’t need to worry about me. Go. You need to handle this,” she said, and I sighed.

As I stood up to leave, she kept ahold of my hand for a moment, letting out a sigh, before finally letting me go with a nod.

“Go,” she whispered again, and I nodded.

“We should get Nolan to cover her watch,” I said, as Casey moved to join me.

“Already done,” she answered, and I smiled at her.

“How did I ever survive without you?” I added, and she smiled, blushing a little at the compliment.

We moved to meet up with Gisela, and as I relayed my encounter with the new creature, Gisela furrowed her brow.

“So. The thing exists,” she said, biting her lip nervously.

“It’s probably not the mythological beast your people believe it to be. For now, we just need to be more cautious about how we move within the camp. If it can attack from above, then we need to make sure that no task is done alone.”

Casey nodded in agreement.

“I will make it known,” Gisela said. “Forgive my absence; our fallen comrade must be prepared to rest within the earth.”

I nodded, as Gisela bowed, before heading away.

“Where are you thinking?” Casey asked.

“Defending against that thing in a forest is a nightmare,” I said, and she nodded. “Do you think we could hunt it?”

She shook her head in response.

“If it moved through the trees as high up as you mentioned, and as quickly, then there’s no way for us to even engage unless it attacks. Maybe we could set a trap, but I can’t say for certain without more info on the creature.”

As we spoke, I spotted Myrinne walking towards me.

“Herr Auslander. The God-enemy wishes audience,” the girl said, gesturing to Raul, and I shot Casey a dubious look as we thanked Myrinne, then headed in his direction.

When we got there however, I noted that he seemed to be shooting tentative glances at the canopy above.

“You saw it?” I asked, and he nodded.

“I saw it move amongst branches too; it’s quick. Quicker than any monsters I’ve ever seen.”

“So, what did you want to talk about?” I asked, and he let out a sigh.

“I want to co-operate,” he said. “I have some info that might be useful right now, and some modules that might help us survive this place.”

“Why the change of heart?” I asked, and he sighed.

“Two reasons mainly. One; I’m… trying to give your suggestion a chance. I kind of thought that most of the people who came here were like that Emily girl; dangerous, and untrustworthy. But I’ve been observing what you’re building here, and I guess I’m starting to see the value of it.”

Casey let out a sigh.

“What’s the other reason?” she asked.

“Self-preservation. That thing up there was watching me intently… something in me told me that it marked me, as ‘next on the menu’,” he explained.

Casey frowned at him, as I began to rub my chin thoughtfully.

_It did the same thing to me… didn’t it?_

“What’s the module,” Casey asked, and he frowned.

“Basic map module,” he replied, and I tilted my head at him.

“I did a thorough search for mapping tools; I never saw a basic map module,” I replied, and Casey sighed.

“Legacy item. Either they figured it was too useful for its cost, or not useful at all, so they removed it from the shop.”

I frowned.

“What does it do?”

Raul gestured toward his wrist, and I nodded, undoing the ties on Raul’s hands, and he tapped the implant on his wrist, and the little holographic image of a grid popped up.

“That looks fairly blank to me,” I said, and Casey frowned.

“What does it do, exactly?” she asked.

“I can mark this spot where I’m standing, and I’ll be able to find it no matter how far away I go.”

“That could be useful… if I wanna chase something.”

“Exactly,” Raul said, and Casey shrugged.

“Might as well just take it off of him anyway,” she said, and Raul frowned.

“Wait, mods can be transferred?” he asked, and she raised an eyebrow at him.

“Uh, yeah,” she replied, and I snickered a little at his distress at the realization.

 _Way to lose your bargaining chip_ , I thought.

She showed him how to transfer the module, and as I activated it, I decided to give it a test, marking the current spot on the map.

The map showed literally nothing else, but I had to admit that it was still better than the absolute nothing, save for my compass, that we had when it came to navigation.

“That the only module?” she asked, and as he nodded, she eyed him.

“Nate. Force him to tell you if he has more,” she said, and I patted her on the shoulder.

“Easy there. At least he’s giving us something. Let’s just take it one step at a time for now. You said you had some information?”

Raul shot me a thankful nod, before continuing.

“Yeah. The area we’re in right now is an originator’s domain. Now I don’t know an awful lot about them, and a lot of what I’ve heard is hearsay from villagers; but there is one thing that I’ve heard from a very reliable source.”

“Which is?” Casey asked, a little impatiently.

“Every domain has at least one guildhall, usually somewhere on the periphery.”

I rubbed my chin, as a smile appeared on my lips.

“Hence the map,” I offered, and Raul nodded. “This could be a godsend.”

Casey quickly clicked her tongue at me in annoyance.

“A word?” Casey asked, and I nodded.

“Excuse us for a moment,” I said, tying Raul’s hands back together, before walking just out of earshot.

“He could be lying; are we seriously gonna just trust his word?” she asked, and I frowned.

“Apart from trying to make sure we all die in here, why would he?”

“Isn’t that possibility enough?” Casey asked, and I sighed.

“On the probability that he isn’t; this isn’t the kind of chance we can pass up. We need supplies. Some more healing potions; armor. He has thirty-five hundred credits that we can splurge here to make sure we make it to our destination.”

“I still don’t like it,” she replied, and I sighed.

“Think this through, Casey. I can move really fast in this armor, and without having to worry about getting lost, I can really go all out. A quick recon mission, and I’ll be back before you know it.”

“You can’t go alone. You need to take someone else with you at least,” she replied, and I frowned.

“To slow me down? The only person that can keep up with me is Francesca, and there’s no way I can leave this camp without at least one of us around.”

“You’re being dumb, Nate. If you get injured, or if something unexpected happens, you’ll be out there alone and we’ll have no way of getting to you.”

“It’s a risk; but this is one case where its massively outweighed by the possible reward. What’s really going on here? You seem to be banking on some pretty unlikely problems. Are you sure that you’re thinking straight?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Maybe your hypnosis is impeding your judgement,” I suggested, and she glared at me angrily.

“What? Ugh, fine! Just do whatever the fuck you want then!” she spat, before storming off, and as I stared after her, I gave the issue some thought.

Casey was an invaluable asset.

Her use had far transcended the inside knowledge that she brought to the table, as she had proven to be a highly efficient advisor as well.

But on the other hand, I was fairly certain that her emotions were clouding her judgement.

I mean, finding a guildhall while we were in the middle of nowhere?

This was a best-case scenario since we badly needed to stock up on essentials as we prepared for the long journey ahead.

As I rubbed my chin, trying hard to think of a solution, I noticed that Casey was standing off to herself, so I decided to go to her.

“Hey,” I said, and she kept her eyes forward, as she ignored my greeting.

“I really need you to be my advisor right now,” I tried again, and she scoffed.

“How am I supposed to believe that when all you do is ignore my advice?”

I sighed, then moved closer, but as she shot me a warning glare over her shoulder, I kept a reasonable distance.

“You haven’t really been listening to me either, you know…”

She turned to study me.

“You keep taking risks-”

“I took a risk for you once, didn’t I? And now you’re basically indispensable to me.”

She continued to stare at me.

“Look, just hear me out. That thing that attacked is probably going to come back; but my guess is that we have a brief window right now during which I can do some recon without it interfering; if I find the hall, then we get some invaluable supplies. If I don’t? Then I’ve probably just wasted a few hours.”

“What, are you asking my permission? I thought your mind was made up.”

“Help me to plan this so that I can reduce the risk as much as possible,” I replied, and her eyes teared up a little, as she swallowed uncomfortably.

“Fine,” she answered. “If this is only a couple of hours, you’re taking Francesca.”

I shook my head.

“That creature might not come back for a bit, but another ‘geisterung’ attack is still probable. I can’t leave the camp and take the only people who’ve fought, much less killed one.”

“Then Jordan,” she began, and I bit my lip.

“That might be counterproductive; if he slows me down, it might actually increase the risk. The only people here who can keep up with me are Francesca, and Mr. ‘Walking Corpse’, over there.”

Casey rubbed her chin, as she cast a glance over at Raul.

“Maybe there’s a way we can use him, actually,” she said, and as I smirked a bit, she rolled her eyes at me.

“Come on, tell me.”

She let out a sigh, before continuing.

“His pledge. There’s a way you can use it to exercise more autonomous control over him.”

“Hnn~. How so?”

“The idea is that you create a clause while focusing on the shadow image of him in your mind; then designate a consequence for breaking that clause.”

I bit my lip.

“Okay, how about… complete muscular paralysis if he tries to hurt any sentient lifeforms.”

“If the condition is too general, it may not work, though…”

I frowned.

“Okay; can I practice on you?” I asked, and she frowned.

“Okay, but don’t make the condition anything painful. I’m still nursing a stab wound.”

I summoned up the image of Casey in my mind, then set about designing the clause.

Let’s see…

 _If Casey has an involuntary thought about me, send a shiver up her spine!_ I thought, and no sooner had the clause been declared, than Casey shivered a little, then shot me a curious look.

“What did you do?”

Another shiver ran up her spine, and I snickered a little.

“I created the clause, ‘if Casey has an involuntary thought about me, send a shiver up her spine’,” I explained, and Casey tilted her head at me, as another shiver ran up her spine.

“Why would you do that?” she asked, and I shrugged.

“I thought maybe it might counter your hypnosis,” I suggested, and she frowned.

“Turn it off, will ya?”

“Are you sure? Maybe it might help you shake your obsession problem.”

She shook her head.

“I’d rather deal with it myself, thanks,” she replied, and I shrugged, as I called up her image in my mind, and dissociated the clause from her image.

She shot me a relieved look, as I turned to study Raul.

“How about if I use the image of specific people that he is forbidden from hurting?”

“That should work, as long as you can clearly recall the images. What’s the repercussion though? I know you said muscular paralysis, but you can make it so that his heart stops beating if you really wanted.”

I shook my head.

“We might need him yet, and he has expressed some troublingly suicidal feelings in his time here. I’d rather not tempt him with that.”

After explaining the deal with the pledges, however, Raul quickly agreed, and a quick test showed that the clauses worked perfectly, as Raul fell to the floor, unable to move, just as he raised his hand to deliver a blow at my face.

The clause, however, had to be reworded to add in a time limit to his petrification, or else he’d just lie there until I used my control over his body to end the condition.

He rubbed his hands together, evidently having been quite uncomfortable in his binds, and I made a note to myself to enquire about safe binding methods that we could use, that didn’t result in as much discomfort for prisoners in the future.

“So, what’s the plan?” Raul asked.

“You and I are going for a run,” I answered, and he glanced between me and Casey.

“Do I get armor?” he asked, and Casey quickly shook her head.

“Your strength and speed boosts should have transferred from your old armor by now, no?”

Raul reluctantly nodded.

“Then good. All I need is for you to keep pace with Nate.”

“Do I get a weapon at least?”

Casey bit her lip, and I nodded.

“If I’m in trouble and there’s a fight, I’ll need him armed,” I reminded her, and she sighed.

“The hunting knife?”

I nodded.

“Works for me,” he said. “How soon can we leave?”

“As soon as I wake Francesca,” I said, and he nodded.

When I woke up Francesca, and let her know what was going on, she quickly furrowed her brow at me.

“Why didn’t you wake me sooner? Maybe we could have tracked the thing?”

“If you were awake, maybe we could have, but it was gone before I knew what it was.”

She sighed, stretching as she shook off her sleepiness.

“Does Cameron have my spear…” her words trailed off, as she spotted Cameron asleep, not too far from us. “Is she alright?”

“Yeah… she got a little sick again, so Nolan relieved her,” I quickly answered, and she frowned.

“Should I relieve Nolan?” she asked, and I shook my head.

“I think we need the extra eyes for now, but I don’t want everyone to get worn down like we did back at the cluster. Get the spear from him, and swap him one of the daggers or something.”

Francesca nodded.

With that settled, the only thing left was to head out.

Casey walked with us to the periphery of the camp, and I turned to her as we got ready to leave.

“One more thing. While I’m gone, you’re in charge here,” I said, and she sighed.

“Duh,” she replied, but as I turned, she suddenly pulled me back.

“Be safe… and don’t do anything stupid,” she said, her eyes a little glassy as she shot me a genuine look of concern.

“Me? Something stupid. Pfft,” I replied, and she shoved me, as I shot her one more look, before raising a hand, and turning to Raul as we took off at a sprint.

***

“Are you keeping up?” I called, and Raul scoffed.

“Yeah, *wheeze*, this is… nothing!”

I smirked a little, as we came to a stop, and I pulled up my little map thing, and gave it a quick look.

We’d been running for about half an hour straight, and we were now some way from the camp.

Raul was trying desperately to catch his breath, while also trying in vain to maintain the image that he was completely fine.

“The guildhalls are usually concealed, aren’t they?” I asked, and Raul nodded, as his eyes narrowed on me.

“Yeah, but you can detect them, can’t you?”

I studied him for a bit.

“What do you mean, detect them?”

“Can’t you access your own internal map module?”

I tilted my head, as Raul brought up a display similar to the one that the basic map module did; a blank map with green grid lines that showed only his location.

“Guildhalls show up as a blue blip, as soon as we get into a five-mile radius,” he explained, and I frowned.

“And you got this ability just like that?”

“I think it activated after I explored a certain distance, or something.”

I rubbed my chin.

My own movements had been back and forth between the guild hall, and Palancar, and now, the path that this journey led us on.

Was that distance insufficient, or were the requirements to activate the module merely different from what Raul guessed them to be?

“Well, keep an eye on it. You’re the only one who has access to that,” I replied.

As we set out again, I made sure to slow our pace down a little so that Raul could keep an eye on his module effectively as we moved, but less than five minutes after the resumption of our travel, I spotted something off to my right, and pulled to a sudden halt.

“What is it?” Raul asked, and I gestured in the direction, as I drew my halberd, and went on alert.

Raul stared after the direction I pointed, when he spotted the creature, slumped on the ground.

I moved cautiously to it, and immediately noted that it had been sliced cleanly in two, and that its core had been extracted.

“Fucking hell,” Raul said. “That blood still looks fresh.”

It was a recent kill.

“Was wondering why we didn’t encounter anything in our entire journey,” I said. “Someone’s clearing these woods. We should head back…”

“Fuck me. The hall is right up over there,” Raul replied, and I furrowed my brow.

This was the worst possible scenario.

It was right there, within reach, but going there was now a massive no-no.

“Do we come back?” he asked, and I bit my lip, as I wasn’t sure even that was a good idea.

Hell, we might need a miracle right now to even get out of these woods before whoever it was found our caravan.

I was still trying to figure out how to proceed when-

“Are you two Davion’s boys?”

The voice was a woman’s, and as we turned, I noted that she seemed to be completely unarmored, wearing only a modest, yellow sundress that flowed carelessly in the night wind.

In her grasp however, was a rather long sword which was drawn; the blade’s tip lying on the earth a few feet away from her, as she supported the weight of the unwieldy looking thing in one hand.

Her eyes narrowed as she focused on me, and as she hefted her sword up and approached, her demeanor quickly changed.

“You… you’re a new transfer,” she said, glancing at me, but her eyes turned murderous in a heartbeat as they rested on Raul. “You, on the other hand; your hands are stained red with the blood of your own kind.”

She turned, and spat at the floor.

“If you pledge yourself to me, I’ll rid you of him and give you a fighting chance at survival in this vile world,” the girl said, directing her words at me, and I quickly raised a hand, as Raul readied his knife.

“Hold on… I’m aware of his past,” I began.

“Then, you’re complicit?” she asked, and I shook my head.

“He’s pledged to me. I’m trying to rehabilitate him, so to speak; and also… I needed info about this world, and he was my only shot.”

She eyed me, her eyes flicking across my body.

“You beat him in combat? That explains the armor,” she said, and as I nodded, she continued. “Well then; let’s see what you’ve got.”

I barely had time to ready my stance when she appeared in front of me, quicker than a flash of lightning, but as I braced for a swing from her sword, she spun, raising her leg and striking me painfully across my neck, and I felt earth being forced into my mouth as I face planted into the ground, hard.

Raul swung at her, and she evaded the knife by a hair breath; not even turning to watch him, and she grabbed his wrist and applied some kind of pressure which made him drop the knife.

She shoved him backwards, before turning and kicking him hard in the ribs, and he went flying past the dead creature and collided with a tree, which cracked with force of the impact.

I quickly clambered to my feet as she approached, but as I swung my halberd desperately, she evaded the swipe without even a falter in her step, and as she did a little hop-skip, I prepared for another roundhouse aimed at my head; but she paused mid-kick, altering the trajectory of her leg, which went straight up over my head in an almost flawless split, before crashing down painfully onto my shoulder, and slamming me once more into the earth.

I turned to study her, my eyes wide, and practically sparkling.

Her form.

Her movement.

So, fluid… so effortless.

She was beautiful!

Perfect!

And in that simple second, I was sure I was in love.

I felt the sudden urge to prostrate myself before her, and a brief fantasy of lapping at her feet while she abused me flashed before my eyes, and I felt myself quickly stirring.

I shook my head, trying to find some kind of resolve.

“I find it impossible to believe that you beat him; in full armor, without armor of your own. Do you have an explanation, or should I end your miserable existence now?”

I let out a sigh.

“Honestly, I probably couldn’t beat him in full armor, even if I tried… when I fought him, I had my group with me; and it was basically a kill or be killed kind of scenario.”

“Your group? That brings back memories. How many of you bastards made it this time?”

“Uh, eleven?”

“Eleven?”

“Might be thirteen, actually, but two of them aren’t with us anymore, so I don’t know what their status is, honestly.”

“Fuck me. How long have you been here for?”

“Today would end day six, unless I’m mistaken.”

“Jesus, six days? That’s gotta be some kind of record… where is this group of yours, though. Why are you out here all by your lonesome,” she asked, as her eyes flashed at me, full of suspicion.

“We weren’t able to make proper use of our guildhall before leaving, so we were trying to find this one to get some badly needed supplies.”

“Wow. I’m impressed. Well come on up, I’ll take ya to it,” she said, and I shrugged, as Raul frowned. “Name’s Danica, by the way.”

“Nathan,” I replied, as Raul mumbled his name begrudgingly.

“You guys sure picked an awfully fucked up time to go wandering in Irileth’s domain, of all places. Say, how’d you even end up here?”

“Irileth’s domain? What is that?”

“Jeez… what a blissful life you must live right now. Irileth is the ‘forebearer’ that dwells here. She’s been here for almost half a millennium too.”

“What’s a forebearer?” I asked.

“Probably another word for an originator?” Raul offered.

“Originator? Don’t make me laugh. Where’d you hear that? From Calcipher? He’s been trying to get that to catch on for like a hundred years now.”

“Calcipher? No, someone told me about it in a town along Ephraim’s realm,” Raul answered, and Danica made a retching sound in response.

“Ugh. Worse place to come from, like… ever. Place spawns more minions than Irileth’s loins, if you know what I mean. Glad to see you got out of it though,” she said, and Raul frowned.

“Uh, thanks?”

“What about you? ‘From which hall did you spring’?” she asked, laughing a little at her own sarcastic use of ‘fantasy talk’.

“Saker Keep,” I replied, and she turned to me.

“Get. Out! You got eleven people out of Saker? Man, I need to find someone to tell this story to, like yesterday!”

We got to a large, rocky protrusion as we walked, and as I studied the thing, I noticed a panel blended into the rocky surface, similar to the one that concealed the entrance to our starting hall.

Danica gestured to me, and as I stepped forward and offered my wrist to the scanner, the panel slid open, and we headed inside.

The layout was almost exactly the same as the one in Saker, but I was astounded to find the inside overgrown with vines and bush, and with discarded bits of paraphernalia all about.

“Jesus, does no one maintain this place?” I asked, and Danica nodded.

“Pretty much.”

As I walked over to the console, however, I breathed a sigh of relief, as the thing still seemed operational.

“These things are indestructible. Take it from someone who tried to destroy one,” she said, and I shot her a curious look as I nodded.

As I quickly browsed the catalog, making sure that everything seemed fine with the listing, I returned my attention to Danica.

“Any advice to give?” I asked, and she chuckled.

“That depends. How much time do you have?” she joked, and I dismissed the catalog, and turned my attention to her.

“That depends on what’s going on in here; you were the one who killed that bear-thingy?”

She nodded.

“Feeders like that should hardly make you break a sweat, though,” she replied, eyeing me a little.

“They haven’t… it’s the tree jumping thing that’s got my team spooked.”

“Ooh, nasty little herald, that one. You could probably take him straight on, but he doesn’t play like that, does he?” she asked, and I nodded, swallowing uncomfortably.

“Wait… you didn’t leave your group with all of the armor and weapons you guys had collectively, did you? Because, I’m not sure you’ll be returning to a group that’s alive and well, so to speak, by the time you get back.”

I shook my head, as she continued.

“You sure? You know, I could probably take better care of you anyway. Just send this one back, and tell them a she-wolf got you. Wouldn’t even be half a lie,” she said, licking her lips, and I chuckled nervously, as I rubbed the back of my head.

 _If she decided that she really wanted me, there’s nothing I could do about it, is there?_ I thought.

“Oh, don’t look so worried. My daddy raised a good girl. I know how to ask a boy’s permission before that kind of thing, but I can’t promise I’ll ask nicely every time~,” she teased.

“Ugh; do you two want a room, or something?” Raul asked, and Danica quickly laughed, waving away the suggestion.

“I’m just teasing,” she said, though her eyes did linger on me for a few seconds, a hungry look in them, before she turned away.

“By the way. This tree jumping monster. A herald, you called it? It took the core of someone it killed,” I began, and she frowned.

“Aww, does that mean you’re down to ten, or was it twelve before?”

“Wasn’t one of us, actually. A native,” I explained, and she snickered.

“Playing the God-king scenario. Nice! This is, what… Eltari? Is it the tree elves, or the goblins?”

“Goblins,” I answered, “or Kobalt, as they prefer to be called.”

“Kobalt. I can get on board with that. Never liked calling them goblins, because my fantasy of them was always cave dwellers, not uppity tree huggers,” she replied. “So, what about this core thing?”

“Right; the man it killed. It took his core,” I explained, and she shrugged.

“Yeah… and?”

I shook my head, a little confused.

“Why did it do that?” I asked, and she giggled at me.

“Fish gotta swim, monsters gotta eat, right?”

“They eat the cores?” I asked, raising an eyebrow, and she snickered at me.

“More like… absorb the essence of the man it belonged to, really,” she explained, and I noticed Raul suppressing a shudder.

“So, they get stronger the more they eat?” I asked, and she nodded.

“Every herald was once a feeder; and if it eats enough, one day it’ll be a minion. They can only stomach so much, though. They just eat the external power before carrying the cores back to their masters who consume the soul itself.”

“The soul itself?” I asked.

“Yep; the memories, emotions, motivations, and aspirations of the person, all contained in their core. Sentient monsters harbor an unnatural thirst for these things, and the more unique the soul, the better it ‘tastes’ I guess.”

“So, the herald will take the core back to Irileth?” I asked, and she laughed.

“God no. Irileth is at the top of this chain, and a little old native isn’t gonna even tickle her fancy. Your herald probably serves something lower; the minion of a stronger harbinger, or a lesser harbinger itself. And by the way, not the kind of thing that you want to have dealings with in any capacity right now. Believe me when I tell you; there are things in this world that can crush you like an ant. So, until you’re strong enough to tango with them, stay the fuck outta their line of sight.”

I nodded, turning to Raul.

“We should make our purchases and head back to our group.”

Danica frowned at this, then circled me a little, a playful look in her eyes.

“Actually, there’s a little something that I think I could use you for… and I could make it worth your while.”

I raised an eyebrow at her, as she studied me.

“Go on,” I prodded, and she smiled.

“Send your little errand boy home with whatever purchases you needed to make. I’ll take you on a little side-quest, and give you some useful tips,” she said.

“How can I verify the usefulness of what you’re offering?” I asked, and she shrugged.

“Guess I can’t, huh? Tell you what, I’ll even throw in two thousand credits. Up front; as long as you say yes~.”

I tilted my head at her.

“And how long will this ‘side-quest’ take?”

“An hour. Maybe two?”

I turned to Raul as I considered our options; on the one hand, Casey would be pretty pissed if he went home alone… but if he returned with the needed supplies, that would definitely smoothen things over.

“I’ll even help with your purchases~,” she sang, and I nodded.

“Okay, deal,” I said, and she immediately held up her wrist to mine, and I gasped as she transferred over the credits without the slightest hint of hesitation.

“Now let’s hurry up and get this shopping done!”

 _Someone’s in a hurry,_ I thought, as I pulled up the catalog.

“What’s the deal with armor, by the way. I notice you’re not wearing any,” I began, and she giggled.

“I’m a bad benchmark to use right now, hon; but it might be best to think of armor as a necessary evil. A young’un like you needs the protection, and more importantly, the ability boosts; but as soon as you learn the abilities that your armor offers, it’s time to move on to a new set.”

“Okay. So, abilities.”

She nodded.

“Starting out; speed, strength, and endurance are the three most important attributes, especially when it comes to fighting basic monsters; so, in a five piece set, get two each for strength and speed, and one for endurance. You’ll need agility, maybe acrobatics later on, but that’s more of a factor in higher level fights, so don’t bother with them unless you’re buying for a T-two rank adventurer. How many armor sets do you have?”

“Three, including this one,” I answered.

She studied my own armor, and rubbed her chin.

“And the others? What tier? Grade?”

“One set tier one, low grade. The other, tier two… what grade was that?” I asked Raul.

“Low,” he replied, and Danica frowned.

“Tier one is fine for a new group. You’ll get the abilities you need, and basic protection… but stay away from low grade stuff unless you’re desperate. You learn abilities much more slowly with them.”

“Alright. How much suits of armor do you think my group needs?”

“That depends on how much credits you have,” she replied.

“Thirty-five hundred.”

“Including the two thousand I just gave you?”

I shook my head, and she chuckled a little.

“Ideally, a new group wants every fighter armored, but everyone won’t be fighting all the time unless you’re in a real bind, and by then, you’d probably end up dead anyway. Eleven otherworlders-”

“Twelve, if you count Mr. sulkyface over there, but he’s not allowed to wear armor until we know he’ll behave,” I clarified, and she smirked at Raul a bit, before continuing.

“I’d say five sets for combat is good. Maybe six, so you can get a good ability mix in there as well.”

“Ability mix?”

“Yeah. You’ll want all fighters to know speed, strength, and endurance one at least; but there are a lot of abilities that will be useful out of combat. Let’s see… you’ve got such a large group. Normally I wouldn’t recommend this to newbies, but Alchemy might be a godsend if you can develop it this early on. How many natives are there with you?”

“About sixty, I think.”

“Holy shit. Then definitely an alchemy piece. Medicine and cooking as well.”

“That sounds useless,” Raul interjected, and Danica rolled her eyes at him.

“Not everyone wants to live like a murder hobo on the perpetual brink of insanity. Maintaining the psychological health of the group is key to long term survival,” she shot back, and I nodded in agreement.

“No argument from me there,” I said.

“How are you all on weapons?” she asked.

“Three spears, three daggers, two hunting knives, and this old thing,” I finished, gesturing to my halberd.

“That’s a nice weapon,” she said, as she turned to Raul. “He get that from you?”

Raul shook his head.

“Found him with it,” he replied, and she shot me a questioning look.

“My native benefactor,” I explained. “They’re also where I got this armor.”

“You don’t say,” she said, as she approached me. “Now that I look at it, this weapon might be custom made, huh? And this armor…”

Her fingers brushed the breastplate, and to my surprise, a soft blue glow appeared at her hands.

“Wow. Whoever wore this must have been one hell of an adventurer. Do you know his name?”

“If my native friends are to be believed; Hans Gruber,” I replied, and she snickered a little.

“’Die Hard’ fan?”

“I initially considered that, but apparently he was around about five hundred years ago.”

She chuckled.

“Five hundred years here? So what?”

“Die Hard isn’t that old,” I replied, and she laughed again.

“That literally doesn’t matter. Do you know what year I left earth?”

I tilted my head at her.

“Two thousand and four,” she replied, “and I don’t really wanna tell you how old I am, but I’m in the triple figures here, hon.”

My mind drew a blank, as I struggled to process what she was saying.

Part of me wanted to scream ‘how is this fucking possible?!’ while the other half was more along the lines of, ‘you disappeared from earth and instantaneously appeared on a planet three hundred light years away, and this is what surprises you?’

I shook the thought from my mind, and returned to the situation at hand as Danica continued to investigate my armor.

“It’s so odd. I have literally never heard of this guy, but he must have been something. There’re more skills embedded in this armor than I care to count. You’ve got yourself something priceless here, hon. Better hold onto her like she was your first love.”

She patted me on the chest, as she continued.

“As for weapons; T-one low grade stuff is all you need for beginners, but the daggers and hunting knives are high difficulty weapons that require more advances skills than you’d have starting out. Besides, spears and swords are better for fighting monsters anyway.”

I nodded.

We had three spears, so maybe two swords would round us off well.

I purchased the two swords, as well as a full set of medium grade tier one armor, which included gauntlets, arm guards, a breastplate, greaves, a helmet, and boots.

I then purchased the missing pieces to make up another T-one set using the miscellaneous pieces that we’d collected from Vanessa’s group.

I then opted for a medium grade T-two set for Francesca comprised of the same six pieces as the T-one set, but including a piece with the acrobatics skill, since I felt it would complement the style she was developing quite nicely.

I also purchased twenty vials of weak healing potions, which Danica approved of since weak potions afforded better coverage, while the more advanced potions tended to heal more than was needed in a localized spot.

It cost two thousand, nine hundred and twenty credits in total, and as I packed up the gear, dismissing them into their smaller, more manageable forms, Danica browsed the catalog for available gear that offered the specialized skills that she’d recommended.

We managed to get a T-two medium grade bracer and shoulder guard which granted access to the alchemy and medicine skills respectively, and a T-one low grade pair of shin guards which granted access to cooking.

“There’s one more thing I’d suggest buying, but it ain’t cheap.”

“Is it worth it?”

“A thousand times over,” she replied, and I moved to her side at the control panel.

On the display was a bronze colored chest piece called a ‘smith’s cuirass’, but I swallowed uncomfortably as I noted that the item was a high-grade T-two piece of armor, costing nine hundred and sixty credits.

It was fucking expensive, but as I thought about it, I recalled Francesca’s observation about the inordinate number of smiths they’d found in Saker on their first exploratory trip.

“How useful is smithing?” I asked, and she laughed.

“Invaluable. Without your own smith, you’ll need to use the ones in the towns, which take a fucking long time to do anything, and cost you an arm and a leg to use. It’s a difficult skill to learn, and you won’t even be able to use it until you learn the basic required skills; but being to transform armor without a heat-based furnace is a serious asset. You’ll be able to generate your own ingots, and create your own skill training armor when you need it.

“You’re settling down with these Kobalt eventually, aren’t ya?”

I nodded.

“Then I would say this is a must have item,” she said, and I nodded, making the purchase.

As I reviewed my purchases, I noted that we’d spent a total of four thousand, one hundred and thirty credits, but thanks to Danica’s two thousand credit contribution, we still had a little under fifteen hundred credits remaining.

I packed up the things, then handed the bag to Raul, but as I prepared to add a new clause to his pledge-function which would kill him if he did not return directly to the group and stay with them, he suddenly became a little fidgety.

“Hey; it’s probably safe for me to just stay here, right?”

Danica shrugged.

“I don’t see why not. No-one’s coming to kill me as far as I know, and the monsters can’t get in.”

Raul nodded, then turned to me.

“Meet me here when you’re done with your side-quest, and we’ll head back together,” he said, and I nodded, before turning to Danica with a curious look.

“Well then. What’s this side quest?”

“Come with me,” she said, but as she led me outside, she shot me a wicked smirk, before adding, “try to keep up, love~,” as she darted off into the night.

I took off after her, but unlike my previous expedition, I was hopelessly outmatched, and it took all of my effort just to keep sight of her in the dense blanket of night.

We ran for about ten minutes before my brain began to adjust to the speed of the movement, and as I began to study Danica’s movements, I found myself again blown away by the sheer majesty with which she strode through the forest.

Her movements lacked the refined, natural affinity of Eradne’s movement through the trees, but she more than made up for it with the grace of each step.

It was as if every footstep that landed was perfectly measured; applying no more pressure to the ground than what was absolutely needed before lifting off with such a precise application of force, that she appeared to almost glide across the surface of the earth.

I momentarily thought about trying to observe and imitate her movements, as I had done with Eradne, but I quickly discovered that such a feat would be much more difficult, and require a lot more time, which sadly, we did not have, as Danica quickly pulled up to a stop.

“Follow me,” she said, and as I moved closely to her side, she shot me a little smile, then led me along a little pathway through a dense thicket, at the end of which lay the entrance to a cave.

Instinctively, I reached for my halberd, but Danica raised a hand and dismissed the gesture with a little chuckle.

“You can relax. This is my temporary base,” she said, and as we stepped into the cave, I gasped, as the place was certifiably decked out for comfort.

There was an actual bed on the far side of the room, and a lounge chair with a coffee table beside it, strewn with books that looked surprisingly modern.

“Where did you get all this stuff?” I asked, and she smiled proudly.

“The furniture was custom made by the late, but great, Bellerophon himself. Check this out,” she said, as she moved to the lounge chair, and as she stroked the length of the headrest, the thing began to fold into itself with little metallic clinks, just as our armor did when we sent it into storage mode.

I watched with interest as the thing, cushions and all, folded up until it was no more than a little disc that could fit on the palm of my hand, and as I picked it up, I marveled at how the thing felt no heavier than a wooden paper weight.

“How is it so cool in here?” I asked, as a little chill ran up my spine, and Danica pointed to something on one of the far cave walls.

“Temperature control module,” she said. “You can install it in any enclosed space, really.”

“Fuck me. Can I change my mind about coming with you?” I asked, and she giggled at me.

“Don’t joke about that. If I decided I really wanted to, you’d be mine for good, you know?”

I snickered a little, as I had no doubt that that was true.

“Get out of that armor, and relax on the bed. I’ll prepare us a little something that’ll really blow your mind,” she said, but as I moved to undress, I suddenly remembered that I’d been wearing nothing but a pair of boxer length pants underneath my armor for the past day.

“Do you mind if I keep it on? I’m not wearing much under here,” I countered, and she shot me a dry look.

“Did I fucking stutter?” she asked nonchalantly, and I gulped, as I proceeded to strip my armor away.

As I lay down on her bed, however, a familiar and delicious aroma began to fill the room, and I gasped as she approached me with two mugs, steam wafting enticingly from them both.

“Is that coffee?”

“Genuine Columbian roast,” she announced proudly, and I gasped as I brought a little sip of the scalding hot beverage to my lips, and gave it a tentative taste.

“Fuck me… if I didn’t know it’d only been six days, I would have sworn I last had a good cup of coffee a hundred years ago,” I crooned, as I took another whiff of that smooth, earthy scent.

As we sipped our coffee while waiting for the hot thing to cool, I suddenly noted Danica’s eyes travelling across my body, and as my eyes moved over hers in kind, she licked her lips, and smiled at me.

“You know, it’s been some time since I’ve had, how would you say, proper companionship,” she said.

“Would have thought a woman like you could snag any lover she wanted,” I replied, cracking a smile, and she shrugged.

“I could… and I have. Lost more of them that I care to count, too. Recently, though… I’ve found myself longing more and more for the touch of someone not yet tainted by this chaotic world,” she clarified, and I studied her as she continued.

“This place changes you… hell, I know it’s changed me. You become cold to the kinds of things you’d never even dreamed could happen in a thousand years… do you think you could remind me, though? Peel back the years a little, and find that person that’s buried in here somewhere?”

I bit my lip, as I studied her.

“I’d certainly like to try; as long as this isn’t getting in the way of your side-quest,” I noted, and she laughed, a hearty laugh, as she set her cup down, and began to crawl across the bed towards me.

“Oh sweetie… this is the side-quest,” she said, as she trailed a little line down my chest with her index finger.

I chuckled, finishing my drink in one swig, before setting down my cup on the nearby coffee table as well.

“You paid that much just for a little companionship?” I asked, and she snickered.

“Oh, I would have paid twice that much if you asked~. Tell you what… if I find your services to be of my liking, I’ll even let you in on a few secrets,” she teased, and I shrugged.

“I guess I’ll try my best. Do you mind if I fulfill a little fantasy of mine, though?” I asked, and she studied me, an interested look on her face.

“Shoot. Can’t turn you down until you ask,” she said, and as I moved to the edge of the bed, I leaned down, and she spread her legs expectantly in front of me, but as I took one of her feet in my hand, keeping my own gaze fixed on hers, I slipped her foot out of her leather sandal, and placed a gentle, tentative kiss on the instep of her right foot.

“Ooh, I like the way you ask, sweetie,” she crooned, and she continued to study my actions with wide eyed fascination as I continued to kiss along the top of her foot, before planting one more kiss just over her toes, and she cooed contentedly as I finally took her big toe into my mouth, and sucked on it a bit.

“Mmm, never had my toes sucked before… mommy like,” she said.

“Not once in over a hundred years has a man worshipped these godly feet?” I asked, unable to contain my surprise, and as I resumed my oral assault on the thin, stubby digit she put a finger to her lips, as she shook her head.

I massaged the sole of her foot as I sucked on it, and as my hands wandered to her calves, I moved my kisses upwards to the well-toned muscle.

My mind momentarily flashed to the way she moved in our earlier fight; the power, elegance, and sheer majesty with which she delivered that kick, and I felt myself stirring as I worshipped this flawless specimen of a human.

I lapped at her legs, hungry to taste every inch of skin, and by the time I worked my way up to her thighs, the sultry scent of her aroused sex was wafting toward me, and I felt my pores flutter pleasurably as I inhaled deeply, basking in the glory of her aroma.

I was so enthralled by the scent, that I suddenly felt the desire to taste it, and I abandoned my tentative approach as I placed my hands on her hips, and dragged her forward to me, her dress sliding under her in the move.

She wore no underwear, and she was dripping wet.

Her pussy lips themselves were clean shaven, while a little patch of neatly trimmed hair ran from just above the hood of her clit to where her panty line would be, and without a second thought I went straight for her exposed sex, lapping at her dripping slit while intermittently sucking on it, overwhelmed by the desire to drink every drop of the sweet nectar she produced.

“Mmh, baby. You have the touch of an angel, but the tongue of a devil. Mommy likey very much,” she crooned, as she wrapped her legs around my head, and I wrapped my arms around her hips as I sucked and licked hungrily to her delight.

It didn’t take long before her hips began to buck as her first orgasm overcame her, but her eyes looked anything but satisfied.

“Come to mommy,” she said, opening her arms, and as I moved into her embrace, she kissed me.

Her lips parted as our lips met in a smacking kiss, and we repeated the action again and again, with obscene smacking sounds in between each kiss as my rigid cock stood ready for duty; but as I adjusted my body, preparing for entry, she placed a hand on my chest, as she broke away from my lips.

“Here; I want you to hold me,” she said, as she turned on her side, and guided my arms around her, and I complied, pulling her into my chest in a tight embrace, as she reached down, and guided my cock to her entrance.

I savored the heavenly feel of parting her lips with my cockhead, and sliding into her for the first time.

She was soft, and the entry made easy by her dripping wet walls, and I pulled her body close to mine as I reveled in the feel of the sensation.

“Mm, just like that, sweetie. Hold me close,” she urged, and I nuzzled her neck, as she turned, and met my lips with another hungry, smacking kiss.

Her dress was bunched up just below her ribs, and I slid a hand under the thin, cotton fabric as I sought the swell of her breast with my hand, and she cooed, as my exploration finally brought my grasp around one of the fatty mounds, and I took the nipple there between my fingers, as I held her tight.

I slid slowly, tentatively, back and forth inside of her, and she cocked her hips back in response, coaxing me deeper inside, and I cooed as my cock finally bottomed out inside of her suckling womb.

“You feel fucking amazing,” I said, as I ground my hips against her fleshy ass cheeks, and reveled in the feel of her deepest place nestled firmly around me.

I moved back and forth, rocking my hips and trying to press my cockhead into the deepest parts of her cunt, and she cooed again, before turning my face to her to continue our obscene kissing as we fucked.

I pulled her body tightly in my grasp, then let go of her breast, as I used the hand to get a firmer grip on her body, around her shoulder, and as she continued to moan into my lips as we kissed, I began to rock her body onto my cock with my hands in time with my thrusting, impaling her to the hilt each time, and she let out a screaming yelp each time I penetrated her fully.

“Fucking God, Nate! Keep that up!”

The movements were solid, but not frantic, and she caressed my head lovingly in response as I complied, nuzzling into her neck, and kissing the sensitive zone hungrily.

Danica, however, responded with a surprise of her own, as she began to subtly flex her pelvis in time with each impaling strike, squeezing my cockhead with laser precision every time I nestled myself, however briefly, into her deepest parts.

“If you keep that up, I’m gonna burst,” I warned, and she cooed happily.

“Pump me full of that sweet cum, baby… just don’t stop cumming until mommy tells you to stop.”

Compelled by the intense desire to fulfill the demand of this goddess amongst women, I set about imaging the never-ending reservoir of cum that it would take to please her.

With each thrust, I felt myself nearing the cusp of an orgasm, until finally, I nestled myself deep inside of her just as she flexed, and the reservoir burst.

“Ughhhhaaaahhh!”

I grunted without reservation as I unloaded inside of Danica, and she began to moan and flex her hips repeatedly in those coaxing, vice like squeezes, and I felt my initial orgasm give way to wave after wave of pure orgasmic bliss, while rope after rope of thick, creamy semen spewed in a never-ending torrent.

All the while, I continued to thrust into her as I held onto her body for dear life.

How many spurts of cum did I fire into her womb?

I lost count, and I felt giddy as my body went into full auto-pilot, continuing those fucking motions while Danica’s lips let stream a continuous series of ‘ohs’.

I don’t know when I went still, but I came back to reality with a stupefied expression on my face, as my spent cock slipped from Danica’s pussy, followed immediately by an obscene stream of cum that leaked out of her hole.

I studied the sticky mess with a look of pride, and I gasped into a pair of plump, luscious lips as Danica suddenly kissed me, and she sucked on my upper lip a little before I could register, much less properly return the kiss.

We exchanged a few of those wet, smacking kisses, before Danica relented, and rested her head against me and let out a sigh of pure satisfaction.

“That was wonderful. You know, when I saw that special ability of yours, I had my doubts… but no one’s fucked me like that in over a hundred years,” she said.

“Special ability?” I asked, and she nodded, looking up into my eyes with a sparkly eyed expression.

“Lover’s touch,” she said. “Gotta be a unique ability, since I’ve never seen it before. Kind of makes me wonder what you’ve been up to since you got to this world,” she teased, and I snickered a little.

“Well, if you want the honest answer, I’ve been having more sex since I got here than I had in my previous life in total,” I replied, and she laughed.

“Gosh, I don’t even wanna know how much thought you have to put into fucking to develop it into an actual ability; but keep it up, and there’s gonna be some happy kitties in this world,” she said, nuzzling me affectionately as she did.

“Maybe I would have had a little more luck on earth if I had special abilities to help me.”

She scoffed.

“How many women did you sleep with before coming here?”

“Just one, actually.”

“Well pardon me, but she must have been a royal cunt! Most abilities aren’t really things that you just magically develop and start using; it’s something you always had to some extent, that your core is defining by giving it a name, and appraising by assigning it a value. Now maybe your implant is making you more efficient at using it, or your core is accelerating the rate at which you’re improving that use, but the bottom line is you were probably just always a fantastic lover, and any woman worth a damn should have picked up on that, and given you the appreciation that your talent deserved.”

I traced a line along her back as she relaxed on top of me, when suddenly my fingers found a little imperfection, and as I studied the spot, I noticed a little faded scar.

“Huh… I thought our bodies were flawlessly self-healing,” I said, as I fingered the outline of the old wound, and Danica glanced back, before chuckling a little.

“It heals what we want it to heal,” she answered.

“So, you wanted to keep the scar?” I asked, and as I studied her, she bit her lip.

“The one responsible for that scar is who I came here to kill, actually.”

“Irileth?” I asked, and she nodded. “So, you’ve fought her before?”

Danica laughed.

“Not a chance, sweetie. If you fight Irileth, either you die, or she does,” she answered, and I studied her for a bit.

“So, how’d she give you that scar then?” I asked, and she sighed…

“It was another life, almost… so long ago, I can’t even remember what I ate for breakfast that day. Irileth was my friend; we’d come here in different groups, and when I was still trying to find my feet, she took me up, and taught me how to live in this place.”

I tilted my head at her.

“Irileth was human?” I asked, and she nodded, before a distant look appeared in her eyes. “Or was she… I’m not really sure, now that I think about it.”

She rolled over, and lay back on my arm as she looked up at the cave ceiling.

“Back then, we’d made a pact. Neither of us would buy a ticket home until we had enough for the both of us… man, were we stupid back then…”

“So, what happened?”

“We never hunted otherworlders; only monsters, so it took us a while. But when we made it to fifty-five hundred credits? I’ll admit, I felt nervous. I slept with one eye open for a while, but we kept pressing on, and eventually I began to think we were really gonna do it. Apparently, that was what Irileth was banking on. So, on the day that we made seven thousand credits; she put a knife in my back, right through my heart.”

“Fuck,” I cursed, listening as she continued on.

“She told me to transfer the credits, and she’d give me a healing shot; then left the shot ten feet away from me, as she dashed away with our combined credit haul. I tried to crawl there, and passed out three feet from the thing… didn’t even remember using the shot, but I woke up healed, but with that scar. I guess my body just never let it heal completely.”

“So, how’d she become a monster?” I asked, and she snickered a little.

“That’s what happens when you buy a ticket home… they suck you up into that fancy glass tube, then take your core and use it to make a monstrosity.”

“Wait… are you saying that all monsters were once human?” I asked, and she shook her head, as she trailed a little pattern on my chest with her fingertips.

“Only the sentient ones; or rather, the ones who were born sentient.”

“So, there’s really no leaving this place, huh…”

She shook her head.

“Earth is just a distant dream,” she said. “I don’t miss it, though. I miss moments like this, but no-one lasts long enough for me to really enjoy it, either. That’s why I vowed to start taking out threats like Irileth. Maybe if I make this world a little less hostile, then I could find someone to relax and enjoy it with? Maybe even someone who can give me mind blowing orgasms?”

I snickered, as she shot me a suggestive wink.

“You and I have similar ambitions,” I said, “even if I’m not able to fight things like Irileth. I just want my group to be able to settle down, and be able to live some semblancy of a normal life.”

“Hnn~. If I tagged along, I could get you set up like you were playing a video game on easy mode,” she said, but no sooner had she made the suggestion, than a pained look crossed her face. “Taking out Irileth comes first, though. I owe her at least that much.”

As she trailed her fingers across my chest, I remained silent for a bit, before speaking again.

“So, does every otherworlder who uses a ticket become a ‘forebearer’?” I asked, and she shook her head.

“They appear somewhere in this word as an isolated threat; a ‘portent’, we call them, because they are a sign of coming calamity. When the company decides it wants an area dead, or a person, they place a portent there, which in turn begins to spawn mindless, wandering beasts.

“When such a creature comes into contact with another sentient beast; be it another of its kind, a harbinger of another forebearer, or the forebearer itself; they fight, and the winner dominates the loser in a manner similar to the pledges that we extract from others ourselves.

“They then form a domain, and dominate and rule that territory, collecting the cores of otherworlders and humanoids alike, which they consume with an insatiable hunger.”

“Do they retain any of their humanity?” I asked, and she frowned.

“They retain all of their memories; but what they become is a twisted version of themselves. They recall all of their experiences with a negative bias, and their view of the world is corrupted by hate, and a hunger which consumes them.”

“But, can they be turned back?”

Danica shook her head.

“As far as I know, it’s never been done,” she said. “I’ve seen otherworlders and native humans resurrected from the cores left behind after dying, but once a core becomes monstrous, its humanity can never be restored.”

“Humans can be resurrected?” I asked, and she frowned.

“It is a difficult, expensive, and often unsuccessful venture; but yes. A core is a collection of everything that a person was. Their memories, their abilities, their features. Everything is coded into that little thing… which is why monsters hunger for it. These are the very things they crave, and consume.”

I bit my lips, as I studied Danica.

“I think I need to get back to my group,” I said, and she sighed.

“I could kill everything in this forest just for a night with you,” she said, sighing wistfully into my chest, and nuzzling me one last time before climbing out of bed, and stretching like a lazy cat.

She stepped out of the crumpled remains of her yellow sundress and cleaned herself up a bit, then retrieved another similarly styled dress, this one a pale blue, and quickly put on the thing, before turning to me.

“Before you leave, there’s something I should tell you,” she began. “You’re developing another unique ability. Pretty rare one too; in fact, I’ve only ever heard of one other person having it.”

“Oh? How do you do that by the way? Know about my abilities, I mean.”

“Sensory perception,” she explained. “When it’s at a high enough level, I can tell what a person’s abilities are at a glance, unless they have some sort of ability to prevent me from doing so.”

“Ah, I see. So, what is this mysterious ability?”

“Have you ever found yourself observing someone, and doing something just as they did?”

My mind flashed back to when I was running in the woods with Eradne, and I imitated her movement.

Did that mean her navigation of the woods, and smooth movement there, was itself an ability?

I recounted the experience to Danica, and she nodded.

“That’s called ability mirroring. It’s a rare ability, and one that can be pretty powerful when it gets stronger. Keep doing what you have been though, and you’ll get there; but since it is a unique ability, there’s no way to develop it faster through armor or skill training… unless, of course, you find someone who has a higher level of the ability than you do.”

“I’m not sure I really get this whole thing with unique abilities,” I said, as I put on my pants, and began to don my armor.

“Think of it like this. There are some abilities that mostly everyone is capable of learning; running, movement, even fighting styles. These are common abilities, and most can be trained though armor, and trainers can usually be found somewhere in the world.

“Unique abilities represent a skill that only a small number of people are capable of learning. Most people have a unique ability or two of their own, but very few ever get them to high levels because of the difficulty involved in advancing them, or because they simply don’t know how to develop them.”

“So, it’s kind of a reflection of your uniqueness as an individual?” I asked, and she nodded.

“That’s one way to look at it.”

“By the way, you mentioned that there were skills embedded into this armor. How do I access them?” I asked.

“Energy manipulation. It’s a necessary skill that everyone develops eventually, but the sooner you develop it, the more control you’re going to have over your ability to learn and control your skill training.”

As soon as I was dressed, Danica shot me a pouty look, and she turned around as I moved to her, and wrapped my arms around her, holding her tight.

“Man, you sure know how to hold a girl,” she said.

“I’ve been told it’s my ‘special talent’,” I replied, my tone a little teasing, and she smiled.

“Well; let’s get you safely back to your group,” she said, and I nodded as she retrieved her sword and slung it over her back, before we headed out of the cave entrance, and down the little path that led away from her temporary home.

We began the journey back to the guildhall, but as we ran, Danica slowed down, and I noted a worried look on her face.

“What is it?” I asked, and she frowned.

“Something’s off,” she said. “It’s too quiet.”

“Didn’t you say you cleared this area, more or less?”

She nodded slowly.

“Yeah… of monsters; but the forest critters aren’t usually this quiet.”

We ran for another minute or so, when the guildhall came into view, but as I approached the entrance, Danica stopped me.

“Someone’s here,” she said, and I nodded as she readied herself.

She gestured to the sensor, and as I stood off to the side, I held my wrist up, and as the panel slid open, a blade sliced across the entryway, and Danica evaded it with that usual, calm demeanor.

Her expression, however, was one of worry.

“Now, how’d you bastards learn to get into these places? I don’t suppose someone let you in,” she began, and a cackling laugh echoed from inside the hall in response.

Danica shot me a look, and I quickly moved away from the entryway.

“It’s easy, when you still have your implant,” he replied, holding up his wrist as he stepped outside.

“She turned you? While you were still human?”

The man had long, silvery hair, that fell quite carelessly about his face, and he wore a black leather outfit, complete with black leather boots, and black gloves to match.

“’Turned’ is such an ugly word. I prefer to think of it as, ‘seeing the light’ really,” he answered.

As he stepped out of the hall, however, his eyes flashed to me, and I gasped, as they seemed to penetrate into the depths of my very soul.

 _Just like the monsters,_ I thought, as I readied my weapon to defend myself.

“Well, this is interesting,” he said, as his eyes flicked to my halberd, then roamed over my body, searchingly. “I haven’t seen that set in almost five hundred years.”

“You’re Hans Gruber?” I asked, my mouth slightly agape, and he smiled.

“They still use that name after all this time? I’m blessed! Tell me, is Jacinda still queen-”

Hans turned his face to the side as a wicked flash interrupted his question, and I felt a little trickle of blood run down my face, as he looked over his shoulder.

“Oh~; you took a half-step back just to not cut his head off. You know, I would never have dodged it if you didn’t do that,” he teased, and Danica snickered.

“I hardly need to go that far to end a Harbinger like you,” she said.

“What if I tore him to shreds right in front of your eyes? Tell me, what kind of face would you show me then?”

Danica gritted her teeth, and he began to laugh.

“Oh, calm down. I won’t eat this one just yet… his core isn’t even a proper snack. I’ll need to let it grow first, before I hunt him down… and believe you me; I will, because his scent is just… intoxicating,” he said, as he inhaled deeply through his nose, before letting out another laugh.

“You won’t live long enough to track him,” Danica said, as she lunged, and as her sword swung in an arc at the man, his arm transformed into a wicked scythe, deflecting the blow, and they exchanged a quick series of strikes before Danica shot me a suggestive glance, nodding toward the guildhall.

I nodded, and slipped inside as quietly as I could where I found Raul on the floor, unconscious.

His knife had been drawn, and was lying on the floor beside him, but as I checked him, I noted with some relief, that he was alive.

I tried to shake him, but he didn’t stir, and as I tried to figure out what to do next, I noticed something sticking out of his neck.

 _What was that?_ I thought, as I examined the thing.

It seemed to be something like a needle, and as I held the thing, and began to pull it slowly from his neck, I gasped, as it seemed to be at least a foot long.

I quickly checked to see if there was anything else like that on Raul’s body, but he began to stir, to my relief, and on a whim, I retrieved the spine like thing, and stowed it in my satchel, as I helped Raul to his feet.

“Can you run?” I asked, and he shook his head, trying to shake away his stupor.

“Fuck; what the hell was that thing?” he asked.

“I’m not sure, but Danica’s out there fighting it.”

“Then let’s get the fuck outta here,” he replied.

We moved cautiously for the exit, when I spotted them up ahead.

Danica seemed to be fighting with ease, while Hans was clearly agitated.

He made a flurry of strikes with his two hand-scythes which Danica parried, before evading his final strike, and she punished the misstep by cutting the scythe off at his elbow.

Hans let out a howl, as he leapt backwards several times, and out of her reach.

I silently wondered why she didn’t follow him, when I caught her eyes flash in my direction.

 _She was looking out for us_ , I thought.

Maybe she didn’t think she could end him right then, and she didn’t want to risk him resorting to desperate retaliation.

“What do we do?” Raul asked, and I considered the situation.

Moving when they were out in the open seemed like a bad idea, so maybe we should wait until they started back fighting?

I was still ruminating over the possibilities when Hans let out a wicked laugh.

“You boys better run home, while there’s still a home to run to! Or else I’m not sure there’s gonna be anything left~,” he called, and my stomach lurched.

The monsters.

They were his monsters, weren’t they?

The claws, that wicked stare.

Could he really direct them to attack our group?

The panicked look on Danica’s face told me all that I needed to know, and without a second thought, I took off at a sprint.

Raul quickly moved to my side.

“What are the odds that she kills that thing, and comes swooping to our rescue?” he asked, and I shook my head.

“The thing she’s after is much worse than him; and I get the feeling, before this night is over, either her, or it, will be dead.”

As we darted through the woods, I decided to give something a try, as I recalled the manner with which Eradne had moved on the night of our rendezvous.

I altered my movements to suit what I remembered, and after a short time, I turned, and noticed that Raul was panting heavily, as he struggled to keep pace with me.

“Jesus Christ, what are you on, speed three already?”

I shook my head.

“I’m still using the boost from this armor, so speed two,” I replied, and he shot me a dubious look.

“Then how the hell are you outpacing me like that?”

“I think it might have to do with an ability that helps you traverse forests more easily… or maybe just this forest,” I replied, and he shook his head.

“Fucking hell.”

We set off as soon as he caught his breath, and I quickly adjusted my pace so that I could use Eradne’s technique, while also reserving some of my stamina, to match the maximum sustained speed that Raul could move through the woods at.

The journey back to camp took just under twenty minutes, and as soon as I got there, Casey darted over to meet me.

“You’re back…”

She moved almost instinctively towards me, before suddenly pausing, a little awkwardly, as she glanced at the sack in Raul’s hand.

“You found it? The guildhall?”

“Yeah, that and then some,” I replied, and she shot me a questioning look as I moved past her to the camp’s far perimeter.

“Who’s on watch?” I asked.

“Francesca’s group,” she replied, and I quickly scanned the area for her.

“Wake everyone up; and tell Gisela to prepare for an attack” I said, as I quickly moved to Francesca’s side.

“Nate! You’re back!” she began, but I quickly cut her off, as I grabbed her hand and led her somewhere closer to our sleeping area.

“Change into this. Quick,” I ordered, and Francesca took one look at me, then nodded, as I began to unpack the medium grade T-two set.

“Wow. This is fancy stuff,” she said, as she donned the pieces one by one.

Casey came over to join us, rousing Nolan, Jordan, Cameron, and Jeannie as she did, and they shot me a questioning look.

“Jordan. This one is yours,” I offered, and he nodded, as he shot Francesca a quick look.

Nolan moved to help him change armors, as I turned to Casey.

“Let me put Raul in a suit,” I said.

“Is it that bad?” she asked, and I nodded.

“Jeannie. I want you in one as well,” I called, and as Cameron shot me a slightly glum look, I responded with a slightly apologetic glance.

We ended up putting Jeannie in Jordan’s old armor, while Raul wore his own armor, much to his delight.

“Who’s more comfortable with spears?” I asked, and Francesca quickly raised a hand.

“What’s the other option?” Nolan asked, and Raul rested down the two swords we’d purchased in front of them.

“Fuck, I’ll try one,” Jordan said, and I snickered a little, as he did seem less than comfortable with a spear in his hand when he’d sparred with Francesca.

Raul ended up opting for the other, which left the three spears with Francesca, Nolan, and Jeannie.

Evie and Molly had remained on watch, and they had between them a dagger and a hunting knife, so Cameron opted for the second knife, and I clasped one of the other daggers to my boot, as I’d done earlier.

I caught Raul eyeing the other dagger, but I figured it would serve us best as a standby weapon, in case of an emergency.

“So… where’s the fire?” Francesca asked, as we were all finally geared up, and I rubbed the back of my head, as there was no denying the absolute silence of the forest around us.

I quickly shook off the momentary lapse, as the last thing we needed right now was to drop our guard.

“We’ll set up a perimeter; hunters with us on the northern side of the camp. Let’s get everyone together in one sleeping area; all who can’t fight will rest there with the princess and her companions at the core, while the runners will form a perimeter on the southern and eastern fringes.”

The group nodded, and as Casey made arrangements with Gisela, the Kobalt set about quickly moving things about so that we could compress our campground into a smaller, more defensible state.

As we began our watch at the fore of the camp, however, I noted a little Kobalt girl staring daggers at me.

It seemed nothing more than slightly unnerving at first, but as the rest of the younglings went off to bed, and even the majority of the non-combatant adults, the child persisted in staring, so eventually, I signaled to Gisela.

I relayed my observation to her, and as she cast a tentative glance back at the child in question, her brow wrinkled with concern.

“Please forgive the sapling, Herr Nathan. She is not of peaceful mind.”

“What do you mean?” I asked, and she dropped her voice to a whisper, as she leaned in closer to me.

“Her life-bringer was the Kobalt lain beneath the earth this night,” she replied, and I frowned.

“Her father? What about her mother? I mean, the one who carried her seed,” I clarified, and Gisela nodded.

“She is with the earth; her second life, perhaps already begun.”

 _So, an orphan,_ I thought.

As I studied her and the determined expression on her face, I caught as her eyes flashed to something behind me, and as I turned, I caught the slightest hint of movement in the bush far ahead.

Did she see that?

I signaled to Francesca to let her know that I was moving ahead, and she nodded, as I slipped from Gisela’s side, and began to dart, keeping low and as quiet as I could, across the jungle floor.

I made it halfway to the source of the disturbance, when my foot landed on a dry leaf, and as it crunched beneath me, a low growl sounded, and I caught sight of a shadow leaping from the bush, and quickly ascending the nearby canopy tree.

As it moved out of sight, I caught several more shadows following it, moving up into the trees above.

One, two… four, five? Was it?

Two more followed soon after, and I swallowed uncomfortably.

So, seven.

Seven of those _things._

I crouched low, and waited, but rather than move amongst the branches above, they seemed to just halt there, remaining in place, and I kept my position for a bit, waiting for some hint of movement, before turning, and heading back to the line we’d established at the fore of the camp.

“I counted seven of those things,” I muttered, as soon as I returned to Gisela’s side.

“Geisterung?” she asked, and as I shook my head, she placed a hand over her mouth, as she suppressed a little whimper.

“Where’s Casey?” I asked, and she nodded to the sleeping area, and I spotted her, casting worried glances in my direction from the midst of the sleeping Kobalt bodies.

 _Do you need me?_ She asked, directly into my mind, and as I nodded, she began to weave her way through the area as she made her way over to me.

“What’s up?”

“There’s seven of those monsters in the trees. The… aufhöcker, was it?” I asked, and Gisela nodded, as I continued. “They’re just sitting there, watching us.”

“Fuck. What do you think? Are they waiting for us to get tired to strike, or something?”

I shook my head.

“Unless this is completely unrelated to the threat that that harbinger made, which I doubt; they were sent here by him, and what they’re waiting on is a coordinated assault of _geisterung_.”

“Fuck. We can’t get to them in the trees, though… and we can’t move either.”

“Could we just chop some trees down?” I asked, and Gisela frowned.

“It would be a saddening method, but acceptable if necessary,” she replied, and I nodded, turning to Casey.

“What do you think?” I asked.

“Taking away their aerial advantage would certainly help our odds, from a defensive perspective,” she said, before shaking her head.

“I just realized the trees are really close together. Even if we cut them down, unless we clear the area, they would still provide cover for them to attack from.”

I cursed under my breath.

“We need to do something,” I replied. “If we just wait until their force comes down on us, then we’ll just get slaughtered.”

As we spoke, Francesca moved to our position.

“I think I have an idea,” she said. “What if Nate and I headed out? Thinned the herd before they gather up?”

“I’m not sure that’s a good idea,” Casey said, as I gave the suggestion some thought.

“That might be worth a shot. She and I have killed these things before, and I have a fair idea of where they’re coming from, thanks to our scouting run.”

Casey bit her lip, and I studied her, as she gave the suggestion some thought.

“Are you sure you can outrun them if they come after you?” she asked, and I nodded.

“Thanks to the map module, we can always lead them on a chase, and we’ll know where the camp is, if we need to circle back on a safer route.”

Casey still seemed uncertain.

“What if they attack while you’re gone?”

“By themselves? I’m sure you can handle it. Raul will lead the lines, and you can direct them on how to react. Besides, we won’t be gone for long. We’ll just make some quick cuts through the woods before coming back. No more than thirty minutes or so each time.”

Casey bit her lip, then nodded.

“Alright. Let’s do it,” she said.

At Casey’s insistence, we carried a little parcel of roasted meat, but not much else as our attacks needed to be quick.

I nodded at Francesca, then took off, heading west of the camp.

“Tell me if you’re getting trouble to keep up. The speed from your armor is the same as mine, but there’s some kind of ability related to moving in forests that I seem to have picked up.”

“This is fine,” Francesca said.

We moved in that direction for a couple of minutes, before stopping to take stock of the situation.

“Does it look like they attacked?” she asked, and I shook my head, but as I kept my eyes on the tree line, I suddenly noticed a shift in the branches up ahead.

One at least had followed us.

That was good. If we could take him out, then less to deal with when the real attack came.

“Let’s move,” I said, and we took off, this time northwards with a slight angling to the east, and it took no more than two minutes journey in that direction before a low growl sounded, somewhere off to my left.

I pulled to a stop, and Francesca shot me a quick look.

I motioned for her to circle around towards the source of the sound, while I readied my halberd and began to approach.

Visibility was poor, as the night was as dark as ever, but my eyes had adjusted to the conditions, and as I saw a bit of movement, I prepared myself to pounce.

I took another step, when the creature charged, but as I sliced it down, another pair of claws came at me, swiping wickedly as another creature had apparently been charging in the shadow of the first.

I reacted quickly, deflecting the blow with my bracer, before jabbing upwards, and impaling the monster through the face just as he had turned to snap at me.

Blood and drool leaked out of the creature’s skewered mouth, and I shoved it aside, and off of my halberd’s tip, just as Francesca emerged out of the brush ahead of me.

“Two more? There was another one back there,” she said, pouting a little, and I snickered as I caught the blood trail that her spear had left behind.

“Three down,” I said, as I stowed my halberd, and rubbed my palms together in anticipation. “Let the hunt begin!”

***

Joanna furrowed her brow, as she looked at the five profiles up on her display.

There would be no more psychopaths for them for some time, but she had some choices to work with.

There was Thomas Jagger, a murderer turned fugitive who they had apprehended last week.

As she tapped on his profile, a news report came up of the authorities declaring his death, and as she reviewed his case file, she noted with relief that there were no close relatives looking for him.

 _Maybe this one would work?_ She thought; but a sigh escaped her lips, as she knew that not even a violent criminal could produce the results that a seasoned psychopath did, and now, not only had she sent an undiagnosed potential asset in with another asset, but that asset, itself full of so much promise, was now an all but assured loss.

Would she be fired for her slip-up?

That was a stupid question; of course she would!

I mean, people lost their jobs for losing an asset even when it was through no fault of their own, and here she was, technically responsible for the loss of two, and with nothing to show for it.

_Why couldn’t you have lasted at least two weeks, Nathan? Then I could get my promotion, and be done with this stupid fucking job!_

The intercom on her desk alerted her, and as she pushed the button to respond, Elena’s voice came through.

“Mr. Ricci requests to see you now,” the girl said, and Joanna furrowed her brow, and ran her hands through her hair nervously, as she straightened it out.

“Of course. I’ll be right in,” she replied, and she took a deep breath in and exhaled, as she got ready to face the music.

***

We’d taken down four more groups of ‘geisterung’, when I stopped to cast a tentative glance in the direction of our camp.

“Should we head back?” Francesca asked, and I frowned.

The geisterung were definitely gathering together, but as they were slow to group up, coming in groups of three, no less, and I felt the urge to press on since we were making good strides in thinning the herd.

Casey had estimated that there would be something like fifty of the beasts in the area that we were covering.

So, counting the two we killed earlier in the day, we’d already taken down seventeen, leaving another thirty or so creatures in our general vicinity.

I pictured that many of the creatures barreling down on our group, with no defenses but the weapons in our hands, and the sight did not inspire confidence.

Especially not with those aufhöcker bastards ready to swoop down on us from above, probably targeting our strongest fighters and picking them off in the confusion.

 _No, we needed to kill at least another fifteen to make this situation manageable_ , I thought.

_Minimum._

“Let’s press on a bit more,” I said. “We’ll sweep the area east of here, then move down to the camp from the north-east.”

Francesca nodded, readying herself as we took off.

As we moved through the night, I noticed that she was keeping up with me, though I did move with much less urgency than I had when we were heading back to the camp from the guildhall.

Her movement, however, was rough and rugged, and as I practiced my own form, I began to wonder if in time I would be able to teach this ability to her.

Danica had mentioned skill training, hadn’t she?

And if most abilities really were as intuitive as she had explained, then teaching the skills I’d learned to others shouldn’t be impossible, although I guess my own ability to teach depended on how advanced my own understanding of the skills were.

Was there perhaps an ability that could help me to understand my own skills?

It was definitely something to consider, and I made a mental note to ask Casey about it…

If we could ever survive this night, that is!

“Nate, there’s something keeping pace with us in those trees,” Francesca muttered, and I shot a quick glance in that direction, and spotted some movement amongst the branches.

It had been a while since I’d noticed the creature following us.

Would it make a move?

Probably not alone…

Although, maybe it was waiting for-

“Geisterung. Up ahead.”

I pulled to a stop.

“How many?”

“I only see the one, but he’s pacing back and forth… almost like if he’s expecting us.”

I bit my lip.

“That thing in the trees may have hatched up a plan to deal with us,” I said.

“What do we do? Kill the bear thingy ahead, then try to shake him?”

I shook my head.

“It’s clearly seen us, and it hasn’t moved. It’s behaving differently from the rest.”

I took a quick look at the branch where I’d last spotted some movement, then took a deep breath in.

“Follow my lead, but don’t move ahead of me,” I said, and Francesca nodded as I took off with speed toward the tree.

A growl sounded from off to my left, and I shot Francesca a quick look, and she shifted over to that side just as a creature burst out from behind a nearby trunk at me.

She cut it down with a single sweeping strike, and I didn’t break my stride as I moved to the tree and swung the bladed head of my halberd, and the creature leapt from the tree as it fell, flailing a bit and reaching for a nearby branch, then scrambling up the tree as two more geisterung came barreling at us from straight ahead.

I took a quick glance off to the side and noticed there were three more tearing across the forest floor from the area where we’d spotted them earlier, and I smirked, as I knew they would never get here in time.

I decapitated the first geisterung, while Francesca stabbed through the other, and pulled her spear from its hide as she readied for the coming wave.

I darted at them from the left, and Francesca moved off a little bit to my right, but as the trio broke apart in their pursuit of us, a howling kind of hoot sounded across the forest, and the creatures pulled up to a stop.

The two who had broken off, heading toward Francesca, began to pace back and forth, clearly agitated, while the other stood up on its two hind legs, and let out a beastly roar.

That was when we heard it; the beating of feet against the ground.

Seven…?

No, eight.

Maybe even more?

“With me,” I said, as I darted back the way we’d come, and as we moved through the trees, I caught sight of three more geisterung up ahead.

“What do we-?” Francesca began, but I never broke my stride, and to my relief, she followed me with unquestioning tenacity.

I slashed through the first one, and evaded the swipe of the second as I turned and kicked, knocking the creature over and onto his back, while Francesca’s blade tore through the third.

I jabbed my spear through the final creature, as it scrambled to its feet, and shot Francesca an admiring smile, as she nodded, and we took off again.

“They set a trap for us,” she noted, and I nodded in response.

“We’ll head back for now, but their numbers still seem too great to defend against,” I said.

We encountered no more groups on the way back, but we had to wind our way around the barrier of aufhöcker that stood at the north side of the camp, and rejoin the group from the western side, where we’d left.

“Miss me?” I asked, and Casey shoved me angrily in the chest.

“That was more than thirty fucking minutes, Nate!” Casey shot, and I smirked a little as she examined me.

Her hands lingered on my chest a bit, and I felt as if she was about to hug me, when Cameron cleared her throat, and she rubbed the back of her head as she stepped back.

“I’m glad you’re alright,” Cameron said as she hugged me, and I noted with interest that she shot Casey a little look as she did, before releasing me from her embrace.

“How many did you kill?” Casey asked.

“Twenty, was it?”

I turned to Francesca for confirmation, and she quickly nodded.

“Holy shit,” Cameron breathed.

“You can thank the little lion over here for that,” I said, and Francesca smiled happily as I ruffled her hair, and Cameron shot me a slightly glum look, which made me smile.

“They figured out what we were doing and set a trap for us, though,” Francesca added.

“What was the situation like over here?” I asked, turning to Casey.

“One of them left when you did, and after about twenty minutes, another two more left as well. We tried to send a signal up, but Gisela said that unless we lit a large fire, it was unlikely that you could spot it in the night.”

I nodded in response, as I moved to the front of the camp, and studied the trees in the distance.

“Has anyone noticed if they came back yet?”

“We’ve seen nothing,” Nolan replied, and I nodded again.

We needed a plan.

Even when that thing had Francesca and me on the back foot, it didn’t strike.

Was it then reasonable to assume that it wouldn’t unless it was certain of getting a kill?

If that was the case, then that would be problematic, as the only opportunity to kill them might come at the risk of someone’s life, and without any experience with the things in combat, that was a risk too far.

We needed a way to force their hand.

If seven of those things were in the trees, and three had left, then there were only four there now.

Maybe we could force them out?

As I shifted on my feet, the sound of a leaf crunching underfoot caught my attention, and I cast a quick look upwards, at the canopy.

The branches were more or less scant, weren’t they?

And the thick mass of vines that grew amidst the canopy… didn’t it look a little dry?

I quickly enquired about the state of the trees, and Gisela nodded.

“The blight. The forest here is in wither. It is unlike the sacred groves.”

“If we lit these trees on fire, how far would it spread?” I asked, and Gisela wrinkled her brow.

“You wish to initiate a sky-fire?”

“Sky-fire? What is that?” I asked.

“When the crimson star burns bright, and the dust clouds descend from the great plains, the sky-fires come even to the best kept groves, deep within the great forest.”

Dust clouds, huh?

I signaled to Nolan, and as he moved to my side, I relayed Gisela’s words to him.

“She’s talking about bush fires. If this forest is tropical, and I have no reason to believe it isn’t, then there are basically only two seasons; one dry, and one wet. It’s reasonable to assume that the canopy becomes parched during the dry period, and the leaves turn brown and fall off, but if that canopy catches on fire then, hell, I have no clue what would stop it from spreading into a wildfire across the entire forest, short of a rainstorm.”

“The water from the depths,” Gisela answered. “The great trees draw water up from deep beneath the earth. It is the purest water in existence, and purifies the sky-fire, bringing a new canopy where the old one burned.”

“That’s wonky,” Nolan answered. “Are you thinking about burning this whole place to the ground?”

“Not exactly,” I replied. “Gisela, would the great trees here draw up water to end the flames? Or are they too affected by the blight?”

“Our knowledge of this wood is without reference, but I see little reason to believe they would not.”

I nodded, then gestured to Casey, and as she moved to my side, I outlined my plan.

“I want to start a fire,” I explained, and she frowned.

“I know this forest sucks, but let’s not burn it to the ground just yet,” she replied, and I snickered a little.

“Not to the ground,” I replied, as I began to relay Gisela’s observations to her.

“Hm. So they have their own built in sprinklers. I’m beginning to wonder if this forest is even a naturally occurring thing,” she mused, and Nolan snickered.

“Its general appearance is consistent with the climate, though,” he replied, and Casey nodded.

“That’s true.”

“Ooh~. Look at the science types all bonding and stuff,” Cameron interjected, nudging Nolan suggestively in the side, and he rubbed the back of his head and chuckled nervously as Casey suppressed a little shudder.

“So, what’re you thinking?” Casey asked. “You want to cut off the approach of the geisterung by setting fires strategically across the forest?”

I shook my head.

“I want to cut off the retreat of those fucking bastards,” I said, nodding subtly to the treetops ahead, and Casey frowned.

“Then we’d have to fight. You think you saw seven in there, but we have no real confirmation of that number.”

“Four right now; three left earlier, remember?”

As we spoke, however, Gisela seemed to be casting a look behind me, and I turned just as the little Kobalt girl from earlier began to approach.

She spoke in their language, and Gisela tilted her head at her before replying.

“What is it?” I asked.

“She says there’s six of them in the trees,” Gisela replied, and I turned to study her.

“Can you see them?” I asked, and she nodded. “Show me.”

I stooped down to her level, and as she pointed across the forest, her fingers stopped at the spots of the four trees I’d seen the Aufhöcker climb earlier, before indicating to two others much further off than where I would have looked.

Were those two the ones who had left earlier?

I asked the question, and as the child shot me a blank look, Gisela began to speak to her in their tongue, and she promptly shook her head, then replied.

“She says they have not moved, and that the ones who left earlier have not returned.”

“Nate; she’s a kid,” Casey began, and I bit my lip as I studied her.

Casey’s point was an obvious one, but my gut feeling told me that the little girl was right.

That she was seeing these things.

I stared at the girl intently, my mind going back to Danica, and the intense way she’d looked at me when we’d first met, and suddenly, I noticed something… it was faint, barely noticeable at first, but as I concentrated, it became clearer; a faint blue thread that ran through her body in a pattern much resembling a neural map, and in a constant state of motion.

On that thread, there was a bump… small, almost unnoticeable, but most definitely present.

Was that a skill?

It was such a strange thing, but for some reason, I felt sure that it was.

There was another bump somewhere else, even fainter than the first, and I nodded, as I understood.

“She has two abilities,” I said, and Casey’s eyes narrowed on me.

“What? How do you know that?”

“I think I’m using an ability as well… maybe sensory perception?”

Casey shook her head at me.

“You don’t just learn skills like that Nate…”

“I’ll explain later,” I said, as I turned back to the trees ahead. “For now; just trust me, because we only have a limited time to act.”

Casey shook her head again, as she massaged her temples agitatedly.

“Fucking hell,” she breathed, letting out a long sigh. “Fine. What’s the plan?”

I called Nolan over as well, as I began to explain the plan, but Casey kept letting out long, exasperated sighs, and shooting me looks of outright incredulity.

“Seriously. That’s your plan?” she asked, as soon as I was done outlining my intentions, and I snickered at her in response.

“I’m not asking you what you think. I just want to know if it can be done,” I clarified.

Nolan picked up a handful of leaves, and pawed at the dirt underneath.

“It’s dry enough, that’s for sure,” he said, and I turned to Casey.

“Yeah, it’ll burn alright, but that’s not the issue here,” she replied.

Nolan, however, shrugged.

“If there’s really thirty plus of those things coming at us, with close to ten of those tree jumping monkeys, then I don’t think we’ll see daylight anyway.”

“Thank you!” I said, and Casey shot him a dirty look.

She shook her head, as she begrudgingly began to work out the mechanics of the plan in her head.

“Call everyone over,” she said, and I nodded, as we signaled the group to gather up, while she fetched a stick, and began to map out the trees up ahead on the dirt.

As everyone gathered around, she drew a line across the tree line.

“This is us,” she said, before circling four trees up ahead. “This is where our targets are. Now, our genius leader wants to create a bushfire to cut them off from behind.”

“Will it spread fast enough to cut them off?” Francesca asked, and Casey frowned.

“Depends on how they react. I’m all for leaving it to chance, but Nate wants to create a distraction to stop them from noticing it right off.”

“What kind of distraction?” Evie asked, and Casey sighed, as I smirked.

“I’m gonna walk on over there, and try to have a little chat,” I replied, and Evie snickered.

“That’s sounds like a very Nate thing to do. What’s your counter plan?” she asked, turning to Casey, who perked up at that question.

“Glad _someone_ at least is interested in alternatives. We start the fire and drive them off. Fire cuts them off from coming at us from that direction, and we control the spread by culling trees, and keeping them away as we move.”

“Move what, the entire Caravan?” Cameron asked, and Casey nodded.

“We can walk for days if we push ourselves, and I say this is a reason to push.”

I sighed.

“Or~, we end up facing this same fight later on while standing on exhausted legs.”

“I’m with Nate on this,” Jordan cut in, and Nolan, Jeannie, and Francesca quickly voiced their agreement, while only Evie and Casey seemed to express inhibitions, so I gestured to her to continue with the plan.

“Well then,” Casey continued. “While Nate distracts the aufhöcker.”

“Aufhöcker?” Molly asked.

“The tree monsters,” I clarified, and Molly nodded, as Casey continued:

“We split up into two small groups. Raul will take a team east, since that’s where threats are most likely to come from, and Nolan will take a team west.”

“Why not two armored guys?” Molly asked.

“West is the direction we cleared earlier, and we encountered very few geisterung- that’s the bear ones- in that sector. Plus, we need the armored fighters at the center, since fighting the creatures is Nate’s objective.”

“So; kill the brain guys, then handle the rest as they come. Sounds good,” Jordan said. “When do we start.”

“For the sake of possibly getting the jump on these goons, as soon as we break from this circle,” I replied. “Gisela’s people are gathering two stacks of kindling while also lighting a fire just over there, to the eastern side of our front line. There are two groups of hunters who will move with Raul and Nolan, grabbing the kindling and running to these two trees, outlined by Casey here. Once there, they’ll start lighting up the fires at the base of the tree, then cut down the trees, if it’s possible, to form a blockade, cutting off the monster’s retreat.”

“Should be doable with swords,” Raul noted, and I gave him a quick nod.

Jordan frowned, as he swapped his new weapon in exchanged for Nolan’s spear.

“Once that’s done, the rest of you need to pay attention to how they react. If they attack, then Jordan, Francesca and Jeannie; the rest of our armored fighters; will come to my aid, along with the rest of the hunters, while Evie and Molly will hang back with Cameron, and defend the rest of the Kobalt. If they go after our other groups, however, we’ll need to support them, and get them back here safely.”

“Sounds good,” Jordan said.

“So, does anyone have any questions?” I asked.

I took a quick scan of the group then nodded as everyone seemed to understand their roles.

“Okay then. On three? One, two, three!”

I turned and headed towards the monsters, as Nolan and Raul moved on the periphery of my vision.

I got to within twenty feet of the nearest tree, and I noted the branches rustling there as I came to a stop.

“Hey, Aufhöcker! If you’re not a bunch of little pussies, how about you come down here and fight!”

I drew my halberd, and spun it over my head, as I readied myself.

“I know who your master is, by the way. And he’s probably already dead! Maybe he died because he was a little pussy ass bitch like you, huh?”

I paid attention to the tree line as I delivered my insults.

Sure, I knew it was highly unlikely that they understood language, but I figured they would at least get from my tone, and mannerisms, that I was attempting to goad them into action.

“Fine. Stay there and hide, cowards! See if I won’t wipe you and your little fucking minions off the face of this fucking planet!”

As I continued my tirade, a plume of smoke went up, somewhere off to my right, and I held my breath, as I unleashed another torrent of insults, but as I kept up the show for another minute or two, my chest began to tighten, as no smoke ever rose from the left, where Nolan’s group had gone.

I choked back my uncertainty, and continued the rant, until some movement in the branches overhead caught my attention.

The branches shifted, as two aufhöcker seemed to be moving in the trees, and heading in the direction of Nolan’s group.

 _Fuck… so much for that_ , I thought, but as I lifted a hand to signal to the group to rush to Nolan’s defense, I spotted something darting past me, and my eyes went wide as I realized what it was.

The little Kobalt girl.

She was carrying a lighted branch and tearing across the forest floor, and the movement of the branches up ahead, immediately paused, then headed towards her.

I darted after her, getting there just as one of the creatures swooped, and I snatched her out of his grasp just as his claws extended within reach of her head.

We rolled, and as I got up and shot her a scolding look, she looked about, then rushed to the burning brand, and after blowing on it, and reviving the flame it carried, she turned, a look of determination on her face.

 _You want to light the fire?_ I thought.

Would the creatures attack her if I was at her side?

It didn’t seem as if they were willing to risk themselves to danger; but the thought had barely registered in my mind, when the thudding sound of footsteps landing on the ground sounded around me, and I turned to spot the four aufhöcker, staring at me with those sharp, penetrative glares.

Were they going to finally act?

As I studied them, I noted something off about their gazes… something that seemed, desperate, almost.

I froze, and the girl moved instinctively closer to me as I readied myself for their attack, until a growl sounded from somewhere off to the east, and my stomach tightened a bit, as I recognized the sound.

_Geisterung!_

The wicked growl was quickly followed up by the padding of feet beating the ground, and the creatures around me crouched low, ready to pounce, just as the first of the bear-like things came bearing down at me out of the shadowy night.

I sliced the first one across the torso, then deflected a swipe with my bracer and stabbed another one through the maw, as I kicked at the third, then my world seemed to come crashing down as a shadow loomed over me, and I placed a hand protectively over my neck just as a wicked set of fangs clamped down on the armored appendage.

The creature’s strength was incredible, and as it wrestled with my hand, another aufhöcker leapt, it’s fangs aimed directly at the unarmored place on the other side of my neck, and as my mind reeled, struggling to come up with a response, a spear tip sliced through the creature from the side, and Francesca shot me a quick glance, and I crouched as she hurled her spear, which ripped through the creature on my back, before impaling itself on a tree trunk just behind it.

I shot her a thankful nod, as Jeannie and Jordan burst into the fray behind her, stabbing two more of the geisterung.

I unclasped my dagger and tossed it at her, and just as another aufhöcker leapt toward Jordan, I dashed in and caught the creature on the tip of my spear.

Another wave of geisterung had already descended upon us, but the hunters from the group charged in to meet them, and they began to pin back some of the creatures with their bone tipped spears.

I cast a quick look around, trying to spot the remaining aufhöcker, who had retreated into the shadows after their comrades had fallen, when I suddenly became aware of a rock hurtling towards me, and I raised both hands just as the thing exploded into my arm guards, the impact knocking me back, as a cloud of dust momentarily shrouded me.

I heard a roar and stabbed in that direction, but as the dust cleared, I saw a geisterung impaled on the tip of the weapon, and my chest tightened as another shadow descended on me from behind.

I began to crouch down in an effort to shield myself protectively, but my response was late.

Much too late!

But as the creature’s blow seemed about to land, I heard a whinnying sound, and I gasped as the creature’s shadow appeared to hover in mid-air, until I noticed something sticking through it.

A spear?

Had Francesca or one of the others saved me?

I glanced ahead, and sure enough, they were all engaged in their own fights with a massive wave of geisterung, but as I glanced over my shoulder, I spotted her again; the little Kobalt girl.

Her hands were steady, the spear in their grasp, and I watched with awe, as she had braced the weapon on the ground, and aimed it in the path of the creature’s leap, allowing the beast to impale itself on the tip of the blade, and I shot her a grateful nod, before turning to assess the situation.

Nolan’s fire had never been lit, had it?

Hell, neither group had ever returned either.

I took a quick look at the fight unfolding in front of me, and noted that we were winning quite easily, so I shouted at Francesca, and she turned as I tossed her spear to her.

“With me,” I said as she caught it, and she nodded, as we took off in the direction of Nolan’s tree.

We got there in under a minute, and I was greeted by the awful sight of dead Kobalt hunters, strewn about, but Nolan was nowhere in sight.

Francesca shot me a worried look, and we quickly headed over toward the burning bit of brush where Raul and his team should be.

We got there to the sight of Raul engaged in combat with some geisterung, most of his hunters standing and fighting by his side, until a howling cry drew my eye, and Francesca let out a whimper as she saw it.

An aufhöcker; standing atop the bark of a felled tree, and in his maw; Nolan, blood leaking down from the creature’s teeth where they sank into his neck.

He was alive, but my relief was tempered by the realization that he was at the mercy of the beast.

I darted forward, even though there seemed to be no discernable way for me to get up the side of the bark without climbing the face of the trunk; a seemingly impossible ask.

Was there a way?

 _Think!_ I told myself.

I spotted a stray branch as I closed in on the tree, and suddenly I remembered the way the aufhöcker had swung from it when I’d first caught sight of him, back at the camp.

Monsters used skills as well, didn’t they?

Was that a skill?

I concentrated on the way he swung from the branch, and as I did, I leapt toward the branch, and grabbed on, then propelled myself as hard as I could in the direction of the beast, and I turned and swung the bladed tip of my halberd in an arc, slicing through the top of the creature’s head before landing, and rolling painfully down the other side of the trunk.

_Did I get him?_

I clambered to my feet with some difficulty, before darting to the top of the fallen tree, and as I circled around, I caught sight of Raul fighting off a new wave of geisterung.

The hunters at his side had dwindled down to three, and I quickly moved to his aid.

I cut through several of the beasts, hacking and stabbing my way through their numbers, until only a few wounded creatures remained, and Raul shot me a thankful nod as I returned to where I’d spotted Nolan before, on the tree.

Francesca had him in her arms, and was climbing down the side of the trunk with some difficulty when I caught sight of her.

I moved to her side, and relieved her of the load, as she climbed down, and retrieved her spear from the ground.

“Is he breathing?”

“Y-yeah,” she said, tears already filling her eyes.

“Support Raul. Retreat if you need to, okay?”

She nodded, grabbing her spear and running off, as I slung my halberd over my back, and scooped Nolan up, dashing back towards the camp.

“Ngh,” he groaned, as my strides were probably not a pleasant thing for him in his current state.

“Hey. Stay with me, bud. Alright? We’ll get you patched right up.”

“Nate? Take… care of Cameron… please.”

His words were warbly, and I could feel his life fading.

“Come on, man. The heals will close those things right up. Just hang in there, for fuck’s sake!”

“Try,” he mumbled, and I nodded, as I saw the camp just ahead.

“Healing potion!” I yelled, as soon as I was close enough that my bellowing call could be heard, and Casey darted to me, one of the things already in hand.

“Oh my God,” Cameron moaned, as she moved to his side. “No, no, no, please!”

“How many you have?”

“Just two,” Casey replied.

“Get more!” I said, as I poured the first over the largest visible wound, and as it closed up, I unstrapped his armor, and tore the cotton shirt beneath, searching for more signs of damage.

The external wound was healed, but what if the internal ones weren’t?

I took the second healing vial, and unclasped the cork, pouring the liquid down his throat, and he coughed a bit as it went down, writhing a little as Cameron held his hand, and I steadied him a bit.

He groaned, and struggled in my grasp a bit, before going still, but shooting me a wry look.

“You’re fine, right?” I asked, and he smirked a little.

“Just a flesh wound,” he joked, and Cameron pouted, as she wiped away a tear.

Casey came bounding back to our side with Ryker in tow, and as I left Nolan to the three, I headed out to take a look at the battlefield.

Jordan and Jeannie, surrounded by the Kobalt hunters, were standing amidst a graveyard full of fallen geisterung, though I noted with relief that very few Kobalt had fallen here.

I let Jordan know that Nolan had been wounded but seemed okay, and he took off, a worried look on his face, as Jeannie moved to my side, and surveyed the dead bodies all around us.

“If this had happened while we were with Vanessa, we’d all be dead, huh…”

“We got lucky. If this had happened two hours earlier tonight, we’d all have probably been dead,” I said, and she shook her head.

“We’d have been dead without you to lead us,” she said, and I sighed, as she rested a hand on my shoulder.

She followed along with me as we moved to Raul’s group, and as we got there, we caught sight of him and Francesca, sitting on one of the branches of the fallen tree which was now smoldering, but not burning.

“Some fire,” he said, gesturing at the tree.

“Did you put it out?” I asked, and he shook his head.

“Water was gushing out of the trunk,” he answered, and I frowned, as the tree was clearly not one of the massive canopy trees, but one of the much smaller ones.

“Is Nolan alright?” Francesca asked, and I quickly nodded.

“I think he is, at least. We got him back to the camp, and used some heals,” I explained, and she sighed, nodding, a hollow expression on her face, as she turned to look around. “Guess it’s over, huh?”

I nodded as I moved to her side, and she rested her head against my shoulder as I placed an arm around her, patting her comfortingly.

As I looked up, I realized that light was beginning to trickle into the canopy from above, and I let out a little laugh, as it occurred to me that we’d officially made it through the night.

“Looks like we made it,” I said, and Francesca smiled at me, as the four of us turned, and began to make our way back to the camp.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nate plans for the future; the fallen Kobalt are laid to rest.

***

As we headed back to the main group, and walked past the geisterung graveyard, Casey came running towards me.

“Is it over?” she asked, and I nodded, as I took a look around.

“We’ll need to collect these cores,” I said, and Casey nodded in agreement. “How’s Nolan?”

“Healed, but resting. Accelerated healing like that really does a number on your core.”

Come to think of it, Raul did pass out after we’d healed him…

And Casey slept a lot while she was recovering from her stabbing.

The Kobalt were up in numbers now, and gathering up their dead, but as we got to the camp, I spotted the little Kobalt girl.

She was sitting in front of a small plant, seemingly a fresh sprouting, and as I studied the earth around it, I noted that it seemed to have been freshly dug.

Was it where her father had been buried?

I wondered if perhaps the Kobalt custom was to plant a tree where a fallen comrade was lain to rest.

As I walked over to her, I noted an empty, forlorn expression on her face, and even as she spotted me approaching, she didn’t react.

Not to be deterred, however, I grabbed the child by the back of her shirt and picked her up, and as she flailed about a bit, I spotted Gisela and walked over to her.

“This child,” I began, “can I have it?”

Gisela blinked twice, her confusion evident, and she cast a questioning glance at Casey as she tried to process my request.

“Have?” she asked.

“Yeah. What did you plan to do with her, anyway?”

“If no guardian would accept her, we would try to find one at the nearest cluster,” she replied, and I nodded.

“Good. Then I can be her guardian.”

“If you desire it, none would dissent,” she continued, before shaking her head. “But surely the burden of this sapling is one for which you need not worry…”

I waved a hand dismissively, as I turned to the child.

Her hands were folded, and a glum expression on her face.

“Being a brat, are we? What’s your name?”

“Do you really expect her to understand you all the time-?”

“Lucia,” she replied, cutting Casey off, and she rolled her eyes as I shot her a wry smile, before turning my attention back to the girl.

“Lucia, huh? I like it. So, do you want to stay with me, or do you want to go live with your people?”

Her eyes studied me, tinged with confusion, so I held her up to Gisela.

“Your people? Or me,” I said, turning her back to me. “Choose who you want to stay with.”

“Ich will Rache!” she replied, and I tilted my head at her.

“You want revenge? On what?”

Her eyes flicked to the little grave, and I furrowed my brow.

“The one who killed him got away?” I asked, and she nodded.

This was interesting…

So, she’d been marking the creature, huh?

Now that I think about it, we had killed, what, five of the things?

If there were seven that I’d seen, and two more that were apparently hiding further off, then that meant that four of these things were technically still out there; the one who’d retreated from our fight, plus the other three who had left to track me earlier on.

Maybe we weren’t out of the woods just yet.

“So, you want to kill the thing that murdered your father?” I asked.

She nodded again.

“You still have to choose, though. Me? Or them?” I said, turning her to Gisela.

The girl frowned, then after a moment, she punched my armor, and let her hand stay where it had landed, keeping her gaze firm, and fierce.

She remained like that for a bit, before letting her hand fall, and softening her expression a little, and I nodded.

“Good,” I said, but as I set her down, she took a little step, then stumbled, and I caught her, and steadied her a bit as I studied her.

I focused my gaze intently, as I had done before, and I noted that the little blue thread seemed to be moving a bit more slowly, labored, almost, and that the faint blue light that it emitted seemed a little duller than usual.

 _Her core must be almost depleted,_ I thought.

I picked her up again, holding her like I would a child this time, and as I moved over to the sleeping area, I set her down next to Bianca.

“Rest,” I said, and she shot me a defiant look, before letting out another yawn, and I snickered a little, as I saw her resilience fast fading.

“What is your plan with her?” Casey asked, moving to my side, and I let out a tired stretch, as I plopped down beside the girl.

“She has a useful ability, and I find her determination endearing,” I said.

“I know I told you that the Kobalt can eventually develop their cores to our kind of level, but I really didn’t expect you to just up and adopt the first orphan you could find,” Casey replied, and I snickered a little in response.

“What better way to find out what they’re capable of, though? She’s determined enough, and she basically killed an aufhöcker last night. If that doesn’t scream ‘give me a chance’ then I don’t know what will.”

As I let out a tired yawn, Casey shot me a quick look.

“You probably exhausted your core,” she said. “Get some rest. I’ll handle things here.”

“Will I be able to wake up if there’s trouble?” I asked, and Casey shook her head.

“You might wake up, but until your core’s power regenerates you wouldn’t be able to fight or use any kind of abilities,” she answered.

I lay back, then let out a sigh, but as Casey headed off, I noted that Lucia was sitting, with her knees into her chest, and wearing a frustrated expression on her face.

“If you want your revenge, you need to get stronger,” I said, “and that won’t happen unless you sleep.”

She frowned, then scooted a little bit away from Bianca, before lying down on her side, her back to me.

I studied her for a bit, but my own mind was quickly accelerating towards unconsciousness, and as I drifted off, that image of her form, crumpled, and alone, stayed with me.

***

Joanna stepped into the office expecting an execution, and instead she was greeted with champagne, and Beluga caviar.

“What’s the occasion,” she began, a confused expression on her face.

“We’re celebrating a promotion of sorts,” the man explained.

“Yours?”

He chuckled a little.

“And possibly more,” he said, tilting a glass towards her.

“I don’t understand… our asset is-”

“Out of the woods, and on the way to great things!” he exclaimed, and she shook her head.

“This is a draft of the kill order. Even if they make it through Irileth’s domain, he won’t survive…” she began, and the man laughed.

“That kill order won’t see the light of day,” he said, and as she eyed him, he smirked. “Let’s just say, the person who drafted that is currently ‘looking for a new place to sit’.”

“The _chair_? He’s been removed?”

“Removed and replaced,” he added, winking suggestively, and her lips finally broke into a smile.

“And your seat-?”

“-open, and awaiting my recommendation,” he explained.

His eyes travelled over her body desirously, and Joanna suppressed the shudder, as she licked her lips.

She drew the blinds shut, then unclasped the front of her jacket, as she approached the desk.

“Well, allow me to submit my application,” she said suggestively, as she cleared his desk with one sweep of the hand.

***

I woke up with a thick sheen of sweat on my brow, and as I sat up, I pulled at my breastplate a little, trying to get some air down into the stuffy space between it and my chest.

Thanks to the thick canopy above, direct sunlight was out of my face, as the only light that came to the grove was the little slivers that managed to make it through the shield of leaf, vine, and branches, and they shifted continuously as the treetops swayed gently in the light breeze.

I took a quick look around.

Francesca was asleep a few bunks down from where I was, and Nolan was a little bit further off; but the little bundle I’d expected to find beside me was gone, and Bianca too, I noted, was nowhere to be found.

I let out a yawn, as I stretched groggily, then slowly climbed to my feet.

Every muscle in my body screamed achily in protest, and I twisted to and fro a bit, trying to ease some life back into them.

Apart from Francesca, the sleeping area was basically empty.

 _What time was it?_ I wondered.

I took a look around, then spotted Myrinne, and I quickly moved to her side.

“Is Gisela around?” I asked, and the girl shook her head.

“Her first rest since the long night-cycle,” she said, gesturing towards the sleeping area.

I nodded.

“And Casey?”

Myrinne gestured away from the camp area, towards the north east, where Raul’s group had headed to set the forest ablaze.

I started making my way over there, when I noticed there was a long line of little saplings planted along the length of the battlefield where we’d engaged with the aufhöcker and geisterung the night before.

I counted twelve saplings in total, and I silently wondered how that loss would affect us going forward.

Losing runners and hunters seemed inevitable if we ended up in this kind of conflict.

Would we be able to replenish those reserves as we moved through the clusters scattered throughout the forest?

Then there was also my concern that the majority of our migrating party were men.

Most of them seemed younger, and were perhaps ‘unattached’ so to speak, but we’d need to start finding spouses for them to procreate with if we were to expand to a sufficient size after settling down.

As I walked over to the large group gathered on the other side of the fallen tree, I found an operation of sorts in apparent progress, and it made for quite the strange scene.

Bianca, for starters, seemed to be cutting into a dead geisterung at the direction of some Kobalt men, while Casey, my new young apprentice, and Evie, seemed to be gathered around one of the untouched corpses, apparently examining it.

As I approached them, however, some Kobalt men moved past me, apparently hauling planks of wood, and as I cast a look across, in the direction from which they’d come, I noticed that Raul seemed to be using his sword, with some attached wooden implements, to cut evenly sized planks of wood out of the massive tree trunk, and there already huge sections missing from it, along its length.

“Nate!”

Bianca dropped her dagger to the ground as she darted towards me.

“You’re okay!” she called, leaping towards me, and I caught her as she hugged me tightly.

“I can’t believe you let me sleep through all this. I could have stabbed these bastards to death!” she exclaimed, and I snickered at her.

“You need to learn some speed and strength skills before you can do any fighting,” I chastised her, and she frowned.

“Yeah, well Casey is making me cut up corpses, and it sucks!”

I snickered at her again, then pinched her round, rosy cheek.

“Well, it’ll help you work on your cutting skills,” I countered, and she pouted a little.

“Fine! But if I don’t get some lovin’ later to make up for all this, I’m gonna be pissed.”

She put her hands on her hips, and I ruffled her hair playfully, before sending her back to work.

“I see you finally got her under control,” I said, gesturing to Bianca as I approached Casey.

“It’s easy. Apparently if you say, Nate would be pretty impressed if you could skin fifty dead geisterung, she just jumps right to it.”

I snickered a little, as Evie shot me a glum look.

“I’m not sure she deserves the chance you’re giving her,” she said, her tone a little worried, and I frowned.

“I don’t think she’s a bad person… she just needs the right kind of influence,” I countered, and Evie sighed.

As I studied the group, however, I realized that they were extracting the core from the dead creature.

“How many cores did you get so far?”

“Nineteen. Without Gunter it was pretty tough finding them at first, but I think we’re getting them much more easily now,” she explained. “There’s just four more over there, and we’re done with the dead in this area.”

“What happened to Gunter?” I asked.

“He was wounded. He’s fine, but he needed to rest.”

I cast a quick look at the Lucia, then smiled.

“Is she the one locating them?” I asked, and Casey nodded, scowling a bit as I gloated over her.

As I concentrated on Lucia, however, I noted that the ability to find cores wasn’t really a new skill, but rather, one that seemed to branch from the already existing sensory one.

The girl seemed to shift uncomfortably under my gaze, and Evie shot me a disapproving look.

“She’s an orphan now. We shouldn’t be exploiting her just because she has a useful ability,” she said, and I snickered.

“You seem to be mistaking her intentions. She has her eyes on the monster that killed her father,” I replied, and as Evie glanced at the girl, she frowned.

“You have your whole life ahead of you. Don’t throw it away chasing revenge,” she offered, and the girl scowled at her.

“I don’t intend to let her throw anything away, but she wants to get stronger, and we’re in an opportunity to humor her.”

Evie frowned, and I suddenly remembered the desire she expressed to have a family of her own.

Maybe I could use that?

After all, the child would need a guardian when I was busy.

I turned my attention however, to Raul.

“What’s up with the lumber work?” I asked.

“Apparently, he did some wood work in his earth-days,” Casey said. “It was his idea to turn the sword into a plane tool, and cut some of that wood off into planks.”

“That could be useful,” I said, and she nodded.

“Gisela said we might be able to make a few more carts before we leave.”

“If the danger really is past, it might not hurt to stay here a few days,” I said, and Casey nodded in agreement.

“Bianca is working on getting furs off of the corpses, but if we can get some of the meat off of them as well, then we might actually have something that the Kobalt value for trade when we start hitting the clusters.”

“True. From what I gather, we were basically depending on good will up till now,” I said, and Casey nodded.

“When you’re done handling stuff over here, come get me. I wanna take my new apprentice over here for a little run,” I said.

“A run?” she asked.

“Yeah. I’ll need to build up her strength and speed physically until her core is developed enough to use armor. Plus, I don’t wanna waste the cores from the run Francesca and I made last night.”

Casey nodded as Evie shot me a disapproving look, and I offered her an apologetic glance, as I turned and headed back to the camp.

As I spotted the little stream from earlier, however, I took a quick look at my own armor, which was stained and streaked with dry blood, and I quickly decided to make a little detour.

I removed several of the pieces and gave them a quick wash, before washing away some of the sweat and filth from my skin as well, but as I splashed the water across my skin, a curious sound echoed down to me, from further up the stream.

Was that… a girl’s voice?

It sounded like little, muted sobs, punctuated by little whimpers, and as I followed the sound, my chest piece and arm guards bunched in my hand, I moved upstream until I spotted a little armored figure, stooped down under a tree, and wiping at her eyes as she stared at the little, gurgling stream.

That armor… Jeannie was wearing that set, wasn’t she?

I dismissed my armor piece, and stowed it away in my satchel as I approached her tentatively.

“Hey,” I called, and she quickly wiped at her eyes, as she scrambled up.

“I’m sorry,” she said, and I tilted my head at her.

“For what?”

“Everyone’s busily taking care of what’s needed…” she began, and I raised a hand to stop her.

“We’ve been through hell last night; if you need a moment to gather yourself, you shouldn’t feel bad. Or hesitate to ask,” I said.

She let out a sigh, as I gestured to a little rock beside the stream, and she nodded, as she took a tentative seat.

“We lost a lot of people last night,” she said.

“We did,” I concurred.

“Do you know their names?”

“Only a few,” I replied, and she sighed.

“I only knew one; Lars. I found out his name less than an hour before he died. When those bear things came at us, I charged in following Francesca, but… I don’t know how she can be so fierce and composed in the face of so much craziness. I killed one, I think, when everything just started spinning out of control around me… and just I froze. I couldn’t move

“It was your first battle,” I offered. “It’s natural for you to be overwhelmed.”

She shook her head.

“While I was frozen in place, one of those things leapt at me, and Lars lunged at it and knocked it over, putting himself in the way… it tore him to shreds before I could stab it. My lack of ability cost us a life; and now my hands just won’t stop shaking.”

She broke down, and I took her hands into mine, and steadied them, before putting an arm around her shoulder.

“That’s what we’re here for. We can depend on each other to deal with things when they become too much. You don’t need to deal with this by yourself, okay?”

She nodded, resting her hand on top of mine, as we sat there for a bit.

“I’ll be fine,” she said. “I’m sure you’re probably needed.”

“It’s fine. You can take as long as you need,” I offered. “And if you need anything, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

I gave her one more reassuring squeeze, before turning to leave and heading back to the camp, but when I got there, I spotted Cameron with the princess, and I suddenly noted that her brow was wrinkled with concern.

As I headed over to her side, however, I realized that the princess seemed to be practically glowing with excitement.

 _Mine Götze! It brings me joy to see you unharmed,_ she said, and I nodded, regarding her change in mood with some curiosity, as I turned to Cameron.

“The last time you had that look on your face, you thought we were gonna be forced to have an impregnation ceremony,” I said. “What happened?”

“Come with me,” she said, and the princess followed us excitedly, as we moved to a portion of the princess’ sleeping area which was out of sight from the main camp.

There were two of the princess’ companion-servants there, and she dismissed them, as Cameron released my hand, and took a deep breath, before lifting up her shirt.

“Holy shit… is that-?” I began, and she nodded, as I stared at what could only be a subtle but undeniable baby bump.

“I- I don’t know how it’s possible, but-” she began, but I quickly cut her off as I swept her off her feet, lifting her up by the hips, and nuzzling my face into her stomach as I spun her around a bit.

She giggled at the stimulation, and as the dizziness eventually floored me, I cushioned her fall with my own body, and we collapsed into a bundle on the soft, padded earth.

But even as she laughed, that worried look reappeared on her face.

“You don’t need to worry; your core is just accelerating your pregnancy,” I said, and she bit her lip.

“Are you sure? What if something’s wrong,” she began, and I shook my head as I leaned in to brush my fingers against the little bump, and caress the spot gently.

“I promise you, nothing’s wrong. It’s just like the accelerated healing, and accelerated everything else,” I explained, and she sighed, relaxing a bit.

The princess took a seat beside Cameron, the movement performed with an almost practiced grace, and she too placed a hand, beside mine, over the bump.

“Wunderschönen,” she muttered, before moving her hand to my face.

 _The child will be as beautiful as you, my king. Enjoy the moment with your goddess,_ she finished, as she stood, and left us to our own devices.

I pulled Cameron to me, and kissed her lips.

“You are happier than I expected you to be,” she began, and I snickered a little.

“I guess I am. Maybe it’s something I never thought I’d have, much less with someone whose company I enjoy as much as yours,” I said.

“Do you still feel nothing though?” she asked.

“I feel excited. We’re having a baby,” I said, and she folded her hands.

“Well, duh. I mean, that’s a big deal... but are you excited that it’s with me?”

“Of course, dummy.”

“But you’d be excited no matter who it was with, wouldn’t you?”

“To an extent, maybe?” I replied, “But… you would be too, you know? I mean, what if the kid was Nolan’s?”

“Ugh, no way!”

“Fine… what about some hot celebrity or something; someone you like! If he was kind? Treated you well~?”

She folded her hands.

“I guess… but, I’m really, _really_ glad that it’s with you.”

“I am too,” I replied, teasing her nose a little with my fingers. “So, what’s wrong?”

“If Francesca was having your baby, would you be just as happy?” she asked, and I laughed.

“No. She’s too young,” I replied, and she rolled her eyes, as she turned away from me.

“So, is her age the only problem there?”

I scooted close to her, and rested my chin tentatively on her shoulder.

“No… I genuinely like you,” I said. “I might not feel the same kind of sentimental feelings that people in love feel in relationships, but I really enjoy being with you.”

She let out a sigh.

“Aren’t you worried at all though? Even if the baby is healthy, we’re bringing it into a world full of death.”

“We left a world that was just that; it just did a better job of hiding it,” I countered, and she frowned.

“I wouldn’t have had a child in that world, either,” she said, shifting a little.

“Really? And not just because of the sex thing?” I asked.

She bit her lip.

“The man who abused me was the one who raised me,” she said, “and the thing that scares me most is that almost everyone who knew him still thought he was a saint. I mean, I told people before… and no one believed me. It made me realize that I needed to be sure that I wasn’t going to bring a daughter into the world to have that experience. So, every time I met someone, I’d try to figure out if I knew that they would never do that, and I’ve never once felt sure… like there’d always be doubt in the back of my mind.”

“Do you think I fall into that category?” I asked, and she quickly shook her head.

“I didn’t know what it meant to feel completely safe until you held me.”

“But, what if that’s just the hypnosis?” I asked, and she sighed, but as I trailed my fingers across her stomach, she shook her head.

“You’re right. I have no way of knowing for certain… but everything inside of me wants you to be what I need you to be… and whether I can know for sure or not, I guess I kind of just decided that I’m going to trust you.”

“Blind faith?” I asked, and she nodded, as she climbed on top of me.

She kissed me, and I rolled her onto her back, and kissed her, petting her stomach lovingly as I did.

“You know, you don’t need to just trust me blindly.”

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“Where was your mom… when the abuse happened?”

She let out a sigh.

“She left us when I was a kid… I dunno what happened to her, honestly.”

“Do you think it would have been different? If she was around?” I asked, and she shrugged.

“Maybe? Who knows? Maybe it would have been worse…”

“Do you think it would have been different if you were the mother, and the child, your own?” I asked, and she nodded.

“Fucking hell be damned if I would let someone do that to my kid,” she shot, and I smiled.

I turned to her stomach, then planted a gentle kiss on it, before addressing our unborn child.

“Hey there. I’m your father; Nathan. And I may be an asshole; your mommy isn’t really sure yet… but you don’t need to worry your pretty little mind, because even if I am, she would never let a single thing happen to you,” I said, and Cameron studied me, smiling.

“That’s cute, but could you not swear in front of my kid?” she joked, and I snickered a little, as I climbed on top of her.

“That kid better shut its ears or something, because mommy’s about to make some dirty sounds.”

As our lips met, and we began to kiss, Cameron broke away, and cast a tentative look around.

“Are you sure we have time?” she asked.

“I fought off an army of monsters last night. I doubt anyone’s gonna mind if I take a moment to be with the woman I love.”

“You love me? What happened to the ‘unable to feel’?” she asked, and I snickered.

“I dunno. Maybe I think I’m in love, when I’m not… but I definitely can’t say that what I feel for you is nothing anymore.”

I leaned in to kiss her again, and Cameron cooed into my mouth.

“What if I asked for exclusivity?” she asked.

“I’m sort of engaged to a princess,” I replied. “I can offer you ‘first wife’ privileges?”

Cameron snickered at my counter offer.

“Oh, I don’t care about that. I was just making sure the Nate I fell for was still in there.”

“How would you know if he wasn’t?” I asked, genuinely curious.

“I dunno. Maybe I wouldn’t? But about these first wife privileges… don’t I have to be your wife first?”

There was a teasing look in her eyes, and I studied her with interest.

“Do you want to be my wife?” I asked, and she put a finger to her lips, as if pondering the suggestion.

“I dunno. I’m a young, energetic, fetching lass. Maybe I need to play the field a little, before settling down.”

I studied her as she tried to keep a straight face as if giving serious consideration to her options, until I lunged in with my fingers in an attempt to tickle her, and she quickly gave up the charade, as she giggled and squirmed in my grasp.

“I’m just kidding. If you actually take a wife, half of this group is going to riot,” she said. “Besides, that status wouldn’t actually mean anything. You’re spending all of the time with me that you can… so, nothing would change, really.”

I frowned.

“I always wanted a wife, though,” I said.

“You always wanted _closeness_ , and you have it. What difference does it make what word we use?”

I shrugged.

“ _Wife_ has a nice ring to it.”

“It does, when you say it,” Cameron concurred, and she leaned up to kiss me again.

“Come make love to your wife,” she said, as she pulled me down onto her, and I cooed into her mouth as we kissed.

My hand reached under her shirt, and up to one of her breasts, and I squeezed the fatty mound in my grasp.

“Do you think they’ll get bigger?” she asked, and I snickered a little.

“Maybe. Although, I must admit, I find them to be absolutely perfect as they are.”

“Flattery?” she asked, and I shook my head, as I leaned down to kiss and suck them.

They were just as large as Evie’s, but rather than that pear-shaped look, Cameron’s were round, and firmer to the touch, and her areolas not as wide.

Maybe they weren’t quite as perfect as Eradne’s; but she did seem to have a few years of maturity on Cameron, so maybe that’s what Cameron’s would look like after childbirth?

“Where is your mind right now?” Cameron asked, and I realized I had probably taken on a bit of a pensive look, as I appraised all of the breasts I’d recently held and sucked.

“Somewhere bad,” I admitted, and Cameron snickered a little.

“Come here,” she said. “You know, you never came to me… after the Emily thing. Is that still on your mind?”

I shook my head.

“I’ve decided to ignore that,” I replied, and she studied me.

“Ignore it?”

“Psychopath superpower. If I don’t want to feel something, I just switch it off, and ignore it.”

She frowned.

“What?” I asked.

“Is that what you’d do if you lost me?”

“I dunno… probably. Would you want me to feel sad?” I asked.

“Maybe a little,” she said, and I snickered, as I leaned down to kiss her.

“Then I will,” I said, and she sighed.

“I’m trying not to let this bother me… but you know, you could come to me when you need someone, too. This arrangement doesn’t need to work only when I want you.”

“I know; but I don’t want to. When I’m with you, I’m in a world that starts and ends right here,” I said, drawing a little circle around Cameron’s form. “Everything else can stay outside. And I like being in this little world; with you, me… and this.”

I leaned down as I spoke, and planted a little kiss on her shoulder.

She made a content little sound, before frowning.

“I know you said we could have the time, but I get the feeling that someone is going to come calling you where you’re needed.”

I nodded, a little dejectedly, and she shook her head, before quickly going for the straps on my armor.

I slipped off my shirt, while she quickly undid the clasp around my belt-plate and hurriedly fished out my slightly stiffened cock from my pants.

“I don’t think you need to rush,” I began, when-

_Nate? Where are you?_

-Casey’s voice spoke into my mind.

Cameron caught the momentary inflection in my speech, and frowned.

“Casey?” she asked, and as I nodded, she licked her lips, as she stroked me. “Fine. Let her wait; I’ll be quick.”

She took a deep breath, before leaning in, and planting a kiss on the soft underside of my cock, as she held it straight up.

“Mmh,” I moaned in response.

“You know… I’ve never willingly given a blowjob in my entire life,” she said, and I placed a hand against her cheek, as she nuzzled my part affectionately.

“You don’t have to do anything that makes you feel uncomfortable,” I reminded her, but she shook her head.

“I’ve always wanted to,” she said, as she looked up at me, while leaning in, and taking one of my balls into her mouth.

She sucked on it gently, and ended it with a sucking kiss, before planting her lips against the spot again, and trailing up from the loose sack, to the smooth, long shaft that pointed straight up.

I moaned again at the pleasurable sensation, and she smiled.

 _Nate. I’m not seeing you around. Where are you?_ Casey’s voice called again, and I frowned.

“Fine,” Cameron said, “I’ll let you go. But can we have some time tonight?”

“It’s a date,” I promised, caressing her face gently and giving one final kiss, before she quickly retrieved my armor, and helped me dress.

I held her close, and gave her another gentle kiss, before we made our way around the little bushy area, and back to the main body of the camp.

Casey shot me a slightly annoyed look, and Cameron went off to check on Nolan.

“We should talk,” I said, as she yawned.

“You can do whatever you want, you know,” she said, nodding subtly in Cameron’s direction. “I just wanted to let you know I’m going to bed, so if you need to find out anything, now’s the time.”

I nodded.

“Is there anything I need to know?” I asked, and she shrugged.

“Can’t think of anything, but I’m running on empty here, so I might be forgetting something.”

“It’s fine, but before you go…”

I pulled her aside, before continuing, in a low whisper.

“Cameron’s showing a little bump,” I explained, and Casey frowned.

“It’s been, what? Six days?”

I nodded.

She sighed, then stooped down, and got a little stone, and began doing some math on the earth.

“Nine months on earth is… about two hundred and seventy days. In hours, that’s…”

“Six thousand, four hundred and eighty,” I answered, and Casey frowned.

“Right- forgot I had the numbers wizz, here. Any chance you can convert that to Kepler-days?”

“Two hundred and sixteen,” I offered, after a moment, and she frowned again.

“I kind of hate you. So, normally, first time mothers don’t show until sixteen weeks or so, but that’s because their bodies are stretching to accommodate the change; our bodies will do that much more effectively, so let’s say, twelve weeks in earth time? Do that conversion in your head, math nerd.”

“Sixty-seven days,” I replied, and she frowned again.

“Seriously, fuck you. So, she compressed sixty-seven days into six? Fuck, Nate… at this rate she’ll have that baby in-”

“Fourteen days,” I breathed, my mouth slightly agape.

I slumped down to the floor, and Casey studied me, before resting a hand on my shoulder.

Ever since we first got here, everything seemed to be moving at a whirlwind pace, but even by that metric this was ridiculous.

Two weeks…

Could I even guarantee the child’s safety in that time?

I wasn’t sure.

“Where’s the kid?” I said, looking around as I climbed to my feet and shook my misgivings aside.

“Over by the supply cart with Evie,” Casey answered, as she studied me.

“If I put her in armor, will she learn the abilities? Like speed-one?”

Casey nodded slowly.

“Yeah, but you’d need a way to keep an eye on her core or-”

“I’ve got it,” I said. “New ability, remember?”

“You know, you never told me how you got that ability…”

“Maybe later, when you’re rested. For now, just get some sleep,” I said.

Casey studied me a bit longer, then nodded, but I felt her eyes on me as I moved over to the supply cart.

“Saddle up, kid. Let’s go,” I said.

Evie folded her hands in protest, and frowned.

“You know, she’s been at work on those cores all day. How about you give her a break,” she said.

I turned to the kid.

“Do you want to rest?” I asked, and the girl shook her head.

“She’s a child; she doesn’t understand her limits yet,” Evie pleaded, as I began to browse through the stuff in the supply cart.

There were a few scattered pieces, and I scanned the collection of slivers looking for a pair of greaves, and a breastplate, preferring the low-grade T-one stuff.

“It’s fine; I can see her limits with a skill,” I explained.

“By limits, you mean before she passes out?” Evie asked, and I nodded.

“It’s not like working until you’re tired. She has a core, and it’ll probably deplete quickly when in use,” I explained, but Evie still seemed unhappy, so I decided to try a compromise.

“Look; maybe the kid is pushing herself because this is her way of dealing with her dad’s death. If that’s the case, I’ll let her quit the second she asks to, and then you can spend all the time you want with her helping her work it out. But until then, I’m giving her the shot to do the things that she wants to accomplish, okay?”

Evie frowned, but nodded, her concerns evidently assuaged by my argument, and I smiled.

I turned around, then picked the kid up and headed off.

After running with her in my arms for a bit, the discomfort of running while holding her like that began to annoy me, so I paused.

“Can you hold onto my back or something?” I asked, and the girl nodded, as I helped her over my shoulder.

She placed her hands onto the neckline of my armor, and held on, but rather than wrapping her feet around me, she climbed onto my shoulder, and balanced herself there in a crouching like position, as she held on.

She tapped me on the head, letting me know she was ready, so I decided to run, and see if she would really be able to hold on like that.

To my surprise, the arrangement worked quite well, and before long, we came to the first of the geisterung corpses.

I let her climb down from my back, and she scanned the creature for a bit, before indicating a spot over its stomach.

I made the incision, then retrieved the object, before moving to the other creature.

“Your ‘life-bringer’. What was his name?” I asked.

“Tomas,” she said.

We finished up the other two in silence, before moving to the next set.

Again, Lucia worked in silence, and after we’d collected the twenty or so orbs, I let out a tired stretch.

“I’m not sure if it’s the daylight, but the blight seems to be fading from this place, isn’t it?”

“Ja,” she replied, and I smiled a little.

“Well then. I guess it’s time for us to take a little run.”

I retrieved the armor from my satchel, and she studied the armor warily.

“I’m not sure what you’ve been told, but it won’t kill you,” I promised, and she nodded, as I summoned the armors from their sliver forms.

The breastplate was almost as big as she was, but as I fastened the straps, the armor began to fold in, quickly adjusting itself to her small stature, and she studied the process with an expression of awe.

As soon as the arm-guard was in place however, she seemed to quickly compose herself, and she shot me a determined look.

“Ready?” I asked, and she nodded, so we took off.

I made sure that she was beside me as we sprinted off, but she quickly began to pull ahead, and I smirked a little.

 _You’re a feisty little one, aren’t you?_ I thought, and I snickered a little, as she seemed to be quite annoyed by how easily I matched her pace.

“Ngg,” she grunted, as she put her head down and really started to sprint, but the explosion of speed was short lived as she began to slow down a bit, and I noted that she was breathing pretty heavily.

I slowed a bit, and signaled to her to do the same, but despite how out of breath she was, she seemed pretty annoyed at me.

“What? Evie was right, you know. You need to learn your limits, or else you’ll just burn yourself out with nothing to show for it.”

She wore a confused expression on her face, and I snickered, as I realized that the sentence was probably too complex for her translation ability to really pick up the meaning.

“Restraint,” I said, and she nodded slowly.

I offered her a little sip of water from my waterskin, and she nodded, as we got ready to run again.

This time, we kept to a quick jog, and as she maintained the speed, I kept my focus on her, and noted that her core was almost completely depleted.

 _That was quick!_ I thought, as we’d been running for no more than fifteen minutes.

On the one hand, if she needed to sleep every time we did this, it would take some time to develop her skills, but I quickly noted that, even as a child, her core’s total capacity wasn’t as meagre as I had originally imagined, and if it drained from use of our armor at a quicker rate without an implant to regulate it’s usage, then that technically meant that I would be able to build up her total core capacity much more quickly than I could with Bianca.

We ran for a bit longer, when her steps faltered a little, and as I caught her, I could see her struggling to keep her eyes open.

I quickly stripped away her armor as she collapsed, and as I scooped her up, she fell fast asleep, or perhaps straight unconscious, in my arms.

I carried her back to the camp at a walk, and as I got there, an angry looking Bianca was on hand to receive me.

“Well, lookey who. Mr. ‘I’m here when you need me, except I run off with little green girls all day’,” she shot, as she put her hands on her hip.

“Experiment X-1, meet experiment X-2,” I said, and she frowned.

“She’s a super soldier candidate?” Bianca asked, suddenly a little bit worried.

She came over and began to inspect the child, furrowing her brow as she did.

“She doesn’t look like much,” she shot, and I snickered at her.

“Lemme just put her to bed, and then we’ll see about your training,” I said.

Bianca followed me, a scowling look on her face, and as I lay Lucia to rest beside Casey, who apparently, was already fast asleep, I shot her a curious look.

“What?” I asked.

“I worked really hard. All day! I skinned like twenty of those things,” she complained, and I moved forward and patted her on the head.

“Did you now? You did well,” I said, and she folded her hands, and stomped on the floor.

“I demand to be spoiled,” she said, and I rubbed my chin.

“You’re right… you do deserve a little spoiling,” I said, as she did indeed work quite hard at her assigned task.

“Well. You decide something, and we’ll do it,” I offered, but she frowned.

“Ugh, never mind! I smell like… meat,” she said, and I suddenly remembered the stream.

Would that be enough?

I mean, the flow of water was really weak, so it was really only good for a sponge bath, unless you could gather up some of the water there, and have a proper wash.

As I rubbed my chin, however, I suddenly thought of the waterfall Eradne had taken me to.

That night, we’d left the cluster and headed west for a bit, before heading north…

So, the main water course should be a little way northwest of here, shouldn’t it?

Would we be able to find it?

With the map module, finding out way back wouldn’t be a problem, so maybe it would be worth a shot.

“Armor up,” I said, and Bianca frowned, stomping her feet in protest again.

“But I don’t want to train right now~,” she whined, and I snickered, as I moved my hand to her face, and pinched her round cheeks affectionately.

“We’re mixing our training with your reward,” I said. “There’s a special place that I want to take you.”

“Special?” she asked. “Have any of the other girls gone there?”

I shook my head.

“I’m not one hundred percent sure I can find it, but we’ll look; and when we get there, you can probably take a bath,” I offered, and at this, her eyes quickly lit up.

“A bath? Like we did at the springs?”

“Something like that,” I answered, and she nodded enthusiastically.

“Okay! Which armor do I need?”

I picked out the pieces for speed and endurance, as I had with Lucia, but this time I also opted for the pieces for strength and agility as well.

“Hey- how do I get this thing on?” she asked, holding up Lucia’s tiny armor.

I inspected the thing for a bit, as there was no way to get the straps around Bianca’s torso, until I noted that the straps could extend some way, and as soon as they were clasped in place, the armor began to reshape itself, and mold into that form fitted style that accentuated Bianca’s bust.

She got the rest of her armor on without a hitch, and with that; we set off.

“So… a lot happened last night, huh?” she asked, and I snickered a little.

“That’s an understatement, but yeah.”

“Sorry I slept through it,” she offered, and I shook my head.

“That’s the thing about your training. I’m hoping it makes you really useful, but you’re probably going to be sleeping through a lot, until we get your core-power up a bit.”

“I guess… probably wouldn’t have been much use anyway,” she said, and I turned and eyed her a little as we moved through the woods at a steady pace.

“I dunno. You seemed to be plenty useful back there,” I said, and she frowned.

“Oh please. Most of the useful people were sleeping off their post epic-battle weariness.”

I shook my head.

“Fighters aren’t the only things we need right now. When we have to fight, we have to fight; obviously. But figuring out how to live comfortably is the long-term goal.”

“Skinning dead carcasses still doesn’t feel like something that ranks all that high,” she countered, and I snickered again.

“Well, I don’t see any of the fighters off on a special retreat with their leader,” I said, and she smiled a little.

“I guess.”

“Besides; from what I’ve gathered, the fur we collected today might be useful in making us some more comfortable sleeping accommodations, and we might be able to trade it for some useful stuff too.”

She smiled happily at this, and took my hand as we ran.

Eventually, we came to the place where Francesca and I had killed one of the geisterung the night before, and something occurred to me.

“Have you eaten today?” I asked, and Bianca nodded.

“When I woke up. I am feeling a little snackish though,” Bianca replied, grinning cutely, as she eyed me, and I rolled my eyes at her.

I moved to the dead creature, and inspected it a bit.

It had been killed by a single piercing strike through the heart.

Probably Francesca’s kill?

The meat, however, seemed pretty fine…

There were no odd smells to indicate that it’d begun to spoil or anything, even in the humid heat of the rainforest.

I withdrew my little dagger, and quickly sliced off a bit of meat from its hind legs.

“How are we gonna carry that?” Bianca asked, and I cast a quick look around as I considered the problem.

“I think I have an idea,” I said, as I moved to one of the little bits of shrub that were growing thickly beneath one of the nearby trees.

I used my dagger to cut off a few broad leaves from the shrubs, and using the leaves, I wrapped the meat into a neat little parcel, then secured it with some vines.

“Wow. That’s neat!” Bianca exclaimed.

I quickly cut off a bit more meat, wrapping them into several neat packages, and as we loaded up with as much as we could carry, we headed off again.

As I paused to get an idea of where to head, Bianca shot me a questioning look.

“Are we lost?” she asked, and I snickered.

“Pretty much, always.”

She frowned.

“I thought you were taking me somewhere special?” she asked.

“I am. I’ve just gotta find it,” I replied, and she pouted.

I spotted a hilly bit of land up ahead, and as we headed there, I managed to make out another small stream, like the one that ran near to our base camp, and I paused to study it.

The water was running from northeast to southwest…

So, if I followed it upstream, then it should take me to the main waterway, shouldn’t it?

We began to follow the little rivulet, but I found to my disappointment, that the little waterway seemed to have passed underground in its course, preventing me from following it directly to its source.

“Are you sure we aren’t lost?” Bianca whined again, and I snickered.

“Well we certainly aren’t found,” I replied.

I quickly decided to just head north, since it seemed reasonable enough to assume from the direction that the little stream was headed in, that we would come across the waterway eventually if we did that, and sure enough, after another ten or so minutes of walking, the sound of water rushing along a larger course came to us from the distance.

“Is that a waterfall?” Bianca asked, and I bit my lip.

“I’m not sure,” I said.

 _The waterfall should be much further downstream_ , I thought. _Maybe that was just the river itself?_

Though it did sound quite loud.

We moved in the direction of the sound, and when we finally came to the waterway, my stomach lurched, as the water was rushing dangerously along the river’s stream, making it much too difficult to cross, much less bathe in.

“Am I supposed to bathe in there?” Bianca asked, shouting over the din, and I shook my head.

“Let’s follow the path; there might be a little bend somewhere along the way, where the flow is less turbulent.”

As we walked along the edge of the river, I spotted a bank on the opposite end where the water was shallow, with a bit of sandy deposit just beyond, and I frowned, as while it was exactly what I was looking for, crossing the river seemed to be impossible.

We continued along for a while, before finally, we found a similar bank on our side of the river, and Bianca dashed to the sand, and kicked off her leather sandals as she did, and quickly buried her toes.

“Aww, it feels all slimy and gross,” she complained, and I snickered a little.

“Well, it’s no beach. This is probably just the silt that it collects as it moves through the mountains.”

She folded her hands and pouted, as I found a place to stash our stuff.

“I promised you a bath, not a beach,” I said, and Bianca pouted again, before turning to study her armor.

“Is it safe for us to disarm here?” she asked.

“For you, yeah. But I should probably keep something on just in case,” I replied.

Bianca wasted no time in unclasping her breastplate, and she quickly threw the pieces haphazardly to the side, together with the rest of her stuff, before making a beeline for the water.

“It’s so fucking cold!” she yelled.

“Well, it is a river,” I replied, and she frowned.

“You’re going to have to warm me up,” she shot, and I shrugged, as I moved to join her; but as soon as I stepped into the water, Bianca shot me a playful smirk, before lunging at me and catching me completely off guard.

She knocked me clean off my feet, sinking me into the freezing cold water, and as I emerged from the water, I shivered a little, and shot Bianca a wry look.

“You’re being naughty,” I scolded her, and she smirked.

“When you say it like that, you sound like an eighty-year old man. Are you gonna spank me, grandpa?”

“I might,” I warned, and she began to wiggle her rear like a cat, readying to pounce again.

I pretended to let my guard down, and as I turned, I caught her lunging out of the corner of my eye, and this time, I caught her, and as I lifted her up by the waist, I shifted, to hold her in place with one hand, while with the other, I mercilessly attacked her ribs.

She screamed and cackled as I tickled her, begging me to stop, until finally, I relented, and dropped her unceremoniously onto her butt in the shallow water.

She turned, her arms folded crossly, but she quickly uncrossed her arms, as she scooped up some water and splashed it onto her face.

“Ugh… I thought I’d never get to bathe again after those baths back in that tree-town.”

“Well, water might not be as much of a worry as I thought. There seem to be a lot of little streams running through here, and we also found a way to draw water out of the trees themselves,” I explained.

Bianca smiled happily, then wiggled her butt as she nestled herself into place on the shallow bit of bank.

“I never did anything like this in my life,” she explained.

“What? Bathed in a river? I’m not sure many of us would have…”

“No, I mean… bathed in anything that wasn’t a shower or tub… or a swimming pool. You know, places with buildings and stuff.”

“Water park?” I asked, and she shook her head.

“Never been to a beach either,” she said, and I frowned.

“Hiking? Camping?” I pressed, and Bianca again, shook her head.

“The closest I’ve been to nature was the park between my old high school and the library; and Nate… I never went to the library.”

I snickered at her a little, as I plopped down on the bank beside her.

The silt was much coarser than sand, and it got soggy in a way that sand didn’t, making it feel mushy, though not quite like mud.

“I thought you’d married one of those, ‘honeymoons in Aruba’ type guys,” I said, and she frowned.

“He took me to Paris for our honeymoon,” she said. “I thought it was gonna be the best thing in the world, but we didn’t really do much; I never even got to see the Eiffel tower or anything. All he did was take me out to a few fancy restaurants, before he’d take me back to the hotel room and rip off whatever slutty dress he picked out for me that night, then fuck me until he came.”

“How romantic,” I said, and she frowned.

“I hated it so much,” she said. “You know, people always act like sex is really great, and they seem to go absolutely crazy over the stuff I do… but I don’t really like it.”

“You don’t like what? Doing stuff for others?”

“No, that’s fun. It turns me on; when I really wanna do it, I mean. I just don’t think I actually like when anyone does anything to me,” she clarified, and I studied her.

“Is this the husband experience speaking, or are we working with more than that.”

“More,” she said. “I had sex with six guys before my husband.”

“High schoolers?” I asked, and she nodded.

“Maybe you’re not working with the best of experiences there,” I offered, and she shook her head.

“No… I really just don’t think I’m into it,” she said, and I snickered again.

“It’s like, a universally accepted thing, that sex feels good,” I countered. “Maybe you just need a more caring partner.”

Her eyes flicked to me, and she smiled a little.

“Was that an offer?” she asked, and I shrugged.

“I’d say you’ve earned it, if you ask for it.”

She frowned, before scooting over to me, and resting her head against my chest.

“I wanna cuddle with you, and if you want, I’ll give you one of my special mind-blowing blowjobs; but I don’t want anything in return, I think. Just this place by your side.”

I shook my head in response.

“You know, there are a lot of studies that show that non-reciprocal sex is highly detrimental to women in heterosexual, binary pairings.”

“Wow. Does that come with a translation?”

“You aren’t likely to be happy, statistically speaking, if you’re giving me blowjobs, and getting nothing in return.”

She frowned.

“I’m not sure if I’m happy giving you nothing, either,” she said, and I chuckled again, as I slumped down onto my back, and stared off into the canopy above.

“Is that because you’re still thinking that it’s the only way you can assure yourself of a place by my side?” I asked, and she shrugged.

“I dunno. You made me a promise, and so far, you’ve kept it… I know I complained about the skinning thing, but it felt nice doing something, and having people talk to me like I was part of the group. Maybe I just want to show my appreciation?”

She placed a hand on my chest, as she rested against me, lightly, and she shifted a little, to let me sneak a hand around her hip, as I pulled her closer, and caressed her side gently.

“I don’t want you to ever show your appreciation for anything that I do for you, using sex,” I said, and she shot me a dubious look.

“What? How else am I supposed to, then?”

I chuckled, as I returned my gaze to the canopy above.

“You’re a smart girl, Bianca. I’m sure you’ll figure it out.”

“Maybe I’m not as smart as you think I am,” she said, a forlorn expression on her face, and she withdrew from me and folded her knees into her chest the way she did whenever she seemed down.

“I think you are,” I countered, and she frowned.

“Then why don’t I get this?”

She flopped onto the ground, and stretched her legs out, and kicked them around in the shallow water beyond the bank, and I giggled at the childlike response.

“It’s not that you’re too stupid to get it. You’ve just been socialized into a state of accepting sex as a bargaining tool, or means of exchange for something… whether that something is material, status, or whatever. And you aren’t necessarily wrong; it is used like that, and quite pervasively too. I just don’t want it to have that meaning between us.”

“Between us, huh? What do you want it to mean between us, then?”

I bit my lip, then locked my eyes onto hers.

“The purest expression of affection and closeness,” I replied. “A state in which reciprocation ceases to exist as a concept. Where your desires, my desires, and the feeling of pleasure all meld together into one singular, shared, experience.”

“So, you want us to be lovers?” she asked, and I shook my head.

“I don’t want anything. But if we’re ever going to have sex, it’s that. Or nothing.”

She frowned.

“I’m not sure I can ever give you that,” she said, turning away again as she did, and I studied her.

Her anxiety over intimacy reminded me a lot of Cameron… even Casey.

There were a lot of fairly broken people in this group, weren’t there?

Come to think of it, my own experience with intimacy back on earth had been one filled with abuse, manipulation, and secrecy.

I guess it just didn’t wound me in quite the same way that it did to normal people.

Hell, it even gave me a clearer lens through which to see the scars that people carried around in their hearts, didn’t it?

As I relaxed in the water, my mind went to Miriam.

Her hypnosis could probably help Bianca get past her own anxieties about letting someone past her defenses, couldn’t it?

Though, resorting to that sort of manipulation would hardly go down well, if discovered.

Besides, this was a good opportunity to see if I could help someone navigate their own trauma through patience and proper care.

It would probably be good practice too, and help to establish a much closer bond between us.

As Bianca sulked, making little trails in the sand with her fingers as she enjoyed the water flowing carelessly across her lower body, I stood up, and made my way over to our supplies.

I scanned the area for some bits of wood that I could use to make a little makeshift spit, as well some drier sticks, and kindling for a fire.

I had with me a little supply pack from the camp that contained the ‘spark seed’ so getting a fire going shouldn’t be difficult, and as I set to work, I caught Bianca’s eyes on me.

Getting the fire going was simple enough, but roasting the meat proved to be a task in itself, as my attempts at making some kind of spit over which to keep the meat in place proved quite the failure.

 _I’m so not cut out for this life,_ I thought.

I ended up resorting to making some skewers with my dagger, and sticking them through the meat, and holding them over the flame.

Getting the meat to cook evenly seemed quite problematic, and the roasting process itself ended up taking much longer than I’d expected.

 _Remind me to learn how to cook when I get back_ , I thought to myself.

“That looks kinda dry,” Bianca noted, and I nodded.

“The meat is really lean, but I’ve got no oil or anything to rub on it.”

“Try water?” she suggested, and I frowned, as she took one of the sticks from me, and drizzled a bit of water on it, and as the water sizzled, and the meat continued to cook, I noted that it did seem a little less stiff and dry.

“You do much cooking for the husband?” I asked, and she shook her head.

“I didn’t do anything, really. Maybe a little cleaning, but he didn’t want his glorified fuck toy to be tired when her services were required,” she said.

“So, how did you spend your time?” I asked.

“Sometimes I went shopping; that was fun. I got to buy a lot of stuff, then I’d plan my outfits, try them on, see what works and what doesn’t. The good-ish stuff went up on social media. The really good stuff, he’d rip off of me, and fuck my brains out.”

“Hn~. You ever get into fashion? Designing stuff?”

She shook her head.

“Don’t have to when you can buy the perfect thing whenever you see it. I honestly never thought I’d get bored of clothes, but eventually I did.”

“Then what happened when you ran out of outfits to get ripped off of you?”

“He’d work late. Probably see someone else, who knows?”

“You knew that he was cheating?” I asked, and she shook her head.

“I had no proof. But I knew his moods. When he wasn’t getting any, he was irritable, quick to anger. So, when he wasn’t like that, but we hadn’t done anything in a while, that just seemed like the logical conclusion.”

We ended the conversation there, as the meat seemed to be more or less fit for consumption, so we sat on a little rock on the river’s edge, and ate.

“Had enough of the water?” I asked, and Bianca thought about it.

“Do we have to head back?”

“Eventually? Yeah; but I think we can hang around a bit,” I said, and she nodded.

We were silent for a while, when a new thought occurred to me.

“What do you want out of this relationship?” I asked, and Bianca turned to me, a slightly dazed expression, as she considered the sudden question.

“With you?” she asked, and I nodded. “I dunno. You seem like the person who has the best grasp on things. I figure you can keep me safe, especially if I make it worth your while.”

“Well, I’m going to do that whether we’re intimate or not. So, is that all you really want?”

She frowned.

“I dunno. There’s a little bit of status that comes with standing at your side. I guess it looks kind of nice, so maybe that too?”

I snickered a little.

“And I guess you’ve figured that you can’t stand there unless you’re indispensable to me in some way, huh…”

“Well, that is a fact,” she said.

“So, what happens when you come across someone in a, let’s say, higher leadership position?”

“What do you mean?”

“Our group isn’t going to be the only one out here. I’ve come across other adventurers. People way beyond our level. If you spot a chance to move up the ladder… let’s say a prince, or some kind of noble?”

She frowned again.

“There’s no guarantee that they’d be any different from my husband. You treat me well… and besides, I’m not the kind of girl that just chases every guy who can offer her something better.”

I considered her argument, before deciding to throw a little wrench into the equation.

“What if I released you from your pledge?”

She bit her lip, and I studied her reaction carefully.

She had been making calculations from the start based on the power I held over her, and the power she perceived to be in my possession, hadn’t she?

“You would do that? What about the rest of the group?”

“Well, maybe not immediately, but I’m sure I could talk them into it. You’ve been behaving and everything… or I could do it and just not let them know.”

She licked her lips a little, as she considered my suggestion.

“And what’s that gonna cost me?” she asked, and I shrugged.

“Nothing.”

“Nothing?” she asked, as she continued to eye me, and I nodded.

She thought about it for a while, before speaking again.

“Okay, forget about the status for a moment. What if I want emotional support?”

“Hn~. You mean apart from doing things like this?”

She nodded.

“I don’t like to sleep alone. What’s it gonna take for you to sleep with me?”

“That’s a difficult request to grant. I mean, the group won’t like it at all. Maybe when everyone’s more comfortable with trusting you,” I offered.

“And you would do that, asking nothing in return?”

I nodded.

“I wouldn’t say nothing. Sleeping with company is in itself, pretty nice… sometimes.”

“What about sex?” she asked.

“What about it?”

“What if doing stuff with you is part of what makes me feel more comfortable with you?”

“Are you trying to suggest that blowing me is part of the emotional support that you may need?” I asked, chuckling a little, and she frowned.

“Yeah. I mean, let’s just say, what if it is?”

“Well, I guess I’d have to say that I have my own conditions for getting into that sort of thing, kind of like what I said earlier. I don’t do those things unless I feel there is a mutual interest at stake.”

“Fine. I can negotiate. What if I let you kiss me? Guys like kissing my body, so that should be enough, right?”

“I guess; that depends, though,” I replied.

“On what?”

“On how the kissing goes,” I replied. “Do you want me to kiss you? Or are you just trying to fulfill some minimum requirement on the way to getting yourself into a particular place at my side?”

She shook her head.

“I actually want to kiss you,” she admitted. “I thought about it… a lot. After you saved my life, and after the first time we talked.”

My eyes focused on her as she spoke, and I noted that her response actually did seem genuine.

She suddenly seemed a little shy, and she shifted her shoulders nervously as I kept my eyes on her.

I snickered a little, as I approached her and reached out, taking her hand in my own.

I pulled her up from her little perch on the rock beside the fire, then reached for her nose, and wiggled it a little between my fingers, and she giggled a little.

“Do you like it when I act like a child?” she asked, retreating an arm’s length away, and swaying girlishly while holding onto my hand.

“It’s cute. Endearing even.”

“That’s what they all say at the start,” she said.

“Hm? Who’s the they?”

“Everyone.”

I snickered a little.

“Well, if it helps, Casey can’t stand it at all,” I replied, and she smiled.

“I know. She can’t stand me, but she keeps an eye on me, because I think she knows I’m a threat.”

I raised an eyebrow.

“To the group?”

She shook her head.

“No, not that. I meant, to her position by your side.”

“Casey knows her worth,” I countered, and she smiled playfully.

“As your advisor? Sure. But she wants to stand by your side as more than that. You just don’t realize how bad it is; and I don’t think it’s down to just hypnosis.”

“Hn~. And did you ever figure out who the hypnotizer was?”

She thought about it for a while, then answered.

“Your princess?” she asked, and I smiled, nodding.

“See? You’re not just smart, you’re brilliant!” I said, pulling her in, and ruffling her hair playfully.

She smiled happily, before studying me again.

“You don’t seem to hate that I act childishly, yet you didn’t try to rip my clothes off yet. In my experience, people usually react to this kind of behavior with either one of the two things,” she said, watching me closely.

“Were you trying to convince me to jump you?” I asked.

“Maybe,” she answered, her tone playful and suggestive, and I snickered.

“Well, it won’t work. Besides, I know you’re only acting like that because I didn’t kiss you yet, and you’re trying to hide how nervous you are about it.”

She pouted a little, and folded her hands defiantly, as I snickered at her some more.

“Oh please! I’ve got more experience than you, in case you’re forgetting. I’m waay past getting all nervous about something like- wha? Hey! What’re you-”

I began to advance on her, and as she backed up to the little rock she’d been sitting on, she tripped, and fell a short way onto her butt, as I placed my foot beside her on the rock, and leaned down.

I grabbed the hem of her shirt, and cut off any further retreat, as I nuzzled my nose against hers.

Her chest heaved as she panted, suddenly seeming flustered and out of breath.

“Don’t discount the experience that comes with age,” I chided her, as I pulled her nose, then retreated, smiling wickedly as I turned my back on her and headed back to our supplies.

“What? That’s it? I thought you were gonna kiss me?” she called out.

“Maybe~,” I teased, and she folded her hands and glared at me as she pouted with an almost exaggerated tenacity.

“You’re not playing fair,” she complained, and I laughed in response.

“Well, maybe you should stop playing games, and just be honest about what you want,” I countered.

I left her to stew for a bit, as I began to gather up our things, as if I were preparing for us to leave, when suddenly, she crashed into me, and we went tumbling down the side of the bank, to the damp, sandy stretch on the river’s edge.

We landed with a dull thud, and I stared up at her, her hands on my chest, grasping onto my armor firmly, as she stared at me with a fiery expression.

She licked her lips, but as she moved in for the kill, she faltered, pausing in her approach, and I frowned, as I saw her intent quickly fading.

Her hands loosened their grip on me, and for a brief second, I saw that look, and I recognized it as the one that matched what I’d felt, through her, when she had offered her pledge.

I took her hand, and held her in place as she moved to get up, and as she studied me, I leaned forward, and as her eyes closed shut, I let my lips brush gently against hers; the faintest of touches, before she leaned to meet me, and we kissed; a soft, but pressing kiss, that lingered into a five second long-eternity.

“What was that?” she said, smiling despite herself, as we finally broke apart.

“What was what?”

“I chickened out, but you kissed me anyway,” she said, staring at me with a curious look.

“As long as you take the first step, I’ll take ten more to meet you,” I replied, and she blushed as I brushed her cheek affectionately with my hand.

She moved to kiss me again, this time, her eyes flicking between my lips and my own gaze, as she hovered above me, like a cautious child being told that it was okay to go for the cookie jar before dinner, and not knowing if it really is allowed or not.

I let her take the first tentative moves, before she leaned down and our lips pressed together, before her tongue made an exploratory incursion, searching for its opposite member.

I reached out with my own tongue, and as our lips met, again and again, our tongues played little darting games with each other, and we made out for several minutes until eventually, she withdrew, panting slightly, and gripping her chest as she sat beside me, studying me with a sheepish grin.

“I’ve never had a kiss like that before.”

“Well, maybe you might have if you’d given your middle eastern charity case a fair chance,” I teased, and her eyes went wide.

“Oh my God; that was literally the first thing I thought!” she exclaimed, and I snickered as she shoved me playfully in retaliation.

“Was that one of those ‘reading my mind’ things?” she asked, and I shook my head.

“I can’t read your mind; not unless you send the thoughts to me yourself,” I reminded her.

She eyed my lips again, but as I moved to kiss her, she put her hands on my chest, and positioned me into a sitting position, then began to fiddle with my belt plate.

“How does this come off?” she asked, and I raised an eyebrow.

“There’s a clasp. What’re you doing, though?”

“We kissed. Now I’m gonna blow you. That was the deal, wasn’t it?”

I shook my head, and chuckled at her.

“You need to learn to take things a little slower,” I chastised her, flicking her on the forehead, before getting up, and she pouted.

“Then why did we even kiss?” she asked, a little bitterly.

“Because you wanted to, remember?”

She folded her arms crossly, then bit her lip, as she couldn’t really find an argument to make, and I patted her on the head, before heading for our stuff.

We’d probably spent more time on this excursion than we should have anyway.

Bianca dragged her feet a bit as we got ready to leave, but she gave in as I pointed out that we were still in a fairly dangerous zone.

After consulting my map, I figured we could make the run in just over an hour, and although it took some pushing for me to get Bianca to keep a steady pace going without stopping for breaks, we eventually made it back to the camp, and I breathed a sigh of relief, as everything seemed peaceful when we got there.

To my surprise, however, Lucia was up, and seemed quite well rested, and eager for another round of training.

“Are you up for depleting your core?” I asked Bianca, and the girl made a whining sound in response.

“Do I have to?” she asked, and I shook my head.

“You’ve done a lot today,” I said, brushing her cheek affectionately, and she smiled.

As I turned my attention to Lucia, however, she pouted, and followed me with a determined look on her face.

“I changed my mind!” she declared, and I raised an eyebrow at her.

 _Competing with a child?_ I thought.

Although, it wasn’t a half-bad way to motivate her.

As we headed for the open area north of the camp, which I now noted had been completely cleared of geisterung and aufhöcker corpses, I heard a grumbling sound, and raised an eyebrow at Lucia, as it had most certainly come from her stomach.

“When was the last time you ate?” I asked. “Was it this morning?”

She nodded.

The Kobalt actually didn’t seem to do lunch, as far as I’d seen.

Just two meals; breakfast and dinner, more or less.

We took a quick detour to Miriam’s sleeping area, where to my relief, I found Gisela.

“Hey. Did you sleep well?” I asked, and the girl nodded sheepishly.

“Forgive my absence, Herr Nathan.”

“It’s fine. You must have been exhausted after last night. Is there something we can get for Lucia to eat, though?”

Gisela studied the child with a confused expression, and she spoke to her quickly, before shaking her head.

“She says she will wait until the day-end meal,” Gisela said, and I shook my head.

“She’s just acting tough. She’ll need to eat more to deal with the added stress of her training,” I explained, and she nodded.

She motioned to one of the nearby Kobalt girls, speaking to her, and the girl hurried off, returning with one of the gourd-type fruits I’d seen Gunter and the others collecting the day before.

I began to wonder if it was edible, when I noted that a strap, fashioned from some kind of reed, was attached to the thing, and as Gisela took the object, she twisted the top, and it came off, like a cover, and as she held it up to me, I was surprised to find that the inside was filled with strips of dried, roasted meat, wrapped into a ball like shape, so that individual strips could be picked out in a sort of roll, one piece at a time.

“The runners carry these for sustenance when on long, tiring, journey. Will it suffice?”

“How long do they last?” I ask. “I mean, does the meat spoil?”

She shook her head.

“The curing process, and storage, preserves the vigor. One of these, filled, lasts an adult runner a month,” she explained, and I nodded.

As I handed the gourd to Lucia, however, I caught her glancing at Gisela with a dubious expression.

The look seemed to say, ‘is this really alright?’ and I quickly remembered the way Gisela had reacted when I’d offered meat to her back in Palancar.

_The Kobalt weren’t accustomed to eating meat, were they?_

I decided to ask, and Gisela nodded.

“It is true. The meat of the geisterung is like delicacy; reserved for those of elevated status.”

“Really?” Bianca cut in. “Doesn’t even taste that good…”

I shot her a disapproving stare, and she quickly turned to Lucia, and fished out one of the strips, and began trying to stuff it into the little girl’s mouth, which caused her to resist quite vehemently.

“How much meat did we manage to get?” I asked Gisela, as I left the two to their shenanigans.

Gisela gestured to the far end of the camp, and I noted for the first time that there was a veritable contingent of Kobalt over there, working on smoking and storing the meat for travel.

“We have managed to procure a lot.”

“Will the other villages trade for it?”

Gisela nodded.

“It is highly valued by my people. We may be able to procure the cloth, and other supplies, using it.”

“What about the people here?” I asked, and she tilted her head in confusion.

“Our people have no item for trade,” she began, and I raised a hand to stop her.

“No, I mean. Are we going to distribute any of the meat to our people?” I explained.

“The Gods?”

“No; your people. The Kobalt,” I explained, gesturing to those around the camp, and she nodded, understanding.

“Only in the direst of circumstance would we resort to such means to feed them,” she explained, and I frowned.

“I’d prefer if we could distribute some amongst them. There’s certainly more than enough, isn’t there?”

She studied me.

“One might consider this a waste of valuable commodity,” she replied, and I shook my head.

“They’re putting their lives in danger to come with us. I think this is the least we could do,” I countered, and she studied me again.

“I will deliver your recommendation to the princess,” she said, and I nodded, before heading off to join Bianca and Lucia, and lead them in their training.

“Did she eat any?” I asked, as I caught Bianca snacking on a little bit of meat.

“Wha-? Yeah. By the way, this actually tastes pretty good when it’s prepared properly.”

 _Wow, thanks_ , I thought, even though Bianca seemed quite oblivious to the jab she’d made at my cooking skills.

I stooped down to study Lucia.

“Did you eat?” I asked, and as she nodded timidly, I shot her a suspicious look.

“Food and sleep are important if you’re gonna get stronger,” I said, but I noted again that the look on her face was more one of fear than reluctance.

I took the gourd from Bianca, and as I took one of the strips out, I broke off a piece and ate it, before offering it to Lucia.

She studied me as I chewed, waiting until I swallowed, before nodding, and accepting the piece from my hand, and taking a small bite.

She seemed to be looking between me and Bianca, as if waiting for some kind of reaction, and as we simply waited for her to eat, she took another bite, and eventually ate the entire piece.

“Do you want more?” I asked, and she nodded, eating two more strips before she decided that she’d had enough.

I then offered her my waterskin, and she drank for a while, before handing me the container.

We walked to the stream, and as I refilled the thing at the stream, she shot a little glance at it, and I offered it to her again.

I studied her as she drank, draining half of the skin, before returning it to me, and I refilled it again.

“You need to tell me, okay? When you’re hungry, or thirsty. My eyes can see when your core is weak, but I can’t tell what your body needs.”

She nodded.

“Okay,” she said, and Bianca turned to her, a look of surprise on her face.

“She speaks English?” Bianca asked, and as the girl shook her head, I snickered.

“She will,” I added, as we moved on to training.

“This is a god-weapon,” I began, as I took out the dagger from its place, clasped onto my shin guard. “Now you need to be careful, because if you cut anything but the armor, it can cut right though, and really hurt someone.”

Lucia’s eyes flicked to the dagger, and she nodded, her hands firm as she accepted the weapon from me.

She bit her lip as she took a moment to weigh the weapon in her hand, before she nodded, letting me know that she was ready to start her training.

Since Bianca was basically worn out, I decided to let Lucia stab at her armor with the little dagger, while I monitored her core with my sensory perception ability.

“Can’t I stab her instead?” Bianca whined, and I snickered.

“You want to stab a child?” I teased, and she frowned, as Lucia stabbed at her again with a determined look on her face, almost knocking Bianca back a little.

“Just you wait!” Bianca shot, keeping her eyes on the girl. “It might look like you’re winning, but I’m gonna kick your butt!”

As I oversaw the session, Cameron and Jeannie made their way over to us.

“What are they doing?” Jeannie asked, a curious look on her face as she studied the unusual scene.

“Core training,” I replied.

“Should we all be doing it?” she asked, and I shook my head.

“When our cores deplete, we lose the ability to use our weapons and armor, so it’ll be a little dangerous for us to do it until we’re in the clear. I’m basically using Bianca since she’s not allowed to do things like carry weapons, or keeping watch just yet,” I explained.

“I heard that!” she shot, and I snickered a little as I continued:

“The training is mostly for Lucia… our brave little warrior from the battle last night.”

“Do they have implants? Like ours?” Cameron asked, and I shook my head.

“Just cores, so it’s a little difficult for them to master abilities… or actually, it’s the other way around. Our implants are basically cheat tools that allow us to learn things much quicker than the natural route.”

“So, learning, healing… it basically accelerates everything, huh?” Cameron asked, eyeing me as she did, and I nodded.

Jeannie frowned.

“After last night, I feel like if I could use some kind of instruction though. I’m nowhere near as useful in a fight as you or Francesca.”

“Francesca’s a natural,” I replied. “I wouldn’t even stand a chance against her if I wasn’t in superior armor… but training may not be such a bad idea. I had Jordan and Francesca spar once, and I think Jordan improved as a fighter as a result. We’ll just need to make sure we regulate the training, so that no one really wears their cores down, in case we have another crisis to handle.”

Jeannie and Cameron watched as Lucia actually managed to deactivate Bianca’s armor several times, but as her core began to flicker out, and she let out a tired yawn, stumbling a bit as she did; I called the session to an end, and retrieved the knife from her, before scooping her up into my hands.

This time, however, she didn’t fold her hands defiantly, and she put her arms around me and relaxed as I carried her, followed by my entourage, to the sleeping area.

As I tucked her into her little spot on the bedding, I suddenly noted Cameron’s eyes on me, a sparkly look in them, and I smiled a little to myself as I could easily guess what she was thinking.

“Are we done for the day?” Bianca asked.

I took a quick look at her core, and realized that while her energy levels were indeed low, she still had a little bit of juice in her.

“Hmm. Try this,” I offered, handing her the knife, and tapping my chest.

“Really?” she asked, and I nodded.

“Your core’s power is low enough that I think I can deplete you without straining myself,” I offered, and she shrugged, as she moved in and began to assault my armor, as I lifted my hands and gave her free reign.

Cameron snickered at me, and Jeannie took up a little perch on the supply cart, as she observed the proceedings.

Bianca, however, was either much closer to exhaustion than I’d imagined, or my armor had depleted her energy much more quickly than the ordinary armor had, as she’d made no more than twenty or so jabs, when she began to falter a little.

“Bianca, wait-” I began, but she made a final jab, and the dagger went flying from her hand, and clattered dangerously to the floor close to her own foot, but rather than attempting to evade the dagger, she tottered, then collapsed, and I caught her, and quickly picked her up.

“Whoa. Is she okay?” Cameron asked, and I nodded.

“This is what happens when your core runs dry,” I explained, and Jeannie moved to study Bianca.

“Wow. She’s out cold… is she unconscious?” she asked, and I shrugged.

“I’m not sure. Anyone wanna help me get her to the sleeping area?” I asked, and Cameron quickly moved to my side, as Jeannie cleared a spot for her, close to Lucia.

“I still don’t like the idea of her sleeping here, untied,” Jeannie said, and Cameron frowned.

“I know she chose the wrong side, but I feel as if she’s on the right track now,” she offered, and I shot Cameron a thankful nod, as Jeannie bit her lip, before giving a reluctant nod.

The girls helped me strip off Bianca’s armor, and as we stowed it away in the supply cart, Jeannie let out a little sigh.

“Boring watch?” I asked, and she frowned.

“A boring watch is a perfect watch,” she said. “I’m still trying to sort myself out, after everything.”

“How’s Nolan?” I asked, gesturing towards where he was sleeping.

“He’s fine. Terrified out of his mind, but apparently sleeping off the accelerated healing, since that really takes a lot out of you; energy wise, I mean.”

“Jordan? Francesca?” I haven’t seen them all day.

“Francesca was doing push-ups this morning,” Cameron said, and I tilted a head at her.

“Really now?”

“Yeah… said she needs to learn the skills on her armor as soon as possible so that she can pass it on to one of us.”

“I’m not all that certain that she needs to constantly push herself that much,” I said, casting a glance at where she too, was still sleeping, and Cameron nodded.

“I know. It’s nice to see that she cares about her role this much though,” Cameron replied, and I shot her a teasing look as she stuck her tongue out at me, hiding the gesture just as Jeannie returned her gaze to us.

“I think we could all learn from her. Us girls, I mean. Your group is carrying most of the load, and all we’ve done is bring you unnecessary trouble.”

“Give it time,” I said, patting Jeannie reassuringly on the shoulder. “You guys are still adjusting. It’s only been a few days; the chaotic things happening around us is just making you feel more insecure about it than you need to.”

Jeannie nodded, resting a hand on mine, as she let out another sigh.

As we spoke, a group of Kobalt came walking over to us, from the direction of the fallen tree from earlier, and I watched them with concern, as they seemed to be carrying someone.

“Is that… Raul?” Cameron asked, and as I moved toward the procession, I spotted Gisela.

“What happened?”

“The enemy-god fell unconscious,” Gisela explained.

“Damn. He really overdid it with the planks, didn’t he?”

Gisela nodded.

“We have supply to create many more than what is needed,” she said, and I snickered a little.

 _Maybe he was working out his own frustrations_ , I thought.

The Kobalt took him to his usual sleeping spot, away from the main group, and I frowned a little.

 _How much time should we take before letting him sleep with the rest of the group?_ I wondered.

As we oversaw the operation, several more hunters came bearing huge loads of wooden planks, which they piled up alongside the supply cart, and I spotted Molly coming along, with Leanna following closely behind as the last of them moved to rejoin the camp.

“Hey, you,” Molly called, as soon as she made her way over to us. “You slept so long, I started to worry.”

As I spotted Evie, asleep in our section, I shot her an apologetic glance.

“Did we break up your night watch team?” I asked, and she waved a hand.

“Oh, we’ll still get to talk in between shifts. It’s fine. We have waay more important things to worry about anyway.”

“What about you? How are you handling everything?” I asked, turning to Leanna, and the girl shook her head.

“I dunno. I feel so at lost in this world,” she said.

“A natural reaction,” I replied. “You take your time finding your feet. There’s no rush.”

Her long, brown hair had now been plaited, and she was twirling the loose bit at the end nervously, as she cast furtive glances around the camp.

She nodded, a little absently, and Jeannie shot me a nervous look, as she gestured to the area just beyond the camp.

“Is that where we buried them?” Jeannie asked, and I nodded, as we moved over to where the planted trees stood, representing those who had fallen in the conflict the night before.

As I studied them, a curious thought occurred to me, and as I signaled to Gisela, she moved over to join me.

“Do you know the names of all who died last night?” I asked.

“Apologies, Herr Nathan. My knowledge is incomplete,” she replied, and I frowned.

I cast a tentative glance across to Lucia.

“What about their families?”

“Only two have brought forth saplings,” Gisela answered. “The rest, only just barely matured from saplings themselves.”

I nodded.

“Can we get all of the Kobalt together sometime this evening? In the final segment before darkness,” I clarified, and Gisela nodded.

“It can be done. This segment is convenient,” she answered.

“What are you thinking?” Jeannie asked, studying me.

“We could pay tribute to them. Maybe, inscribe their names on something, kind of as a memorial.”

“That sounds nice,” Cameron said, and Molly nodded in agreement.

What could we use for the inscriptions, though?

There were the wooden planks that Raul had cut from the tree… but I felt as if that might not last for very long.

The best thing would be stone, but even if we could find a large enough boulder, hauling it into position could be difficult.

I mean, we couldn’t carry the thing ourselves… or could we?

My armor had already made me quicker than I ever thought I could run.

So, maybe it was possible?

I relayed my suggestion to the ladies, and Molly quickly perked up.

“I think there was a loose boulder over by the tree! Pretty big, but I think it looked moveable.”

I nodded, indicating for her to lead the way, and as we got there, I noted with interest that the boulder seemed quite freshly moved.

Was it due to natural causes?

There wasn’t a waterway nearby, but maybe it was a flood or landslide?

But it didn’t rain inside of the forest, did it?

And everywhere, for the most part, seemed quite dry.

Nonetheless, as I pushed against the boulder, it shifted, and I clapped my hands together, as that certainly meant that it was worth the try.

“Okay gals, let’s armor up!” I called.

“You’re gonna make us push? Big, strong guy like you?” Molly teased, and I snickered.

“Oh please. That’s definitely not gonna work on me,” I replied, but Jeannie seemed to regard the comment with some annoyance.

“Nate has been doing everything for us. Would you really stand there and make him push that boulder all by himself?”

“Wha-? I was kidding,” Molly quickly explained, as she shot me an apologetic look. “I really didn’t mean it.”

“It’s fine. The armor’s gonna do half the work anyway, so get your womanly muscles in gear and let’s do this,” I said, poking her playfully in the ribs.

Jeannie was already wearing the medium grade T-one set, and there was another set in the supply cart, but Raul, Francesca and Jordan were asleep in their armor.

As we returned to the camp, I opted for disarming Raul, as he was more or less unconscious, and his core depleted, making it a simple process of undoing the straps and stripping it off of him.

“I’m wearing one!” Cameron quickly called, shooting me a teasing look, as Molly opted for the other set, while Leanna seemed quite happy to sit it out.

As the armors began to fold into place, however, Molly’s eyes lit up, and even Leanna seemed drawn to the spectacle of the transformation.

Molly’s armor, I noted, took a quite distinctive form, as not only did it accentuate her breasts, as it had done with Bianca, but it also formed some unique projections on the back, that went up to her shoulder and looked almost like… wings broken off just at the root.

“That’s interesting,” Jeannie noted, studying the protrusions. “Do I have those on my back?”

I shook my head, and Molly beamed happily.

“Does that mean I might have a unique skill or something?” she asked, and I shrugged.

“It’s certainly interesting.”

Cameron’s armor also fitted her form, though somewhat less exaggeratedly than it did on Molly and Bianca, and as she twirled a little, I shot her a quick smile to let her know that I quite liked the look on her.

As they finished putting their armor on, we returned to the boulder, and everyone, sans Leanna, got into position to push.

“Heave, ho!” Molly called, and as we pushed, to my surprise, the boulder moved quite easily from its perch, and we gave a quick celebratory cheer at the result.

The celebration, however, was quite premature, as we quickly learned that while we were able to move the thing, it was too misshapen to roll properly, so we ended up pushing it over onto its sides in repeated heaving thrusts, and guiding it along the way.

“Whew. Can we get some Kobalt power to help on this or what?” Molly asked, as we still had some way to go before getting to our destination.

“No. These people died protecting us last night. I think we should do this by ourselves. It’s the least we could do,” Jeannie said.

Molly bit her lip, as I nodded in agreement with Jeannie.

Of course, it would definitely help our image if the Kobalt were to see us working hard at something that was meant to honor their dead.

I considered finding some way to draw their attention subtly to it, but it was hardly necessary, as by the time we made it within ten, or twenty feet of where we needed the rock to be, we were drenched in sweat, and all eyes were glued to us.

“Herr Nathan, do you require support?” Gisela asked, quickly moving to my side, and I shook my head.

Leanna helped guide us to a spot at the heart of the little grove of saplings, and we collapsed against the rock for a breather, as we finally got the boulder to where it needed to be.

“How are we gonna do the engraving?” Molly asked, and I gestured at my dagger.

“These things cut through stone easily enough,” I said. “The real question is; whose got the best handwriting?”

We all took a shot at it, carving on the dirt using sticks, and to my surprise the eventual candidate turned out to be Leanna.

“What do you think? Are you up for the task?” I asked.

“I don’t know. Are their names, like, weird tribal things, or something like that?”

“I think they’re mostly German,” I replied, and she frowned.

“I guess, it should be fine… could we, uh- talk, for a sec, though?” she asked, glancing around, and Jeannie shot me a quick look, as I nodded, and we headed away from the group, towards where the supply caravan was.

“I’m worried about something,” Leanna began, casting a quick furtive glance around, and moving closer to me, to speak in a lower tone. “Emily said something to me before we went to that place, with the tree building.”

“I’m not sure you should trust anything that Emily had to say; ever. Chances are, she was trying to manipulate you… and everyone, from the start.”

She shook her head.

“No, you see. What she said is starting to make sense now,” she said, casting another cautious look around. “About these… people, and what they really want with us.”

I suppressed an inward sigh, as I nodded to Leanna to continue.

“Emily said that they’re terrified of us, and that they would do anything to destroy us, because we’re stronger than they are. She said they would lead us somewhere, and show us things that we want to see, and promise us those things for our own group, but that to get there, we would have to go through danger.”

“Leanna, many of them died in this fight last night. Died protecting our group, specifically. They left their homes and their lives just for our sake,” I reasoned, and she shook her head.

“No, you see. That’s what Emily said they’d do. That they would pretend to help us, as if they were on our side.”

“Huh...” I muttered, studying her, and she nodded.

“Then they would lead us somewhere, into danger that we can’t get away from, and there they would finish us off. Doesn’t it feel like if that’s what they’re doing? I mean, whose idea was it to come into this part of the forest.”

“Mine,” I replied, and she shook her head.

“Yeah, but you wouldn’t have decided that if that girl with you didn’t suggest it, would you?”

“I wouldn’t have any idea of where we should go in any place. We have no maps, no knowledge of the lay of the lands,” I reminded her, and she frowned.

“You need to stop trusting them so much. What if Emily was right? It can’t be a mistake, can it? That what’s happened is exactly what she said?”

I bit my lip nervously.

 _If the Kobalt were willing to so far as to sacrifice themselves and their princess, all to lead us into trusting them, just so that they could wipe us out, then to be honest, they deserved that win_ , I thought with some amusement; but maybe I need to take a different approach here.

I mean, she didn’t seem as if she was going to drop this, and her willingness to believe something as farfetched as this led me to believe that her mindset was not about to change.

So, if she thought that I was on the Kobalt’s side no matter what, then there was the probability that she would try to act against them in secret, and it was much better for me to know what she was up to than to have to worry what she was doing on her own.

I cast a quick look around, before pulling Leanna with me.

“We should go somewhere a little more private,” I said, and she nodded, and as I took a quick look around, I spotted the large tree on the eastern fringe of the camp.

Presently, it was deserted; but I’d seen Kobalt walk past quite frequently to ‘take care of business’, which suited my plan perfectly.

I led her there, and as we got to the large tree, I cast a conspiratorial look around, before leading her around the trunk to the side that was hidden from the main camp, then pulled her close; closer than she was comfortable being.

Her back was to the trunk, and trapped between it and me, she suddenly seemed nervous, and I smiled internally at the reaction.

“What I’m about to say to you, can’t be repeated. Period,” I said, and she studied me, as the words instantly captured her attention.

“W-what is it?”

“The Kobalt can’t be trusted, but we can’t leave them either.”

“Oh my God, I knew it! But why can’t we leave?”

“I’ll explain everything in time, but you need to be careful. The Kobalt are very, _very_ adept at reading lips, so from this moment on, you and I need to keep these conversations away from prying eyes and listening ears.”

Her eyes were glued to me, and her mouth slightly agape, as she nodded, hypnotically almost.

I took a quick look beyond the tree and smiled as I spotted a Kobalt approaching, quite unaware of our presence, giving me the perfect opportunity to put Leanna’s gullible nature to the test.

“Quick, kiss me,” I said.

“What?”

“Someone’s coming! Put your arms around me, and kiss me.”

Leanna seemed stunned by the request, then suddenly, a determined look replaced the expression, and she wrapped her arms around me, and pressed her lips against mine.

We were frozen in that position, our lips pressed awkwardly together, but as the Kobalt walked past the tree and into Leanna’s line of sight, her eyes quickly flicked after him, slightly panicked, and she began to move, her arms ruffling my hair at the back of my head, and moving her head a bit, engaging my lips now as if in the throes of passion.

 _Impressive,_ I thought, as she continued the kiss.

“Kiss down to my neck,” she said, and as I obeyed, moving my head down to her neck, she continued to ruffle my hair passionately, and she pulled me closer, into her body, and lifted a leg, and began to rub the back of my calf with her toes.

I didn’t overdo the acting, and rather than kiss along her neck, I merely moved my head back and forth, brushing the soft skin there as if dedicated to the act, but not overly so.

“He’s gone,” she said, panting a little, and I nodded.

“You were fantastic; where did you learn to act like that?” I asked, shooting her an impressed smile.

“Drama club?” she asked, smiling a little as she shrugged.

“That was close though. If we’re meeting up like this, we need to keep up an image, as if we’re secret lovers or something.”

“Secret? Why can’t we just pretend that you’re my mate? Like Cameron?”

I furrowed my brow, and put on a troubled expression.

“I don’t want to talk about this, really… but they made me impregnate Cameron. And they might make us do some other stuff. I don’t even want to think about it,” I said, shuddering a little, and she put her hands over her mouth.

“Oh my God. They wouldn’t-?”

“No, if they think we’re having an affair, it should be fine… but the Kobalt aren’t the only ones we need to trick. None of the girls can be trusted.”

She nodded.

“I knew it! Molly and Evie keep trying to tell me how ‘noble’ the Kobalt are. God, they’re so fucking gullible,” she said, shaking her head contemptuously.

“We can’t stay here for long. We’ll arrange another meeting, somewhere safer, out of their reach. For now, just know that everything you say, they’re probably watching, so even if you suspect them, take note of it, but don’t talk about it with anyone but me, and wait until we’re clear before you do.”

She nodded again.

“I- I understand,” she said, as I rested a hand on her shoulder.

“I thought I’d have to do this alone, after we lost Emily… but maybe, now we have a chance,” I said, and she held my gaze, as she took my hand into her own.

“If you need me, for anything. Don’t hesitate to ask,” she said, and I nodded, taking a deep breath, as if composing myself, before heading out from behind the tree.

Leanna waited for some time before following me, shooting me a quick glance, before looking away and heading back to rejoin the group, and I made a note to myself to make sure that everyone in the group knew that under no circumstance was she to be left with a weapon.

Ever.

Jeannie walked over to my side, as Leanna left.

“To be perfectly honest, I’m really worried about her,” she said. “I don’t know if she’s ill-natured in the same way as Emily was, but she’s unhinged, and I have no idea what she’s capable of.”

I studied Jeannie for a bit.

“I share your concern, but out of curiosity; what would you suggest we do about it?”

“I dunno. I feel as if we’re constrained by our civility here. Imprisoning her would be a bit much, since she hasn’t really done anything; but the idea of waiting for her to do something just leaves me feeling… downright uncomfortable.”

“If there was a way to control her, though. To rein her in, and keep her in check; but the means were questionable… how would you feel about that?”

“Would this way hurt her? Physically I mean,” she asked, and I shook my head.

“No. But, let’s say that it would be a ‘morally questionable solution’ to say the least.. Not coercive, but manipulative, rather.”

She shot me a curious look, then nodded.

“For the sake of the group? I would say do it,” she replied, and I nodded in response, as she turned and walked away.

As I spotted Gisela in the distance, overseeing the new construction work being done by the supply carts, I headed over to her side.

“How is it going?” I asked.

“The workings of the gods are truly a thing to behold. Jiren, our artisan, says that enough material was acquired to build proper supply-carts. We might even be able to carry excess material, for repair, or trade.”

I nodded, though I wondered if transporting wood was a good idea, given that we could cut planks quite easily whenever they were needed.

Either way, it was quite a relief, as it meant construction would be much easier when we were ready to settle down.

“Gisela, can a more private space be prepared for me to sleep? I wish to spend the night with Cameron,” I explained, and she quickly nodded.

“Of course, Herr Nathan. It will be done. It brought me great joy to learn of her progression.”

I rubbed the back of my head, chuckling a little as I did.

“Thanks,” I replied. “By the way, I’ve noticed that most of the Kobalt who came with us were, life-bringers, is it?”

Gisela nodded.

“Will it be of concern later on? Finding mates for them?”

Gisela bit her lip, as she considered my question.

“It is beyond my sight. Seed-bearers will not flock to stalks whose roots are not anchored firmly to the earth, so the burden rests upon us to convince the rooted to cast their seeds out to the unpredictable, shifting winds of our crossing.”

I rubbed my chin as I considered the predicament.

_The problem would solve itself if our caravan generated sufficient attention, wouldn’t it?_

With the princess of Palancar amongst our number, there was bound to be interest, but maybe we needed to demonstrate stability.

Maybe even some tales of our daring deeds would help to generate some renown, and draw settlers to our cause?

As I considered the possibilities, my mind went to Miriam.

Her speeches had been quite charismatically delivered, hadn’t they?

I mean, the people of Palancar; even those who did not follow us… they had been moved to tears by her words, hadn’t they?

“Gisela, is the princess well known for her ability to speak in gatherings?”

Gisela nodded.

“Princesses often are, but she was regarded highly even amongst their ranks.”

She’d spoken at the cluster before we left, and it was reasonable to assume that she’d planned on addressing the gatherings at the various steadings we were bound to pass through on our journey.

But maybe we should consider throwing in a story or two, perhaps, of our battle here with the monsters?

Maybe play up Francesca’s heroism in combat?

The selfless sacrifice of those who’d died?

I relayed the idea to Gisela, and she rubbed her chin thoughtfully, smiling.

“This suggestion is virtuous. Regaling listeners with word of our accomplishment will certainly draw interest.”

I smiled, as I was sure that Miriam would excel at the task.

As I chatted with Gisela, light had begun to fade in the grove, and one of Miriam’s companion-servants came over to us.

She spoke to Gisela for a bit, and Gisela nodded, turning to me.

“If all is prepared, we may gather the Kobalt,” she said.

I nodded, then headed over to the sleeping area.

Apart from Raul, Bianca, and Lucia, everyone had gotten at least some rest, and would be able to at least attend the memorial.

As I woke Francesca and the others, however, my eyes fell on Lucia, and I wondered if maybe she would have wanted to be there as well, given that her father would be memorialized with those who had fallen in combat on that night.

I shook her gently, and as she stirred, I scooped her up into my arms.

“You can sleep if you like, but I plan to honor your life-bringer,” I said, and she rubbed her eyes, studying me.

I wasn’t sure if she understood, but she didn’t complain, so I carried her in my arms while Cameron and Jeannie explained our plan to those who’d just woken up.

“This is a good idea. Was it yours?” Francesca asked, moving to my side.

“I guess. Though I did get the idea from Jeannie,” I said, shooting her a knowing look, and she blushed, and looked away.

“And is this the little lioness? You killed a freakin’ Aufhöcker last night!” Francesca exclaimed, pinching Lucia’s cheek, and the girl giggled a little in response.

I regarded the interaction with some amusement, as it was perhaps one of the few childlike responses I’d ever seen from her, despite her age, but as I kept an eye on her, I noted that she seemed to keep stealing glances at Francesca, and I figured that she had been captivated by her combat ability, like so many of the other Kobalt warriors.

 _Wouldn’t be a half-bad idea to have Francesca train her a little_ , I thought.

Maybe they might both develop their combat skills in the process?

As the Kobalt gathered up into a crowd, and the conscious otherworlders gathered with us, alongside Miriam, Gisela, and Myrinne, Gisela shot me a look, and I cleared my throat, and handed Lucia over to Francesca, as I moved to the front of the group, beside the boulder we’d moved there.

“Last night, we faced an army of monsters. One that threatened to erase our very existence in this world-”

As I spoke, Gisela began to translate, and while the Kobalt nodded in response to her words, their eyes were on me, as I continued.

“-but thanks to you. Our brave hunters. Our tireless runners. And everyone who worked night and day to keep this caravan moving along on this journey. You, who left your homes, uprooted yourselves, and cut yourselves from the trees that would anchor you safely, had you chosen to stay. Thanks to you, we survived the night!”

“Ehre sei den Göttern – _Glory to the Gods!_ ” a voice from the crowd cried, followed by a quick flurry of words in their language, and cheers and cries of affirmation sounded in response.

“Glory to the gods,” Gisela translated. “He says without you, they are nothing, and that they would follow you even into the thickest grove of blight.”

I raised a hand, then turned, and directed everyone’s attention to the saplings, planted in honor of the fallen Kobalt.

“Without the sacrifice of these brave Kobalt, we would not stand here today. Not the gods, nor Kobalt; so, let us honor them!”

As the time to make the inscriptions came, however, I eyed my dagger, then turned to Cameron.

“Do you mind?” I whispered, and she shook her head, as she shot a quick glance at Leanna.

The girl however, seemed happy to be relieved of the task, and she shot me a conspiratorial look, as if to say ‘good performance’, as Cameron moved to the rock, and began to inscribe the names at Gisela’s direction.

“We will embed the names of these Kobalt, so that all who look upon these trees will know the names of those who fell, only to rise to heights that we could never dream of!”

The Kobalt cheered again, and I turned as Gisela went over the names, one by one, with Cameron, and she inscribed them onto the rock.

When the process was done, I gestured to her, and as she nodded, the princess moved forward to speak.

Her speech was short but solemn, and as it drew to an end, Gisela signaled to the rest of the companion-servants, and they began to bring out the customary evening meal, which the gathering sat and enjoyed as a community.

“How was that?” I asked Gisela, and she smiled.

“You were captivating,” she said, an admiring expression on her face, and I nodded as Francesca brought Lucia back to me.

Lucia seemed a little down, and as I scooped her up, I decided to move over to the memorial stone.

“This is your father’s name,” I said, brushing the name with my fingers, and as she repeated the gesture, her eyes teared up.

She wrapped her arms around me, and as I rubbed her back soothingly, she sobbed a little; soft, little whimpers, while I held her.

Evie shot me a pitying look, and I nodded, as she walked over to me.

She offered Lucia a little pat, before turning to take a look around.

“You’re a pretty good speaker,” she said, and I snickered a little.

“Had no clue what I was doing up there, to be honest.”

“That kind of describes everything that we’re all doing right now. I mean, I was holding a knife in my hand last night and thinking that I have no clue how to even fight off those things if they broke past our front line, and came after the rest of us. I mean, killing one with just a knife kind of seems improbable.”

I snickered in response.

“You know, the first one I killed was with one of those knives,” I explained, and she sighed.

“Of course it was.”

She gave Lucia one more pat, before resting a hand over mine, and giving it a little squeeze, as she headed over to Molly’s side.

Lucia seemed quiet, and as I wondered if I should get her to bed, I spotted Cameron and Nolan close by, so I headed over to join them.

“How’s the injury?” I asked, and Nolan sighed.

“I feel tired, but nothing else, honestly. If I wasn’t having nightmares about how it felt inside of the jaws of that monster, I’d probably doubt that it’d even happened.”

“You should probably rest anyway,” I said, and he nodded, as Jordan moved to join us, with a little wooden platter of roasted meat in his hand.

He offered some to Nolan, and Cameron moved to my side, as we left the two to their meal.

“She looks tired,” she said, and I nodded.

“Was just thinking to put her to bed. Wanna come with?” I asked, and she nodded.

We moved to the sleeping area, and as I settled her down beside Bianca, she took my hand, and curled up into a little ball, clutching onto it, and holding me close to her chest.

“You know, she did the same thing when she slept last night,” Cameron said, and I tilted my head.

“Oh? I was unconscious, I guess,” I replied, as I’d basically had a dreamless night of sleep after the battle.

I stroked her back reassuringly, and as I caught Cameron studying me with that sparkly eyed look, I blushed a little.

“What’re you thinking?” I asked, and she chuckled.

“You know what I’m thinking,” she replied, and I smiled.

“I know, I just wanted to hear you say it.”

She scooted over to me, then leaned over to kiss me.

“Can’t wait to see you do that with our own child,” she said.

I felt my stomach tighten a little, as I recalled momentarily how imminent that day might actually be, but I quickly shook the thought from my mind.

As Lucia’s grasp on my hand loosened, I figured she’d fallen fast asleep, and I withdrew slowly, trying not to wake her, before standing up, and pulling Cameron with me.

“I made sure we could sleep together tonight,” I said, and she blushed a little.

“Oh~. When you make it sound all official like that, a girl gets a little nervous,” she said.

“We don’t have to go straight to bed,” I replied, casting a little glance over at the gathering, but she quickly shook her head.

“I wanna go straight to bed, just not straight to sleep,” she said, and I smiled a little as she blushed, despite the suggestive nature of her words.

As she moved towards me, however, I stole a quick glance around, before pulling her with me to one of the larger trees within the camp, and she shot me a curious look as we disappeared from the sight of the rest of the camp.

Despite the questioning look in her eyes, she followed, and as I pulled her to me and kissed her, she shook her head.

“You know, we could just do this in our little space,” she began, and I shook my head.

“This way, it kinda feels like we’re naughty teenagers slipping away from the party to make out behind the bleachers,” I said, and she giggled.

“Is that something you miss?”

“More like, something I’ve never done,” I replied, and she frowned.

“You know, you say these things and I find it difficult to believe. How were you not a complete chick magnet back on earth?”

“My psychological assessment had a tendency to get out no matter where I went. Made it difficult to pick up chicks. Or, sane ones at least.”

“Hm. So even the ones who were attracted to you, only saw your label, and not… you,” she asked.

I nodded, and she smiled.

She took a look around, then ran a finger down my chest suggestively, as she licked her lips.

“Well, allow me to make it up to you,” she said, as she leaned in to kiss me.

She put both hands on the sides of my face as she kissed me, and pressed her body against mine, forcing me to wrap my arms around her, to steady her as she did.

“We wouldn’t be horny teenagers if you didn’t feel me up,” she suggested, and she smiled as I gave her butt a playful little squeeze.

As she leaned in and we kissed, and our tongues began to explore, my own part slipping past her lips, and as they danced, I began to really let my hands roam her body, fondling and squeezing her ass with my left, while my right hand reached up her shirt, enjoying the smooth feel of the bare skin along her side.

“Mmh,” she cooed, as my hand finally found the outer swell of her breast. “As much as I want to fulfill your teenage fantasies, I’m dripping wet right now and in dire need of a proper fucking.”

“So much for not swearing in front of your kid,” I replied, brushing my fingers against her stomach, as she broke away, and pulled me with her to the princess’ sleeping area.

We quickly moved to the little area, out of sight from the general campgrounds, and as Cameron lay down, I moved between her legs, and brought my lips down over her stomach.

I caressed the tiny, almost imperceptible bump, and her eyes were sparkly as she studied me.

“You put that in me,” she said, her smile gleeful, almost, and I smiled, as I leaned down, and slowly removed her pants.

She spread her legs before me, and I drank in the sight, before locking onto her eyes again, as I crouched low, and approached her sex with a determined look; like a wild animal on the hunt for its prey.

She squirmed in anticipation, and as I moved in, I placed my hands around her legs from underneath, and held her firmly in place as I leaned down and placed a single, deliberate kiss on this inside of her leg.

Cameron cooed, and tried to clamp her legs down on me, as shudders ran up her spine, and I smirked a little, as I continued my probing, teasing approach, kissing along her leg, the spot above the beginning of her slit, before finally moving to the main course, and placing a long, smacking kiss onto the moist waiting lips of her slit.

“Mmh, baby,” she moaned in appreciation.

Her hands went for my head, searching desperately for me, and I kissed her slit several times, before running my lips all along the wet folds of her mound, smearing her juices about as I inhaled deeply of her musky, womanly scent.

“Come to me, baby,” she pleaded, and as I stood up, I undid the straps on my breastplate, and tossed the thing aside, before quickly stripping off the rest of it and treating it in kind, and she licked her lips as I crawled up onto her.

“These feel wonderful,” she said, as her hands moved to the muscles along my abdomen, and she trailed the lines of what was quickly developing into well-defined abs, licking her lips as she did.

“I know you probably didn’t have these in your younger days on earth, but even so, you probably had some quiet little girl in high school creaming herself while thinking about you at night. You just never knew it.”

I smiled, then leaned in to kiss her.

“I think I much rather the pretty girl in front of me right now,” I replied, and Cameron blushed as I brushed her cheek, and she pushed me back, then stripped her own shirt off in one move, tossing it onto the pile of armor, before leaning back and pulling me towards her chest.

She purred into the top of my head as she planted a kiss there, and I took one of her firm breasts into my mouth, and wrapped my lips around the stiff, puffy nipple that stood enticingly at me.

The camp was now more or less shrouded in darkness, and I noted once more that Cameron’s body always seemed to glow almost in that light, her dirty blonde hair turning silver, and her skin glistening with a kind of radiance that made her seem… angelic, even.

As I fondled and devoured Cameron’s breasts, she spread her legs out under me, and began to grind her hips against me, eagerly awaiting the next step.

I reached down, and she gave a little yelp as I aimed my cockhead at her sex, brushing it just slightly, and I shot her a little worried glance.

“Sorry. Reflex reaction,” she said, and I shook my head, as I rested my hand against her cheek, and kissed her.

“You never have to apologize for that,” I said, and she smiled, then put her hands to my chest, and gently directed me onto my back, as she climbed on top.

I nodded, as I’d realized that being in control when I first entered her always seemed to put her nerves to ease a bit, and as she took a deep breath, she positioned my head at the opening of her slit, and as her lips parted and I slid slowly inside, she shuddered again, and I put a hand on her hip comfortingly, as she took a deep breath in.

“I want you so much, that I feel stupid for reacting like this,” she said, biting her lip a little, and I shook my head again.

“Even if the heart wants, the body remembers; and it will take time to heal,” I replied. “You can take your time, every single time we do it. I’m not going anywhere,” I said, and she nodded, smiling again, and resting her hand against my cheek this time as she leaned down to kiss me.

As our lips met, she kept them mashed together as she moved, slowly, taking more of my rigid length into her inner canal, until I finally bottomed out, and she let out a little pleasurable sigh into my mouth.

“I love you so much,” she said, biting her lips as she made the admission, and I smiled, and kissed her again.

“I love you too,” I answered, still not entirely sure if I really meant it or not, but knowing that it meant the world to her in that moment.

She made a happy little squeak, as she nodded, and again, we kissed as she began to slowly move up the length of my cock, and back down.

The rhythms were soft and gentle, but the stimulation, combined with the euphoric feeling of holding this beautiful woman in my arms, as we kissed, caressed each other’s bodies, and gently made love, collectively made for an experience that I absolutely savored.

There was no rush, and every sensation was heavenly, making me wish that we could spend an eternity in that gentle, rocking rhythm, enjoying each other in that sensual little paradise.

“Despite all of the impending death, I’m starting to feel glad that I was sent here… if nothing else, to meet you,” she admitted, and I nodded in agreement, as I leaned in and began to suckle her breasts.

“You truly are a goddess,” I crooned. “My goddess.”

She moaned at the added stimulation, cradling my head into her bosom, as she picked up the intensity of her riding.

I could feel myself slowly approaching my climax.

“I’m getting close to cumming,” I said, and she smiled, as she picked up the pace a little.

“It’s- fine. At this, mmh… rate. I’m gonna cum, ahn… when I feel you; unloading inside of me.”

Being ridden to an orgasm while smothered between her breasts, and the feel of her insides wrapped around me, moving as I came; it had quickly become one of my favorite sensations.

Period.

It was addictive, even, and as she rode me to the cusp of my climax, I let out a little sigh as I leaned back, and to my delight, she followed me, mashing her breasts against my chest as she slapped her pelvis up and down along my length, and I wrapped my arms around her instinctively as I let out a final grunt, and began to unload deep inside of her womb.

Cameron moaned in response, as she felt the spurts of my cum emptying inside of her, and she momentarily increased her movements to a frenzy, before slowing her riding down as her own orgasm came to meet my own.

She rode me through the sensations, and I nuzzled her, kissing and cuddling her affectionately until the waves of pleasure subsided, and we collapsed into a happy, but exhausted heap.

Her hair clung to her forehead, and a little sheen of sweat covered her naked body, and I leaned over to her shoulder and stuck my tongue out, taking a long, slow, lick along the length of sweaty skin, and cooing contentedly, as my tongue processed the taste.

She watched me with interest, then smiled.

“I want in on this,” she said, as she scooted back, then leaned down to my softening cock, she took a tentative lick, tasting me, then opening her mouth, and sucking deliberately and lapping up the remnants of my seed.

She sucked me dry, moving down to my balls, which were coated with the sticky remnants of our combined juices, and she sucked them clean, before moving back up to my cock, and sucking on it some more.

“You sure got back on that horse quickly,” I noted, and she blushed.

“It’s your taste; I just can’t get enough of it,” she admitted, as she moved her own hand between her legs, withdrawing it with a coating of our combined juices, before licking it clean; and I studied her with a big smile.

Her eyes flicked back to my cock, an excited look in them, and I smiled.

“You can, if you want to,” I said.

“Don’t you need time? To recover?”

I shook my head.

“I’ve apparently learned how to use my implant to enhance even that,” I replied, and her eyes lit up.

“Really? Because, I’ve kinda been thinking about it a lot today,” she said, poking my thing, and moving it back and forth as she studied it with a look of fascination.

She seemed to be weighing her options in her mind, and eventually she nodded, staring up at me as she turned her head to the side and placed a little kiss along the middle of the shaft, and I let out a low moan, as she ran her lips all the way up to the tip, before parting her lips, and slowly, deliberately, sucking me in.

I felt her tongue dance against the head of my cock, flicking against the opening a bit, before wrapping around the base and underside as she slid me further along.

She took me halfway in, before pausing, and sliding me back out, then moving her lips back and forth over the first few inches of my meat.

“How am I doing?” she asked, as she released me, and I patted her on the head.

“Fantastic,” I replied, and she smiled happily.

“I think I rather the feel of you deep inside of me, though,” she said, “and, I’m struggling to comprehend how girls take this thing deeper in than I just took you.”

I snickered in response, then pulled her up to me, and she smiled, as she settled into my arms.

“We probably need to get dressed before we go to sleep, huh…”

I nodded.

“When we’ve got our own trees, we can sleep naked and have all the sex we want.”

“Mmh. I like the sound of that. Although, I’m probably going to have to wade through a sea of pussy to even get a night with you by then.”

I bit my lip as she continued:

“First wife privileges are starting to sound really good.”

I shook my head.

“For you, my dear wife, I’ll fuck all of my bitches during the day, and you’ll have your nights,” I replied, in a tone of mock ‘gallantry’, and she giggled in response.

“Awfully considerate of you,” she replied sarcastically, before snuggling up to me once more.

We lay like that for a while, but as we heard the sounds of others moving close by and probably getting ready for bed, we got up and quickly dressed, before settling in for the night.

Cameron pulled me close, and I wrapped my arms around her as she nestled herself into the nook of my arm.

My hand wandered to her stomach, and she nuzzled me a little in response.

“Do you think one day our own little one will snuggle up to us right here?” she asked, gesturing to the little space in front of her, and as I reached out and patted the spot, I let out a little sigh.

“Hopefully,” I said, and as my tone sounded just a little wistful, Cameron turned and shot me a questioning look.

“What was that?” she asked, and I shook my head.

“I’ve been putting it out of my mind, but every time I think about it, I get a little restless. Like if I need to do everything I can right now before our child is born, to make sure that they’ll be safe from harm.”

She chuckled, reaching back and gently caressing the hair at the back of my head.

“You’re already doing more than you can,” she countered. “Besides, we have some time…”

 _Not as much as you think,_ I thought.

“Have you ever felt this way, though?”

I considered the question.

“A few times, I think.”

“Oh? Over what? Or should I say, ‘who’?”

I frowned, as I thought about it.

“Who,” I clarified. “My grandmother. She got sick at the end, but before she died, I told her that I would sacrifice my entire family to save her.”

“Terrifying, or maybe cute? How old were you?”

“Eight, I think?”

“Then definitely cute. I can picture you now, an innocent little psychopath,” she teased, giggling a little, and I frowned. “Was that the moment when she found out that you were one?”

I considered the question, then shook my head.

“No, actually… I don’t recall a single time in memory when she didn’t know; my entire family, in fact.”

She turned a little, then frowned.

“What? Are you serious?”

“I mean, they never used the word psychopath until I was, like, in my teens, I think? But every memory I have of my grandmother involves her expressing to me in some way the knowledge that I was ‘special’, which I think was just her way of seeing it.”

“I think I’m on team grandma with this one, but that’s weird. Do they usually pick up on that kind of thing that early?”

“No. A lot of the things that flag psychopathy are just ordinary childish behaviors; impulsivity, self-centeredness, delusions of grandeur. I mean, children mostly don’t have the range of experiences needed to even properly exhibit empathy, so even that can be a bit problematic. It was always something that bothered me,” I explained.

“Did you ever ask about it?”

I nodded.

“I did, but when my grandmother died, I think I lost my last real meaningful connection in my family. My mother had passed away right before that, and the two of them were the only family members who really spoke to me. I tried to find my real mother, in the hopes that I might get answers, but she was practically a ghost.”

“Hnn~. Do you still think about it?” she asked, and I shook my head.

“I haven’t in almost a decade, honestly. I guess when I was younger, I was a little curious as to whether or not my mother was maybe a low functioning psychopath who my parents were in some way connected to.”

“Wait, is psychopathy genetic?”

I nodded, and Cameron frowned.

“Most of the research agrees that it is. The chances of it appearing in my own children is fairly low, but once the genetic trait is present, as it is for me, then there’s the chance that somewhere along the line, even beyond the three-generation cut-off point, it will appear amongst my descendants. I’m sorry, I’m scaring you, aren’t I?”

I couldn’t quite see Cameron’s expression to gauge her feelings, but the sound she’d made sounded a bit like distress.

“No, no. I guess I’m still associating psychopathy with violent criminals, to some extent.”

She let out a sigh, before continuing.

“Truthfully, if our child was like you, then they’d stand a much, much better chance at survival in this world, huh?”

“Well, Casey’s company sure seems to think so. The fact that they hunt us is something that I’d be worried about, though.”

Cameron thought about my words for a bit, before snuggling back into my arms.

“I’m not worried,” she said finally, this time, her tone sounding much more convincing. “Besides, you were right, earlier. With the two of us here to raise the child, they’re going to turn out fine. Psychopath or not.”

I continued to trace a little path on her back, and she hummed contentedly, but I still felt a little unsettled.

 _I want you to be safe¸ little one,_ I thought, as I placed a hand, protectively, over Cameron’s stomach.

And with that thought in my mind, I settled in, and tried to get to sleep.

***

_Fuck!_

_Fuck, fuck, FUCK!_

Was that man still tracking me?

I paused my running, and put my hands to the ground and let my energy flow through them to the forest around, and as I sensed everything within the sphere, I breathed a sigh of relief.

Maybe he finally stopped to tend to that wound?

Who knows?

At least it was better than being hunted by that fucking monstrosity with the long sword.

To think that she almost killed _Irileth_.

Fuck!

This domain was done, but so was I…

No!

I need to make it in time.

Pick up the pace, Jasper!

I began to run, when suddenly, I sensed something, and pulled up to a stop.

Was that him?

No…

It’s that man.

The one who was with her!

So that’s where his camp is, huh?

Maybe I should just end him right here…

No, focus.

You’ll have his core when it’s ready, just stick to the plan!

Where are you, little minion?

What happened that you fled so far north from your assigned target?

Pick up the pace.

You can do it.

Just reach him in… yes!

There!

I exerted my influence, calling out to the creature, and it quickly moved towards me in response to my command, but as it reached out its hand, I tried to transform my own limb into a scythe, but it would not turn.

Fuck; my core is spent!

I guess I’ll have to use the knife, then.

I withdrew the thing, a weapon I had not drawn in almost a century, and I closed my eyes shut as I raised my left hand and severed it at the forearm.

Then in one motion, I severed the creature’s arm, and it wailed.

 _It’ll be over soon_ , I thought.

I grasped my severed hand, and placing it onto the creature’s stump, I poured what was left of my energy into healing the thing, and transfixing my limb in place of its own.

_The rest is up to you, huh?_

Wait!

I have to name him.

I placed my hand against his chest, and thought for a bit, then uttered “Hans”, and a blue light pulsed out from his core.

His eyes narrowed, a kind of realization dawning on him, and he shook his head.

“Why, master?”

It was the creature’s first words, and probably the last thing I would ever hear.

“Because, my task must now become your own. Eat the core. Leave nothing behind,” I ordered, and I fell to the ground.

As my vision faded to an eternal blackness, I wondered for a brief moment, if perhaps, I was myself, not the original.

Funny thought, huh?

Though I guess it matters little now…

Be well, my minion.

And make certain he dies a horrible death, to pay for what that woman has done…

***


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The shadow of a threat looms over the group.

*******

**April 22nd, 2019.**

**Location: Earth.**

**One week prior to the disappearance of Nathan Van Dyke.**

“Nate, can we talk?”

Julie poked her head into my room, and a knot formed in my stomach as I noted the anxious look on her face.

“Uh, sure. Come in. I was just trying to decide which shirts to pack,” I explained, as I cleared a spot on the clothing strewn bed for her.

She spotted my long-sleeved, maroon satin shirt in the pile; of all of my dress-shirts, this one was her favorite, and she quickly snatched it up.

“Don’t you even think about it,” she said angrily, and I snickered, as she held the item protectively to her chest.

She sighed.

“Don’t go,” she said, and I studied her.

“Then give me a reason not to,” I countered, and she began to squirm uncomfortably.

“I’ll never speak to you again!” she declared, and I rubbed the back of my head, as I tried to process the childish request.

“Julie, it’s not gonna be that long.”

She let out a frustrated groan, then moved to the window.

“That’s what you think,” she said, as she stared wistfully off into the distance.

“Let’s run away, then,” she offered, and I sighed.

The last time she’d made that offer, I’d happily accepted, and we spent a week in Kauai, before she panicked and left me there without notice.

“Just tell me what you’re trying to run from, and I’ll help you fix it Julie, as usual.”

She shook her head.

“This one is unfixable. I mean it this time. Let’s disappear forever… just the two of us?”

There was a flicker in Julie’s eyes, as if she meant it sincerely, but I knew better than to believe her.

Nonetheless, I stood up, and moved across the room to the window.

I reached out, and tried to place a hand on her hip and she slapped me away without flinching.

 _Thought so_ …

“If you want to make me stay, you know my conditions.”

“We _cannot_ get married, Nathan,” she said.

“We can’t run away either,” I countered.

“We can. You just refuse to leave.”

“Dad would find us; you know that,” I replied, and she shook her head bitterly in response.

“You can be such a fucking idiot sometimes,” she shot back, as she stormed past me, and out of the room.

//

Too bad I didn’t know that that would be the last proper conversation we’d have on earth…

***

My eyes shot open as I lurched forward with a start.

_What was that?_

I turned my head, when a warm pair of hands suddenly moved to my face, a finger pressed to my lips, and as my eyes adjusted, I caught sight of Cameron with that sparkly look in her eyes.

She nodded to something, and as I followed her gaze, I saw a little bundle curled up at my side.

 _What was that?_ I thought, but as the blood began to return to my hand, I felt a small set of fingers wrapped around it.

 _Lucia_?

I shot Cameron a little smile as I now understood her reaction.

I lay back down, and Cameron crept over to my side, resting her head on my chest as she studied the little girl.

“She’s really taking to you,” she whispered, and I sighed.

“Probably because she lost the only family she had,” I suggested, and Cameron shook her head.

“You offered her the lifeline that people don’t ever get. A chance to earn her peace, and get over the kind of thing that most people never recover from.”

_Losing a parent, huh?_

Maybe if I was normal, I would have felt that way when my mother died.

I mean, sure, I used her smile as a gauge for most of my motivations, but after her death, Julie and Mark spent a long time in that state of sadness… while I just sort of, got on with my life.

I remembered her.

Missed her even.

But I didn’t sit for hours and cry.

Julie said I was monstrous back then… hell, she’d probably say it now, if someone brought up our mother. But wasn’t I the one who’d done so much more good things for the sake of my mother’s smile than either of them had?

Sentiment without action was meaningless.

I brushed Lucia’s hair out of her face, and she made a soft cooing sound, momentarily grasping onto my finger, before letting go, and letting out a soft exhalation.

My mind went back to that feeling of danger I’d experienced as I woke up, but now that I was fully awake, nothing seemed to register.

Maybe it was just a nightmare?

“Why are you up?” I asked, and Cameron blushed a little.

“I dunno,” she said, but as I probed her with my eyes, she finally continued, a little shyly.

“I woke up, and saw you sleeping, with Lucia there with you… and it was just kind of nice, watching the two of you,” she admitted, and I pulled her in for a little kiss.

“If Francesca knew you could be this cute, she would probably be angry,” I said, and Cameron broke into a grin.

“Man, if someone told me a year ago that I’d be blushing and grinning like a schoolgirl just because some guy said I was cute, I would probably laugh in their face and call them a lunatic.”

“What about if they told you you’d be carrying said guy’s baby?” I asked, and she stifled a scoff.

“I would have probably had nightmares,” she said.

As she leaned in to steal another kiss, I brushed her hair aside, caressing her face as I did.

“Nightmares, huh?” I asked.

She bit her lip.

“Kind of feels like a dream, instead.”

_Nate! Are you up?_

I twitched in response to Casey’s call, and Cameron shot me an incredulous look.

“If that’s Casey, I’m gonna be angry,” she said.

“It’s Casey,” I answered, and she shot me a glum look.

“Why is another woman calling you in the middle of the night?” Cameron asked, in a tone of mock accusation, and as I snickered in response, Lucia stirred, making a little grunt of disapproval.

“As much as I would like to think it’s because she needs some dick, if Casey is signaling to me right now, this place might actually be on fire.”

Cameron let out a sigh, then moved to my side, and as I slipped away from Lucia, she quickly took the girl’s hand, and held her comfortingly.

“Go,” she whispered, shooing me along, and I quickly stole from our little private sleeping area to find not only Casey, but Gisela as well, waiting for me just outside of Miriam’s quarters.

Gisela cast a furtive glance between me and Casey, as we walked over to the supply cart.

Or carts, rather, as there were now three carts loaded with our supplies.

“Did something happen?” I asked, and Casey quickly shook her head, as Gisela moved to speak.

“My deepest apologies, Herr Nathan. Our matter is resolved. You should return to bed at once,” Gisela said, and I cast a quick glance at Casey.

 _Play along_ , she said into my mind, and I nodded as she continued. _Grab your weapon._

I quietly armed up, then we headed north from the camp, past the lines of saplings planted in honor of the fallen Kobalt, to the felled tree where we’d made our stand during the monster’s assault.

“This distance is sufficient,” Gisela said, and I took a seat on a nearby rock, as Casey and Gisela seated themselves on the nearby branches of the fallen tree.

“We received message from Palancar this night-cycle,” Gisela explained, and I nodded.

“They contacted us?” I asked, and she shook her head.

“One sympathetic to the princess,” she explained, and I nodded. “But the news is troubling. Rumor within Palancar tells of a special guest being housed within Danebe’s grove.”

 _Vanessa_ , I thought, and Casey sent me a thought message to the same effect.

“What of Palancar’s motives?” I asked, and Gisela frowned.

“Three branches of the council side with Danebe, and our Matron refuses to oppose for fear that the rift will worsen.”

I frowned.

“Wouldn’t exiling the princess have caused its own rift?”

Gisela shook her head.

“The princess acted rashly; against the custom. In the eyes of the Kobalt, the exiling, while received with great sadness, was just. Danebe however, obeys the custom; at least, to the open eye of Palancar.”

“Could we spread word of his actions, though? Let people know that he harbors a goddess?” I asked.

“It would only worsen the rift,” Gisela noted.

“Within Palancar, maybe… but if we spread this word amongst the groves, then maybe we might be able to paint the princess in a much more sympathetic light.”

“Hmm. Interesting. The princess should not be party to such tactics, but maybe this word may be better received from our ‘wenig Gunter’,” she offered, and she cracked a little smile as something occurred to her.

“Herr Nathan; maybe we should rethink our course. Our arms are sufficient to repel Palancar’s incursions, and we possess stock for trade. Taking our journey to the groves on Palancar’s fringe may now benefit greatly.”

I nodded in agreement as I cast a quick glance at Casey, who I noted seemed to be a bit out of sorts with the conversation.

 _Maybe politics isn’t really her forte,_ I thought.

“Is there anything else we need to discuss?” I asked, and Gisela shook her head. “Then, how soon can we resume our journey.”

“Preparations will be complete within the current day-cycle. The caravan should be ready to move by the following day-cycle’s first light.”

Gisela bowed, and as we returned to the camp, I gestured to Casey, pulling her aside.

“How is your shoulder?”

She winced a little as she poked around the spot, then shrugged.

“Fine… it might have been more of a nuisance if I had use for this hand,” she said, and I frowned, as I regarded the little stump just below where her left wrist should be.

There was so much advanced technology available to us, it made me wonder if maybe some kind of advanced prosthetic replacement might be possible.

I made a mental note to look into it.

“Can you walk?” I asked.

“With the Caravan? Sure. But we’re not leaving until-”

“No, no; I mean- can you travel with me into the forest?”

She eyed me.

“For what?”

“To discuss something in a much safer place,” I replied.

“I dunno. It hurts a bit when I move around a lot…”

“What if I carried you?”

“Carried me?”

She raised an eyebrow at this, and I turned around, and offered her my back.

“Do I look like a teenage girl?” she asked, and I snickered a little.

“You’re pretty small, and I’ve got strength boosting armor,” I replied.

She rolled her eyes, but as I persisted, tapping my back expectantly, she finally relented, and placing her arms around my neck, she climbed onto my back.

I offered her some support at the legs, and she nodded, letting me know that she was comfortable enough, and as I took a quick jog around the area surrounding the camp, Casey let me know that she could cope with the journey.

“Is this pace fine?” I asked, and she nodded.

“Doesn’t hurt at least,” she offered, so I picked up the pace a little, and made a little excursion to the little stream just beyond our camp.

“It hurts a little when you run,” she said. “Where do you wanna go, anyway?”

“Somewhere loud,” I replied, and she eyed me a little, then nodded.

We returned to the camp, and I swapped my halberd for the more practical hunting knife, and retrieved my satchel along with the waterskin and the gourd-like fruit filled with the smoked meat.

“Do you have anything to handle before we leave?” I asked, and she thought about it for a while, before shaking her head.

“Not that I can think of,” she said, and I nodded.

I gestured to Gisela to let her know that we would be away for a while, and she watched with interest as Casey climbed onto my back, and we took off at a slow jog.

I kept an eye on the little stream that ran near to our camp, following it while trying to keep our heading northwards in an attempt to find the river that Bianca and I had discovered yesterday.

I caught Casey’s gaze on me as I tracked the river.

“Can you really see right now?” she asked finally, and I snickered in response.

“I guess?”

“I can just barely make out the tree trunks as we pass them,” she replied.

We were quiet for a while, but as we moved clear of the area closer to Palancar’s fringe, I figured we could start discussing some of the less sensitive matters.

“Did Raul tell you about Danica?” I asked, and she nodded.

“Yeah. By the way, fucking retarded decision you made, going off with her,” she chided, and I shrugged.

“For two thousand credits?”

She shook her head.

“As a kid, did you ever get snatched by a shady-looking man offering candy from the back of his mini-van? Because I feel as if you might have,” she replied, and I snickered a little.

“If Danica wanted to do something to me, there was literally nothing I could do to stop her,” I reasoned. “By the way, did Raul also tell you that she was over five hundred years old?”

“Are you serious?”

“Yeah, and get this; she was banished back in two thousand and four…”

“Hnn~.”

I stopped, then turned my head to study Casey a little.

“You don’t sound particularly surprised,” I noted, and she shrugged.

“I’ve got a pretty good idea of why that would happen,” she replied, and I resumed moving.

“Do tell.”

“It has to do with how space functions,” she began.

“Okay, before you even start, let me just request the layman explanation,” I said, and she let out a tired sigh.

“Fine; let’s take our migration as an example. We started out in Palancar, and our destination is on the other side of the Forest of Eltari, right?”

“Uh-huh.”

“So, the distance between those two points is, in our estimation, eight thousand kilometers. You find out how fast we’re moving, and you end up with the time we’ll take to get there.”

“Basic physics, right? Distance, speed, time,” I replied, and she nodded.

“Exactly. So, if we were to go by the laws of physics, any object that moves through space also moves through time, and the relationship between those two things is the speed. Now, in our case, there are ways that we can increase how fast we get there; less stops, better transportation equipment but even if we were to fly there, we’d still inevitably come to a mechanical limitation on how fast we can get there.”

“So, the transportation procedure overcame that mechanical limitations?” I asked, and Casey shook her head.

“Even if you overcome the mechanical limit, there’s still an absolute limit on how fast you can move.”

“And that is?”

“The speed of light,” she replied. “As far as we know, nothing is faster.”

“Okay, so what does that to do with the time discrepancies?” I asked.

“Because, we were transported here instantaneously. One second we were on earth, and before that second was over, we were here.”

“And you have a theory about how that is accomplished?”

“No,” she replied, “I have a theory for what happens _when_ it is accomplished. At all times, we are in a constant state of movement through space _and_ time; but if you were to push an object forcefully through space, then, at least theoretically, it isn’t possible without pushing the object a corresponding degree through time.”

“So, you’re saying we didn’t just teleport. We time-travelled?”

“I’m saying both things are probably the same thing,” she explained, and I frowned.

“But, if we’re coming to the same planet, then why the time discrepancy?” I asked.

“Because this planet isn’t in the same place in _space_. It’s in constant orbit around a star, which itself is in constant orbit around a blackhole, and all in its own galaxy which is moving through space.”

“So, depending on how far we were from earth at the time of our arrival, our date of arrival here would vary?”

“Yeah.”

I slowed my pace, and rubbed my chin as we walked.

“So, the ratio between distance moved and time elapsed is fixed? On what?”

“My best guess? The speed of light. It’s more or less the only universal constant that Einstein didn’t completely fuck. And it sort of makes sense… like, if you transported a light particle one light year away, then even if it travelled at the speed of light, it would return to where it left no sooner than the moment when it disappeared. So, no time discrepancy is ever possible as long as we operate within the realm of what’s physically possible.”

I frowned.

“But the transportation mechanism breaks that law, doesn’t it? I mean, what if you were transported back to where you left, even if the movement though time is the same degree, you could technically get there in the past, right?”

Casey shrugged.

“That’s true… although, no-one who leaves earth ever comes back… so maybe the device only works one way? Or you can only be transported once? Fuck, I don’t really know. There are a lot of possibilities and I don’t have access to the technology to get all the answers.”

“I still don’t get how a five-hundred-year discrepancy comes about from a fifteen-year gap between when we left earth,” I said. “Does either planet move fast enough to get five hundred light years away from the other in fifteen years earth time?”

“The planets themselves? No. But we’re talking about the movement of entire galaxies here, not just the orbital speed of the individual planets.”

I bit my lip, as I thought about it.

“And the movement isn’t linear, is it?” I asked, and she shook her head.

“Nope. Everything orbits something.”

“So, is it possible that one day, someone who left earth after we did might end up here before us?” I asked.

“I guess,” she answered. “Although ‘one day’ sounds a bit off. For all we know, that’s already happened.”

I sighed, then shook my head.

This was yet another thing that was completely out of my ability to control, and it left me feeling somewhat frustrated.

“What is that?” Casey suddenly asked, and I cast a tentative glance back in her direction.

“What? Did you see something?”

She shook her head.

“No, I felt something… from you. Like… annoyance, or something.”

I frowned.

I was feeling somewhat irritated, but why was Casey picking up on it.

Come to think of it, when I’d just killed Emily, didn’t she sense my distress as well?

It was curious, but not something I wanted to dwell on.

“Nothing,” I said, and she nudged me in annoyance.

“I’m your advisor; I need to know what the fuck is going on to do my job,” she shot back, and I sighed.

“Fine; I hate that I can’t guarantee the stability of the environment that my child is about to be born into,” I explained, and while I couldn’t see it clearly, I could feel Casey staring at me, her mouth slightly agape.

“Oh,” was all she said in reply, and we trotted on in silence for quite some time afterwards.

The sun had begun to rise by the time we got to where the stream was widening a bit into more of a water course, but as it disappeared underground into a small rocky crag, I heard the roaring sound of the main river course up ahead, and to my surprise, it ended up being much closer than I’d imagined.

As we got there though, Casey really came to life.

“Holy shit. This is just one of the tributaries, isn’t it?”

I shrugged, as she slid off my back and moved closer to the edge to examine it.

This was one of the places where the river was inaccessible, and we stood above it on a rocky sort of ledge, while the river rushed away dangerously below.

I studied Casey as she surveyed the river bank, and I suddenly noted that she was smiling in a way I’d almost never seen.

It was curious, and I was still analyzing it when she caught my eyes on her, and she shot me a questioning look.

“What?” she asked, and I shrugged.

“Oh nothing. You just had that smile again,” I teased, and she snickered a little.

“Did you bring me here to make me smile?” she asked, a bit sarcastically, and I laughed.

“No, I brought you here to plot murder,” I replied, and she raised an eyebrow.

“Murder?”

I snickered a little, and waved away her concern.

“Not yours,” I clarified, and she rolled her eyes.

“And just makes it _all_ better,” she replied sarcastically, and I took a deep breath before clarifying:

“I’m thinking about what we should do with Vanessa.”

“You’re thinking about murdering her?” she asked, and I shook my head.

“I’m thinking about whether or not we might have a chance to act here, before she gets strong enough to become an actual threat. Right now, she’s probably just a tool being used by Danebe.”

“Well yeah, but act how?”

“Infiltrate Palancar? Kidnap her?” I suggested, and she stared at me incredulously.

“Are you kidding? What happened to not provoking them?”

“We can provoke them all we want if we take away their only trump card,” I replied. “We didn’t know whether or not they had Vanessa; now we know.”

“If it’s as massive a city as you say, then she could literally be anywhere.”

“Not anywhere; she has to be somewhere within Danebe’s grove. From what I know, that’s something like fifteen trees.”

“And if you’re wrong?”

I shrugged.

“Then I’ve wasted a night sneaking around Palancar?”

She shook her head.

“You could be spotted. They could track you back to us…”

“I could conceal my armor and myself easily enough with robes,” I countered, and she shook her head.

“Even if you didn’t leave behind a shred of evidence, being spotted would in itself be enough for Palancar to start up their own rumors. We’re as vulnerable to a shift in perception as they are, you know.”

“That could definitely hurt our chances of recruiting more settlers along the way…” I admitted despondently.

I let out a sigh, as I leaned against a nearby tree trunk.

“You’re right,” I said, and Casey studied me.

“Look,” she began, “we don’t even know if Vanessa will develop into a threat, and given that she is their trump card, she’s likely to be hidden away and well-guarded. Are you prepared to shed Kobalt blood for this?”

I bit my lip, then shook my head.

“No, that wouldn’t reflect well on us.”

“Exactly; so what are you thinking here?” she asked, and I ran my hands through my hair, as I let out another sigh.

“My child will be born in about fifteen days… I don’t know how far we can even get from Palancar by then. What if they come after-?”

Casey moved in and kissed me, and the move was so sudden she seemed to even catch herself off guard.

She stepped back, suddenly seeming a little embarrassed.

“You won’t have to protect your child alone, Nate. Everyone is here to help; even your princess. Your popularity as a leader, even as annoying as it is, is pretty high, so I’m sure that your child will be cared for and loved by everyone.”

“You’re right,” I conceded. “I don’t know what I was thinking.”

She studied me for a bit.

“Kind of seems like you were thinking irrationally… like a normal human, almost.”

“Was that why you kissed me?” I asked, and she blushed a little.

“I just thought that, when you had your little meltdown after killing Emily, I was pretty useless even though you came to me, and this time… I wanted to do better.”

“Oh~? So, are you gonna kiss it all better anytime I get sad now?” I teased, and Casey stomped her foot angrily, then turned, only to realize she had nowhere to run off to.

She clicked her tongue in annoyance, but as I moved behind her and wrapped my arms around her, she didn’t resist the gesture at all.

“Say, how far up the list do you need to be to be satisfied with your position?”

“As long as I’m on a list, I’ll never be satisfied,” she said.

“Well… what if your importance to me is unparalleled?”

Casey scoffed.

“I’ve literally heard you say that to two other women already.”

“Well, duh. I kind of have to, to keep people in line.”

“Which is exactly what you’re doing with me,” Casey countered, and as she turned to study me, I shook my head.

“You know that’s not true,” I said.

“I don’t know _anything_ of the sort,” she replied.

“When I was in distress, you were the only one I went to. You know that,” I countered, and she shrugged.

“So what? I’m reliable; controllable. A sensible choice,” she reasoned.

“No, you were a terrible choice. Probably the last person I’d imagine that would comfort me.”

“Then why did you come to me?”

“Because I wanted to… because I missed you. There was no list that day. Just who I needed, and that was you.”

I lifted her chin, and guided her gaze to meet my own, and her eyes flickered a little; but as I leaned in, she shut her eyes tightly, her resistance melting away as I pressed my lips to hers.

“Are you trying to take advantage of my hypnotized state?” she asked, and I chuckled a little.

“Maybe~,” I teased. “I mean, I probably won’t get any more kisses from my trusty advisor when she recovers, now will I?”

Casey bit her lip, then shook her head.

 _Maybe I should just enjoy the kisses while I still want them_ , her voice spoke into my mind, and as I tilted my head at her, her eyes went wide.

“D-did I just thought-message you?”

I nodded, chuckling a little as I did, and she went beet red, turning away and massaging her temples agitatedly.

“Just kiss me already- I mean kill, kill me; ugh!” she groaned.

“If you insist,” I said, moving in swiftly and claiming her lips.

She whined into my mouth, but it took no more than a few moments of persistence before she melted into me, and gave in to the kiss.

“This is taking advantage,” she protested, and I shrugged.

“If I give you the choice, you’ll waste all the time hesitating and regret it anyway. I’m doing you a favor here, really.”

As she studied me, her eyes flicking subtly to my lips, I continued:

“Have you regretted any of the things that we’ve done?”

She bit her lip uncertainly, then shook her head, her expression still slightly dazed from my assault on her lips.

I hovered over her for a bit, waiting for her to make the next move, but her hesitation turned into a look of outright worry, and she closed her eyes, tensing up a bit as I leaned in, giving her a soft kiss on the side of her face, just beneath her left ear.

“I adore you. I truly do; but I’ll never ask you to do anything like that if you’re not comfortable with it,” I said, my tone gentle and reassuring, and her eyes wavered a bit as I withdrew from her.

I studied the river flowing past us for a bit, and she cleared her throat as she regained her composure.

“Is there anything else that we need to discuss?” she asked, and I nodded.

“Our princess is playing a little ‘game of thrones’ with Palancar,” I said, as I began to relay her plan to meddle in Palancar’s affairs.

“She asked you to impregnate one of her sisters?” Casey asked incredulously, and as I nodded, her eyes narrowed on me. “Did you?”

I bit my lip, then gave an abridged recap to her of my time with Eradne, and the bargain I struck with her, which seemed to annoy her even further.

“So, while I was fighting for my life, you were out impregnating your new ‘trusty advisor’?” she spat, and I chuckled nervously.

“I took one for the team?” I suggested, a little playfully. “What? Did you want me to stay by your side? Desperate, panicked! Unable to sleep or eat until my precious Casey was-”

She shoved me hard, and I chuckled at her as she folded her arms crossly.

“Jackass,” she muttered angrily, as I continued to chuckle at her expense.

“Hnn~. Although, I did miss you a lot that night. And I’ve never missed anyone in my life. Like… ever.”

She kept her gaze away from me, but as I shot her a teasing look, I caught her eyes making a quick dart in my direction, and I pounced on her.

“Get away from me, jackass,” she cursed, but as I pinned her against the tree and stole a few quick kisses, I saw her losing her own internal battle with her desires.

“I thought you weren’t gonna force me to do anything,” she complained, and I shrugged.

“I’m not… but I never said I wasn’t gonna tease you~,” I replied, and she shot me a glum look.

I moved to get off of her, but Casey stopped me this time, and I eyed her teasingly.

“Is there something I can do for you?” I asked, and she rolled her eyes.

“Don’t make me ask for it,” she said angrily, and I raised my hands in surrender.

“But I can’t get consent if you don’t ask~,” I reasoned, and she let out an exasperated groan.

“Fine. If I want you to fuck off, I’ll just tell you,” she said, and I chuckled playfully.

“You don’t seem to be thinking too far ahead, my little advisor. I mean, by this rule, I could just randomly grope you whenever I feel like it… hell, you could just randomly wake up with my tongue buried inside of you,” I said, and she made a little whinnying sound, to my amusement.

“Oh~. Is that something that my advisor desires?” I teased. “Maybe you’ll get it if you’re really good~.”

“Stop fucking playing with me,” Casey replied, as she pulled me in for a hungry kiss.

It was rough, and sloppy, and as I tried to break away for a breath, Casey grabbed onto my lower lip with her teeth and drew blood, a devilish look in her eyes.

She shoved me hard, and as I fell onto my back with a thud, she leapt onto me and assaulted my lips with that same intent, and I quickly shook away my amusement, as it took actual concentration to return the intensity of her oral onslaught.

I placed a hand against her face, and she grabbed it gruffly, and shifted it to my belt plate.

“Take it off.”

She broke the kiss long enough to spit out that solitary command, and even as I complied, she dragged her teeth along the side of my neck, leaving what I was certain would be a bruise.

 _What was she doing?_ I wondered. _Was she trying to leave her mark on me?_

As soon as the belt plate was off, she fished out my cock and began to stroke it.

“There’s a stream right there; I should probably- ohh.”

My sentence ended in a low moan as she sucked my meathead into her mouth.

“I know you’re excited and all, but you should really let me wash that a little. I-”

“Fucked Cameron last night? I know,” she said, glaring at me as she continued to suck and lick her way around my shaft.

I studied her with some admiration, but as she seemed to finally satisfy herself with orally cleansing my organ, she began to suck on me with that same possessed kind of intensity, and I moaned again.

“Casey, if you keep sucking me like that, I’m not gonna last long inside of you,” I warned, and she shrugged.

“You know which hole to fuck me in when you’re ready to cum,” she replied, almost nonchalantly, and as I studied her with an expression that was equal parts stupor and admiration, I finally decided to respond.

“That’s right. I guess I forgot; my advisor is whore for a good anal fucking.”

I climbed onto my knees, and as Casey turned around, bunching up her toga-style robe and baring her ass to me, I dove in, and before she could respond, began to tongue her asshole quite roughly.

“Fuck… that’s good. Mmh. Don’t stop!”

She buried her head into the nook of her arm, and moans continuously poured from her lips as I rimmed her, and I noted with interest that juices were actually leaking down from her pussy onto the ground beneath her.

I cupped her mound with one hand, and after gathering up some of the slick, slippery juices, I smeared my cock, stroking myself as in anticipation of entering her.

“Fuck me, Nate,” she panted, wiggling her rear expectantly.

I planted one final, sucking kiss on the meaty ass cheek in my grasp, before biting into it, and she screamed out in surprise, turning to shoot me a dirty look as I smirked at her.

She cast a tentative look at the reddening spot, but I quickly moved to enter her, and she let out a frustrated groan as I slid quickly into her pussy.

“Fucking hell, Nate. Stop fucking playing with me,” she chided, but this time I pulled her up into my arms, and turning her head to the side, I kissed her lips hungrily as I began to thrust into her; steady, gruff strokes, punctuated by little shrieks, but at a slow, measured pace.

We exchanged sloppy, wet kisses in between each penetrative thrust, until my desire to fill her with my seed won out, and I released my hold on her, and she slumped down onto her elbows as I began to slam into her.

She was close to cumming, but so was I, and as I considered pulling out and finishing the job with a proper anal fucking again, an idea suddenly came to me.

I sucked on my thumb, lubricating it a bit, before sliding it slowly into her asshole.

“Ohhhh, fuck yeah!” she cried out, followed by an immediate stream of ‘ohs’ and mhs’, and I smiled as the move quickly pushed her over the edge, and into an orgasm.

I slipped from her tunnel just as juices began to spurt forth, gushing from her insides, but I held her in place, and as her orgasm began to subside, I immediately slid my slick, well lubricated cock into her asshole, and she turned, her eyes wide, as I began to pump roughly into her ass.

“F-fuck, Nate,” her words were barely coherent, and as I accelerated my pace to a frenzied, rough fucking, she began to scream.

 _You feel so fucking good, Casey_ , I thought, and I smacked the love bite I’d given her earlier as I felt myself climbing over the threshold, and as I unloaded into her tight asshole, juices began to gush from her cunt again as she matched my orgasm with another of her own.

She panted, and would probably have collapsed onto the earth if I wasn’t holding onto her, and as I pulled her body into mine, she melted into me, her sharp breaths coming out in little puffs against the bruised skin on my neck.

We stayed like that for a while, locked in that embrace, until her breathing finally evened out, and as she suddenly kissed me, I studied her with some interest, as the gesture was surprisingly gentle.

“What was that?” I asked.

“What was what? The crazy animal sex?”

I shook my head.

“The kiss,” I said, and she rolled her eyes.

She peeled herself away from me, then looked down at her clothes with a glum look.

“My clothes are a mess,” she whined, and I frowned.

“Don’t change the topic. What was that?” I pressed, and she let out a sigh.

“I’m not stupid, Nate. I know what you needed.”

“What I needed?” I asked, studying her with curiosity, and she eyed me, then shrugged.

“Like I said… last time, when you came to me; I wasn’t there for you. I was just making it up by being there for you this time.”

I shook my head, my confusion still evident on my face, and Casey leaned into me again, and rested a hand against my cheek.

“I know you’re worried that you won’t be able to protect your child, Nate, and it’s okay. I’ll help you,” she said, and I studied her.

“My child… as in also, Cameron’s child?” I clarified, and she shrugged, as she pulled away from me.

“I was never going to give you children, Nate. Not even if we were exclusive. So, why should I begrudge you that?”

I shook my head, chuckling a little.

“But, weren’t you also just pissed at me for impregnating some chick while you were in recovery?”

“I had a moment of jealousy, but so what? I’d just been hypnotized. Besides,” she added, as she turned to look at me over her shoulder, “it wasn’t the impregnation so much as you fucking around at that exact moment that pissed me off.”

I smiled at Casey, and she quickly averted her gaze, as she began to blush; but I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her back down into my arms.

“You’re amazing,” I said. “Thank you for loving me; even if you’re being forced.”

“Idiot,” she muttered, but she didn’t squirm her way out of my arms, and as I planted a tender kiss on her neck from behind, she stayed in my arms for a bit, just staring off into the nearby stream as she lay there, wrapped in my embrace.

“We should probably head back,” she said.

“Why? There’s no real danger right now. And we’re not really needed for anything that needs to be done anyway.”

She shot me a glum look.

“Still. At _least_ one of us should be around in case of an emergency,” she countered, and I shrugged.

“Gisela can handle it,” I reasoned, and as she glared at me, I suddenly realized that Casey took her role as my advisor much more seriously than I’d imagined.

“We’ll head back eventually. But I demand to be properly comforted by my advisor first,” I said, and she rolled her eyes.

“You’re lucky I’m even tolerating you right now,” she said, and as I pouted, I saw a momentary flicker in her eyes, before she massaged her forehead, and let out a sigh.

“Fine. What do you want to do?” she asked, and grinned a little.

“Hnn~. What should we do? For starters, let’s get cleaned up,” I said, and Casey climbed off of me as I clambered to my feet, and led her from our perch above the main water course to the smaller stream which we had followed on our way over here.

The flow of this stream was much steadier than the smaller watercourse closer to our campgrounds, allowing us to stand under the gurgling spring and wash ourselves with reasonable efficiency.

As Casey tried to wash out her robes, however, I suggested that she remove them to do so, and after shooting her another puppy dog look, she relented, again to my delight.

“What?” she shot, as I ogled her openly. “You’ve seen almost all of this at one point or another,” she continued, and I shrugged.

“A beautiful naked girl is still a beautiful naked girl, no matter how many times I’ve seen her.”

She scoffed.

“You know, this flattery bullshit is starting to get old real quick,” she shot, and I tilted my head in response.

“It’s not flattery. I’m expressing myself,” I replied, and she shook her head in response.

“What?” I asked.

“No-one has _ever_ called me beautiful; so next time, maybe try something a little more believable,” she replied.

“Nope; not acceptable,” I said, and Casey eyed me as I advanced on her, and she continued to study me I went down on one knee, then placing my hands on her hips, I pulled her close and nuzzled her stomach, before planting a kiss there.

“What’re you doing?” she asked, her voice sounding a bit more panicked than maybe it should have.

“Kissing you until you feel beautiful,” I replied.

“Ugh. At least do something less cliché,” she shot, and I chuckled at her.

“Call it whatever you want, I’m gonna keep kissing you,” I replied.

“Nate, that’s not gonna-”

I cut her off with another kiss on her hip.

“You’re beautiful, Casey; every inch of you” I reiterated, as I kissed the other hip, and she shook her head at me disapprovingly.

“Really? Let’s hear it then; how am I beautiful?” she asked. “I’ve got pale, almost sickly-looking freckled skin; my boobs aren’t that big, and I’ve got as much of a figure as a wax candle; and now, I’m even missing parts,” she said, gesturing at her left hand.

“First lesson, padawan. Boobs are boobs, and I love kissing them not because they’re perfect, but because they’re yours.”

“Men love any boobs they get to touch; got it,” she replied sarcastically, and I waved away the complaint.

“Second lesson; a little sun wouldn’t kill you, but it doesn’t matter, because I would kiss every inch of your skin if you’d let me,” I said, and she frowned.

“So, you like kissing me? That doesn’t mean that I’m _beautiful_ ,” she countered.

“Au contraire… you seem to be conflating the idea of beauty with that of flawlessness. Every imperfection is beautiful. This pale skin that you seem to detest, your slightly misshapen boobs… even the limb that you lack,” I said, bringing her left hand to my lips, and planting a kiss, “or the scars that are yet to form,” I finished, as I traced the spot over her shoulder where she’d been stabbed.

“All of these imperfections combine to form the entity that I know as ‘Casey’, and no matter what you believe, I think you’re beautiful, and I’m glad that I got to know you a little, and even happier still that I got the chance to do naughty things with you,” I confessed, and despite herself, Casey blushed a little, but a despairing look quickly crept across her face, and she pulled her left hand into her chest and cradled it with her right hand a little protectively, as she turned away.

“I’m nothing like what you’re making me out to be, Nate. I’m the pathetic girl who’s never had a real boyfriend, and the first and only guy I was ever with on earth was the professor who supervised my research group; and he was married.”

I frowned.

So, all she’s ever been is the girl on someone’s list, huh?

“You’re not pathetic, Casey. In my eyes, that story doesn’t even begin to change how I see you.”

She stood up, and turned away from me.

“I know… but there was so much more that I wanted to do, and the instant I got sent to this place, my life came to a fucking end.”

I moved behind her, and wrapped my arms around her, before placing a gentle kiss on her neck, just beneath her ear.

“You could look at it like that, or think about it like this; the moment you arrived here, your life began.”

She scoffed.

“Even if you think about it like that, I did everything wrong from day one, and I paid for it too.”

“Granted, you made mistakes,” I admitted, “but you’re in a much better place right now, aren’t you? I mean, not to brag or anything, but you are in the presence of a future king, and he very much favors your company.”

Casey laughed, though this time not quite as bitterly, and I kissed her again.

“There it is,” I said. “See, this whole conversation would come to an end pretty quickly if you could see just how beautiful you look when you laugh.”

Casey blushed, then looked away, despite a little remnant of her smile remaining.

“Nate, can you do me a favor?” she asked, and I nodded.

“Anything,” I replied.

“When the hypnosis wears off… make me smile again? Even if I hate you?”

“Done.”

We finished washing up, and I gave Casey one of my spare robes again as she laid out her council-robes on a nearby rock to dry.

At my insistence, however, Casey sat with me by the edge of the bank, and I felt myself relax a bit as I rested my head in her lap, and she ran her hand through my hair soothingly.

“We don’t get to do this enough,” I said, and she smiled.

“Thank god. Sheesh, if I knew you could be this needy, I would have never decided to comfort you,” she complained teasingly.

Despite the complaint, however, she seemed quite content to sit there, lazily, holding me in her arms, and we stayed like that in relative silence for quite some time until eventually, I actually dozed off to sleep.

**//**

_You’re a piece of shit, Nate, and you deserve every last bit of what’s to come!_

**//**

“Gah!”

I woke up with a bit of a start, and Casey wrapped her arms around me, before cradling my head into her chest comfortingly.

“That was one hell of a bad dream,” she said. “Who’s Julie?”

I let out a sigh.

“My adoptive sister,” I replied, and she eyed me.

“Huh… thought it was something else,” she said, and I snickered a little.

“It was. She was the only girl I’d ever been with on earth,” I said, and she frowned.

“Did you love her?”

I shrugged.

“I don’t know. Feelings are difficult for me to process, remember?”

Casey studied me for a bit, before a teasing smile crossed her lips.

“Did you spend a lot of time ‘looking for her smile’ then?”

I snickered a little.

“She smiled a lot when she was hurting me, so I didn’t really look for it unless I was in the mood to be hurt.”

“In the mood to be hurt?” she asked, and I nodded.

“I didn’t have my pretty little advisor back on earth to run to when I felt troubled,” I teased. “Sometimes, when I needed to feel something, _anything_ … pain was the most reliable stimulus,” I explained.

“Did you ever hurt yourself?” she asked, and I shook my head.

“Not unless going to Julie knowing that she would hurt me, counts.”

Casey tutted at me a little.

“Now then, would your mother be happy if she heard about that?” Casey asked teasingly, and I snickered at the jab.

“I guess not.”

“You just did a lot of things that your mother wouldn’t be happy with,” she said suggestively, and I shook my head.

“Don’t presume to think that my mother wouldn’t want me to find intimacy,” I replied, and she shook her head.

“Are you implying that your mother would smile if you knew you just roughly fucked some poor little girl in the ass?” she asked, incredulously.

“She doesn’t have to watch, you know. She just has to know that there’s this pretty girl; cute, sometimes, when I get her to smile; and the nasty things she’s doing with me in bed puts me in one hell of a good mood,” I replied, and Casey chuckled at me, even as she rolled her eyes.

“Maybe I should tell your mom you’re running around with every girl that looks at you twice,” she said, and I chuckled.

“Well, my mother did always teach me to share,” I countered, and she frowned.

“Got an answer for everything, don’t you?” she asked, and I shrugged.

“Not everything. I think my mother would have really liked you, though” I said, and she suddenly seemed flustered, her face going red.

“Well, my parents would have…” her words trailed off, and I took note of the sad look in her eyes.

“Were they still alive?” I asked, and she nodded.

“Probably think I’m dead, though. The company does that kind of stuff all the time… orchestrate disappearances, I mean.”

“Probably wouldn’t have approved of their daughter’s psychopath boyfriend anyway,” I added.

“Pfft, like I would tell them about that part. They would probably be worried about you being much older though.”

I shrugged.

“I’m sure I could have won them over. I’m quite charismatic, you know? And I’m pretty good at winning people over,” I said, and she shook her head.

“That kind of statement would have been outright terrifying, before all this,” she said, and I smirked.

“What changed then?”

She shrugged.

“I dunno. Ever since I got here, I’ve just been going through the motions. So, maybe I’m not scared because I’m just living right now as if I’m already dead.

I frowned.

“I hate when you say things like that.”

“Why?”

“Because I like you,” I said. “And because I want you to be happy. It’s fine though; I mean, I’m still seeing that smile from time to time.”

“You can claim that victory if you pull that off when I’m no longer hypnotized… or distracted by these artificially planted feelings.”

“I’ll claim that victory,” I promised, “even if it’s the last thing I do.”

I leaned over and rested a hand on Casey’s cheek before giving her a little kiss, and she quickly looked away, a hint of longing in her eyes.

Casey threw on her robes, and I stowed the spare cloak as we prepared to head back to camp.

“Can I just walk for a bit,” she asked, as I gestured to my back, and I frowned.

“I don’t want that wound to act up halfway home,” I countered, and she shook her head.

“It’s fine. If it could handle all of that rough animal sex, it’ll be fine for a walk,” she reasoned, and I snickered a little at the imagery.

“By the way, you never explained how you can suddenly sense energy flow,” she noted, and I sighed.

“Apparently I’ve been blessed with a unique skill,” I answered.

 _Two, if you count my supposed intimacy skill,_ I thought.

“Unique skill? What is that?”

“Hnn~. I thought you’d know, Mrs. ‘Inside knowledge’.”

She shook her head.

“As far as I know, there are no unique skills. Anyone can learn anything, just to varying degrees.”

I studied her thoughtfully, as we walked.

“I see…”

“Why do you think the skill is unique?” she asked.

“Danica said she’s seen it only a few times before.”

Casey frowned.

“So, a rare skill, basically?” she asked.

She thought about it for a while.

“Is that what you know them as?” I asked, and she shook her head.

“I mean, most people have some propensity to developing certain skills… like, artists or musicians? Even linguists. But you can learn all of those things with enough effort, and in most cases, the right instruction. Doesn’t change the fact that it comes easier to some than to others.”

“Danica did mention that, but about skills in general. She was pretty clear in distinguishing ordinary skills from unique ones, though.”

Casey frowned.

“Maybe it’s skills that you can’t develop naturally, or through armor?” she suggested, and I shrugged. “So, what’s the rare skill?”

“Skill mirroring,” I answered, and Casey froze.

 _You’ve heard that term before_ , I thought.

She quickly shook her head, and I kept a subtle eye on her.

“That ring a bell?” I asked, and she shook her head.

“I think I’ve heard it mentioned, but I’m not really sure where it was,” she answered, and I suppressed a frown.

_I want to like you so much, Casey… but you can’t lie to me like this._

I came to a stop, then let out a sigh.

I didn’t want to play games… not with this relationship.

“Tell me the truth,” I said, and she studied me with a confused expression.

“About what?”

“About skill mirroring,” I answered.

She bit her lip nervously.

 _I have complete control over you, are you forgetting that?_ I thought. _Or are you testing my ability to resist using it?_

“Case… what could you possibly gain from hiding things from me again?” I asked, putting on the best pleading look I could muster.

My eyes even teared up a little, and Casey seemed to be caught completely off guard by that response.

“I, uh- I’m sorry,” she said. “It’s just… it’s a major game-changing skill,” she explained, and I shook my head at her.

“I know that; but why would you think you needed to hide that from me? Do you still think that one day you’ll have to fight me?”

I focused all of my will into making my show of acting hurt seem genuine, and to my delight; a tear ran down my cheek, and Casey’s eyes became watery.

“N-no, Nate. I-I don’t know. I’m just… torn between how I feel all the time, and this instinctual fear I feel… not because you’ve done anything to make me distrust you, but because of everything that I know through the company about psychopaths and how they behave.”

I bit my lip, then shook my head.

“That’s not good enough,” I said, biting my lip, and Casey studied me as I continued, “maybe we need to end this façade.”

“What do you mean-?”

“Cassandra,” I said, cutting her off, and Casey’s eyes went wide.

“W-what’re you doing?” she asked, as I advanced on her, and she backed away from me, an uncertain look in her eyes.

“You’re scaring me,” she said, and I shook away the complaint as I reached out and placed my hand against her chest.

“When you no longer feel the need to be in my service, the need for my protection, or even the need for my company, you’re freed from your pledge to me,” I said, and she blinked several times, studying me as she tried to process the meaning behind the words.

“What are you saying?” she asked, a pleading expression on her face.

“It’s done; I’ve worked that clause into your pledge,” I said, and with that, I turned away, then took a deep breath in as if collecting myself.

“Nate…”

“We should get going,” I said, doing my best impression of a forced smile, and Casey blinked back her tears as she averted her gaze, a lost expression on her face.

We trudged along for a while in silence, when finally, Casey spoke up.

“My name’s not Cassandra,” she said.

“Hm?”

“I said my name. It’s not Cassandra.”

I frowned.

“I didn’t really think it was; I just kind of took a shot in the dark that day that Casey was short for Cassandra,” I explained, and she clicked her tongue at me.

“Cassie would be short for Cassandra; Casey is actually an old Irish name.”

“Hnn~. I didn’t know that.”

“C-A-T-H-A-S-A-I-G-H,” she spelled out, and I shook my head, my confusion visibly displayed on my face.

“What is that?”

“That’s the proper Gaelic spelling of my name.”

“Cathasaigh?” I said, struggling to pronounce the letters, and she clicked her tongue at me.

“Casey! It’s pronounced Casey!” she chided me, and I laughed.

“You’ve gotta be kidding,” I said. “Cathasaigh… can I call you Cathy?”

“No.”

“Then, what about-”

“My name is Casey, jackass. Call me Casey!” she exclaimed, and I snickered at her.

“Fair Cathasaigh,” I said, uttering the words with an air of regality, and she let out a frustrated groan before stalking off ahead of me.

“You don’t know where we’re going!” I called after her, and she waved a hand dismissively.

I chuckled a little as I followed her, and I caught her eyeing me cautiously, as if studying me for some kind of reaction.

Maybe she did feel badly about distrusting me… or maybe, there was still something that she knew about that skill that she was hiding from me.

I wasn’t sure yet, but hopefully, it wasn’t the latter of the two.

“As far as I can tell, I’ve copied three abilities so far,” I said, and Casey cast a worried look in my direction.

“The sensory perception, was it?”

“Yeah.”

“And what other two?” she probed.

“The night when you were stabbed, I went off with Eradne in the forest, and I copied a skill for moving through the forest more easily.”

“Have you used it?”

I nodded.

“When Raul and I went off on our mission. It allowed me to run faster than he did even though we were using armor that gave us access to the same level of speed.”

“Hmm. And what was the third one?”

“The Aufhöcker’s tree swinging,” I replied, and she stared at me disbelievingly.

“The monster? You copied a skill off of a monster?”

I nodded.

“When it was about to kill Nolan, I swung off of a branch the same way they did; it was what allowed me to land the attack that saved him.”

She rubbed her chin.

“What about other skills?” she asked.

“Like what?”

“Like your princess’ hypnosis,” she probed, and I shook my head.

“I’ve tried to think about it, but there’s something in my head that clicks when I figure out how a skill functions, or how to activate it, and I can’t figure out when or how the princess actually performs the hypnosis.”

She frowned, and I smiled a little to myself, as to even ask that question seemed a pretty risky move, from her perspective.

_You’re worried about what would happen if I ever gained access to that skill, aren’t you?_

Or, maybe that earlier lapse was just a small, momentary infraction…

I wasn’t sure, so I would have to keep an eye on her.

“If you could learn to use hypnosis, handling the group would be much easier, wouldn’t it?”

I chuckled a little, as if the idea made me nervous.

“I guess… but I’m not sure I’d feel okay with controlling people like that. I mean, maybe it might have been helpful in dealing with threats like Emily without having to resort to an execution, but it wouldn’t really serve a function that we can’t already achieve through pledges.”

Casey nodded, before cracking a little smile.

“Honestly, I’m terrified of the thought of that kind of power in your hands anyway,” she admitted, and I frowned.

“I think honest Casey hurts my feelings way too often,” I noted, and she eyed me with a playful look.

“Oh? And what happened to the whole ‘psychopaths have no feelings’ thing?” she teased, and I frowned.

“I guess… it really isn’t like me. But I’ve also never ran to a girl seeking comfort before either, so maybe you really are some sort of exception…”

Casey’s expression was teasing, but I countered it with my best showing of a ‘sadness behind this smile’ look, and I could see her own eyes wavering a little as she studied me.

“Don’t be like that,” she said, and I tilted my head in response.

“Be like what?” I asked.

“Sad-ish… I think.”

“I’m not sad,” I countered. “I’m just… a little distracted.”

“By what?” she asked.

“I dunno… lots of things. How to prepare for threats that are beyond our capacity to handle… how to deal with Palancar, given that they probably have Vanessa in their grasp.”

She eyed me again.

“Then, talk to me about it. I’m your advisor,” she said. “Or, did I just lose that special trust you had in me?”

She put on a pouty look, and I shook my head in response.

“I’m sorry, it wasn’t that… I just, don’t even have ideas to float to you just yet,” I reasoned.

As we walked, Casey then surprised me by moving in and taking my hand in hers.

She quickly looked away, a hint of blush in her cheeks, but I noted, with some internal amusement, that she seemed to be actively trying to cheer me up, and I let a little smile show, as it wasn’t altogether unpleasant.

“How about you leave Palancar to me, then? I can… work with Gisela,” she offered, swallowing with some difficulty, as if she found the idea quite unpleasant. “I could probably find out more about the cultural dynamic at play here, and how we can deal with that side of things?”

I studied her with some curiosity.

“Hmm. Earlier, when we were discussing things with Gisela, you didn’t seem all that interested in the politics at play here. Are you sure you’re up for that sort of thing?”

“Sure. I mean, how hard could it be? And that’ll leave you with plenty of time to train your skills, and get some of the others up to speed and ready for combat.”

“That would be pretty neat,” I noted, smiling a little, and Casey blushed as I brought her hand to my lips, and gave it a quick kiss, but as we continued on, I noted that her mood seemed to be much better afterwards.

“You know; talking about controlling the group with hypnosis… there was something that crossed my mind yesterday,” I said.

“What?” she asked.

There were no inflections in her mood, I noted.

“Something came up with Leanna, and I kind of realized that the princess would use her hypnosis on her if I asked her to,” I explained.

“What was the deal with Leanna?” she asked, and I recounted my experience with her.

Casey frowned.

“Fuck hypnosis, I say we imprison her… if she’s fucking dumb enough to justify Emily committing murder over something as far-fetched as that conspiracy, she’s a danger to us if left unchecked.”

I nodded.

“Well, I don’t know if she’s actually dangerous, but using hypnosis if we can’t reign her in did cross my mind.”

She frowned.

“So, will you do it?” she asked, and I shook my head.

“I’m gonna try the diplomatic approach first; as long as we can keep a weapon out of her hands, it should be manageable.”

“Are you sure you can manipulate her into staying in line, though?”

I shrugged.

“It might be easy, considering her propensity to believe far-fetched stories as long as they align with her ideology. Besides, it’s only a temporary measure until we can really gauge what’s going on with her.”

“Are you sure you aren’t just interested in playing spy games with her because she’s pretty?” Casey asked, and I shook my head.

“Seriously, the number of women I’m being forced to entertain is already more than I can handle,” I countered, and Casey shot me a glum look, as she withdrew her hand and folded them across her chest angrily.

“Am I on that list?” she asked, and I shook my head.

“I said _forced_ , and if you let me finish; I was gonna say is that the last thing I need is another girl to take time away from the free time I get to spend with the people I actually want to spend it with.”

“Like Cameron?” she teased, and this time, I chuckled nervously.

“You know, I was hypnotized into liking her,” I explained, and Casey shot me a sharp look.

“Yeah… but you still like her,” she said.

“Does that really bother you, or is your problem the whole ‘being on a list’ thing?”

She shrugged.

“It doesn’t really bother me; I don’t want to be your girlfriend, you know. I probably won’t even want to be your anything when this hypnosis wears off.”

“Well, I’ll always want you to be my advisor,” I countered, as I pulled her back and linked our arms together. “Maybe I’ll just make it my policy that my advisors have to sleep with me,” I teased, and she turned and shot me a dirty look.

“Oh? Does that mean Gisela’s finally gonna get some of that ‘man-flesh’ she’s been eyeing?” she asked, and I suppressed a pleasurable shudder at the thought, which made Casey furious.

“Fucking pig. Are you seriously thinking about it right now?” she shot, and I smirked.

“In my defense, she has… really nice boobs,” I countered, and she rolled her eyes at me, before smiling a little.

“Ugh. I hate that we can have this conversation without it really bothering me,” she said, and I smiled.

“I think this might be my favorite thing to do with you,” I replied.

“Not the anal sex?” she asked, and I acted as if I was in serious thought about it, until she shoved me, and I snickered at her in response.

“Fine. The anal sex is good,” I admitted, “but being able to talk to someone like this isn’t something insignificant to me.”

“Seriously? Just to talk to about sex?” she asked, and I chuckled as I shook my head.

“No; I mean, someone that I don’t have to hide my true nature from… someone I can openly declare my intentions to, without them running for the hills or declaring me monstrous.”

“I’m not as comfortable with those things as you seem to think,” she replied.

“Oh, I know… but you keep your inhibitions in check for my sake, and the sake of the group. That might be the most significant thing anyone has done for me.”

She smiled a little, and moved closer to my side as we walked on.

We didn’t talk much after that, except to exchange playful jabs and tease each other about our past exchanges, but the time just seemed to fly by as we ended up eventually back at the camp.

As we approached the little area just north of the camp, I noticed something going on, and I quickly pulled Casey aside, as I wanted to get a better look at it before we were spotted.

“What is it?” she asked, and I shook my head reassuringly, to let her know that there was no real danger.

“I wanna see what’s going on,” I whispered, gesturing ahead as we sneaked along the tree trunks beside the little clearing until we were close enough to take in the scene.

“Come on! I thought you wanted to be a ‘super soldier’!” Francesca called, and Bianca had a glum, pouty expression on her face. “Do you think Nate wants a super soldier that can’t even land a single hit?”

Bianca was holding onto a wooden stick, much like the ones we’d used for our little sparring exhibition back at the cluster, and Francesca was wielding a stick of her own, and goading Bianca.

Bianca made a clumsy, desperate lunge forward, swinging her stick wildly as she did, and Francesca easily swatted the stick out of her hand, then swept her legs out from under her.

She aimed the butt end of the stick down at Bianca’s face, and the girl seemed on the verge of tears as she shook angrily.

“You might wanna intervene,” Casey said, and I nodded, as I quickly made my way out from our hiding spot and over to Bianca’s side.

“Hey, are you okay-?”

“Leave me alone!” Bianca shot, as she swatted my hand away, and climbed to her feet.

She stalked off, and Francesca shook her head as she stared off after her.

“What was that about?” I asked, and she turned to study me.

“I was just giving your little soldier a combat lesson,” she teased, and I shot her a questioning look.

“What prompted that?” I asked.

“Well, she seems to think that you have some faith in her potential as a fighter. I was just putting that to the test a little,” she answered, shrugging, and I snickered at her.

“You’re a fierce little lion,” I said, ruffling her hair playfully, before continuing, “but Bianca needs a slightly more tempered approach to instruction.”

She frowned.

“So, you’re really gonna teach her how to fight?” she asked, and I let out a sigh.

“I’m mostly using this teaching thing as a means of trying to figure out how cores work,” I explained, and Francesca’s mouth fell open.

“Oh… oh my god, I’m so sorry! I fucked up your plans, didn’t I?”

“It’s fine… I kind of wanted Bianca to start getting better acquainted with everyone anyway, so I’m just glad that someone actually took an interest in her,” I said, and she smiled happily as I ruffled her hair once more.

“Speaking of training, though… I was actually wondering if you wouldn’t mind giving my little apprentice some combat lessons.”

“Well I tried, but she just stalked off,” Francesca joked, and I snickered at her in response.

“I meant Lucia-”

“I know~,” she sang, nudging me suggestively as she headed off to find the girl.

“Part of me wants to say that teaching Bianca to fight is a bad idea,” Casey began, as she moved to my side. “But the other part of me just saw how terrible that swing was… so, maybe not so bad after all.”

As I glanced across the camp, however, I caught sight of Raul, tied near to the supply cart, and casting furtive glances after Francesca, so I indicated to Casey, and we moved over to his side.

“Hey,” I said, turning to follow his gaze in Francesca’s direction, and he quickly shook his head apologetically as he caught the questioning look in my eyes.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to stare. I just… I don’t get how she’s improving so quickly.”

I studied him as he continued:

“If I’d fought her on the day we met, I would have beaten her easily; but today, if we were wearing the same armor? I’m not so sure I’d even win. She’s been in one battle, and, what? Two, maybe three fights? And that’s if you can even count that pathetic suicidal goblin attack as a fight… it doesn’t make sense that she could get that much better from just that limited experience.”

I chuckled a little.

“Falling in love, are we?” I teased, and he scoffed.

“Love? I’m terrified of her,” he shot, before letting out a sigh, and sitting back against the tree trunk beside the cart.

To his surprise, I undid his bindings, and he shot me a questioning look.

“Have I earned my freedom already?” he asked, and I snickered a little.

“Just try not to make everyone more uncomfortable than they’re already gonna be, and we’ll see about letting you loose on a more regular basis,” I explained.

“So, parole, basically. Is she gonna be my supervisor?” he asked, and I shook my head as Casey shot me a worried look.

“No; your pledge should keep you in check. You can make yourself useful if you wanna improve the group’s perception of you, just… ease up on the lumber work,” I teased, as I gestured to the rather large pile of unused lumber beside the supply carts.

“I’m gonna go liaise with Gisela,” Casey said, shooting me a ‘you better appreciate this’ kind of look, and I smiled nervously, as she headed off.

“Actually, I think I might have a daily task for you,” I said, as Raul rubbed his wrists gingerly just where they’d been tied.

“Training the crazy girl?” he asked, and I nodded.

“I want you to do it under my supervision… and not so much training, just-”

“Deplete her core?” he asked, and as I nodded, he studied me. “You’re really working on understanding everything about this whole world, huh?”

I shrugged.

“I don’t see how we’re gonna survive in the long term if we don’t,” I answered, and he sighed.

“It just makes me feel as if I’ve been plowing through this whole thing like a dumbass all this time,” he said, and I snickered a little at him.

“I’ll come find you when I’m ready for Bianca’s training sesh,” I called, and he waved after me, before gravitating towards the group of Kobalt who were working on building the new supply carts.

I moved to the supply cart where our spare armor and weapons were stashed, greeting the hunters stationed there as I did, but as I checked through our inventory, I suddenly remembered the armor pieces we’d purchased with the special skills.

 _Fuck! I was supposed to discuss that with Casey_.

I headed over to the princess’ area to look for her, when Jeannie approached me.

“Hey; are those training sessions open to anyone?” she asked, gesturing to where Francesca was now sparring with Lucia, and I snickered a little.

“When we have downtime like we do today, I think it’d be helpful if everyone trained a little. I’m sorry though, I didn’t organize anything just yet, but I definitely should, huh?”

She nodded.

“I definitely want to get better… good enough to be useful the next time we have to fight, at least. Motivating Molly and Evie to do the same is gonna take some work, though.”

She let out a sigh.

“I don’t think we should push anyone into combat training just yet,” I said, as I studied the slivers of armor in my hand.

“What are those?” she asked.

“Special armor,” I replied, thoughtfully.

“Oh… guess it’ll probably be for the elite fighters, then,” she said, a little despondently, and I quickly shook my head in response.

“Actually, these are better suited to those who aren’t gonna be front line fighters,” I explained. “This one, for instance… it supposedly teaches someone the medicine skill.”

“Really?”

I handed her the armor, and she studied it for a bit.

“Can you really gain a better understanding of medicine from wearing a piece of armor?”

I shrugged.

“Honestly, I have no idea how it works… although, I am much better at running now that I have the speed skill, and apart from the muscular gain, a huge part of it has to do with my improved running technique. Things like that.”

“This is all so crazy,” she said letting out a long sigh, and I smiled, nodding in agreement.

“Do you think any of the girls have shown an inclination toward medical treatment?”

She bit her lip, as she thought about it.

“Evie definitely is the nurturing type, so maybe that might transfer to that kind of thing?”

“She’s definitely a candidate,” I agreed.

 _And having a midwife to assist Ryker when the time came to deliver the baby is a must_ , I thought.

“Maybe float the idea by them,” I suggested, and she nodded. “And if you want to get in on the training, I’m heading there myself in a bit.”

“I’ll be there,” she promised, as she headed off.

“Hey,” I called, as soon as I spotted Casey.

“What? Did you miss me already?” Casey teased, and I snickered at her.

“I forgot to mention something earlier,” I said, as I explained the situation with the special armor to her.

“Hmm. I know Danica probably knows her stuff, but did you really need to spend that much on a blacksmith skill? I mean, we don’t even have a forge.”

“According to Danica, you can smith even without one,” I explained.

“How?”

“Energy manipulation.”

She rubbed her chin, as she processed the thought.

“But who the hell is gonna take up smithing?” she asked, and I shrugged.

“A few of the Kobalt are well suited to the task, but getting their cores up to the level of using the armor, _and_ learning those skills? That might probably take a while.”

“The medicine and alchemy skills are pretty good though. Ryker can probably guide someone through the early stages of medicine, and as for alchemy; there’s all kinds of uses for the herbs that grow naturally in this forest, and the Kobalt might have someone who can teach us more about it, giving us a pretty good head start on developing it into something useful.”

“I’m trying to think of who might be best suited to each of the skills,” I said, and she nodded.

“I’ll keep it in mind,” she said, and I thanked her, before returning my attention to the training area.

I scanned the camp for Bianca.

I couldn’t spot her anywhere, then I remembered that her pledge allowed me to divine her general direction, so I summoned up the image of her in my mind, and as I tried to focus on it, the image changed to what she was currently doing.

She seemed to be crouched down, and was wiping at her eyes, and as I followed the pull that pointed me in her general direction, I figured she was by the stream where I’d found Jeannie the day before.

I quickly made my way over there, then crept cautiously toward her.

“Hey,” I called, and she wiped at her eyes.

“I’m not crying!” she shot, and as I snickered a little, she pouted furiously. “You’re laughing at me!”

“No, I’m just admiring how cute you look, even when you’re ‘not crying’,” I said, and she bit her lip, as she pouted again.

“She was mean to me,” she said, and I walked over to her.

“Maybe she was, but she does mean well,” I offered.

“No. She just wanted to embarrass me,” Bianca whined, and I shook my head.

“Well, maybe she wouldn’t if someone didn’t run around telling everyone about the super-secret mission that I sent her on.”

Bianca’s face went red.

“I- I didn’t! She must have figured out. That’s it!”

I ruffled her hair, and she stomped her feet, and shot me a feisty look.

“I’m not a child!” she said, putting her hands on her hip, and I surprised her by brushing the back of my hand against one of her breasts.

“Definitely nothing child-like about those things,” I said, and she eyed me, still frowning.

“She treated me like a child. I’m older than she is,” she said. “And you’re taking her side!”

I shook my head.

“I’m not taking anyone’s side, but maybe you need to think about this a little differently… Francesca didn’t offer to teach anyone else how to fight,” I said. “And she’s a _really_ good fighter.”

She scoffed.

“I would be too if I was by your side since the beginning!”

I frowned, as Bianca kept her eyes on me.

“Hnn~. Would you now? I’m not sure I’d have trained you to be a fighter, though,” I said.

“Why not? Am I that bad?”

She really started tearing up again, and I quickly shook my head.

“No, I just… would have probably preferred you do something that would let you stay closer to my side, is all.”

She wiped at her eyes, then studied me.

“You say that, but you don’t even sleep close to me,” she said.

“Well, if someone would actually try to get along with everyone else, maybe that would change,” I said, and she frowned.

“They’re not trying either,” she said, and I nodded.

“I know… but you’re the outsider in their eyes. You’ve gotta make the effort.”

She made a pouty look again, and I quickly moved to placate her.

“For me,” I said. “I want to spend time with you, but I can’t if the group gets uncomfortable every time we go off together.”

“What do you mean? Did someone say something about our trip yesterday?”

“No, everyone did,” I lied, and she bit her lip.

“Then why did you even take me?” she asked, and I brushed my hand against her cheek, as I replied.

“Because you deserved a little reward, and I’m willing to take the flak for you, as long as you keep working at the things you need to do.”

She frowned again.

“Why is everything always so hard?” she asked. “Can’t I just be loved? Spoiled. Be a little important without everyone trying to hurt me?”

 _A little dramatic_ , I thought, as I chuckled at her.

“You’ll have everything you desire and more,” I promised. “Right now, we’re not in the place where anything is ideal. I mean, danger might still pop out at us around the next corner. We just need to get through this tough time and things will settle down as soon as we get the hang of this world.”

She let out a sigh.

“Are you gonna make me train with that girl?”

“Francesca,” I said.

“What?”

“That’s her name,” I reminded her, and she waved a hand dismissively.

“Right, of course. Do I really have to learn to fight from her?”

I shook my head.

“Learning to fight isn’t really that high up on the list of things I want you to learn right now.”

“Then how am I gonna be a super soldier?” she asked.

“There are other ways to deal with an enemy than direct engagement with a spear. We’ll find something much more suited to your talents,” I said. “For now, though, I really want you to focus on depleting your core as often as you can.”

She sighed.

“I sleep for so long when I do that… what if everyone gets ahead of me. Or-”

 _What if you leave me, like the useless piece of shit that I am,_ she finished the thought in my mind, and I studied her carefully.

“You are _not_ useless,” I said, “and I will _never_ leave you behind.”

Bianca teared up again, and as she moved into my arms, I held her, stroking her hair comfortingly as she cried softly into my chest.

We remained like that for a bit, until I was finally able to convince her to get back to training.

As she spotted Francesca however, she shot me a puppy dog look complete with adorable whining sounds, and I gave her another comforting pat on the head.

“Relax; your training partner is someone a bit more familiar,” I said, and she followed my gaze to Raul, who was now standing over a nervous looking Kobalt, who was trying with some difficulty, to work on building our new and improved supply carts.

 _Maybe he might be useful as a builder_ , I thought, and I suddenly wondered why we didn’t invest in any armor that carried some kind of construction skills.

I waved Raul over, and as he caught sight of me, he took a deep breath in, then reluctantly made his way to my side.

“Are we training this psychopath again?” he asked, and Bianca smiled happily.

“I’ll take psychopath over bitch. Psychopaths are awesome! Just watch your fucking step around me,” she declared, grinning evilly at Raul, who shot me a somewhat hopeless look.

“Let’s get this over with then,” he said, as I handed him a piece of armor, and gave Bianca her little dagger, but before the two could begin, I signaled to Bianca to hold on.

“I wanna try something,” I said, and she eyed me, as I placed a hand on Raul’s armor over his shoulder, and focused on the flow of energy that I could now perceive with my sensory perception skill.

There was a definite thread connecting his armor piece to his general energy stream, and as I focused on strengthening that thread, I nodded to the two to begin.

Bianca shrugged, before moving in to Raul, and began to repeatedly stab him in the belly.

Francesca shot us a curious look, but I needed to focus in order to keep the energy manipulation skill active.

As Bianca stabbed away, however, I tried to keep count of how many stabs she could land before the armor deactivated, but her irregular stabbing, coupled with the added stress of focusing on Raul’s energy stream made me lose count quite quickly.

When his armor finally deactivated, however, I relinquished my focus, and turned to the two.

“Did that last longer than it usually does?” I asked, and Raul nodded.

“What were you doing?” he asked.

“Something called energy manipulation, I think.”

He tilted his head at the mention, a thoughtful expression on his face.

“Never heard of that,” he said, as Bianca tried to twirl her dagger in her hand.

“You really don’t wanna cut yourself with that,” I chided her, and she shot me a nervous grin, before stowing the weapon away.

We dallied while the armor reconnected to his core, then resumed the sparring, however this time, I was certain that the armor lasted much longer, because Bianca began to show quick signs of exhaustion by the time it deactivated for the second time.

“This suddenly feels… really heavy,” she said. “~Why is everything so heavy~?” she sang, and I snickered at her.

 _Too soon_ , I thought.

Raul shot us a questioning look, and I shrugged, as we waited for his armor to reconnect, however this time, I switched my focus to Bianca, as I paid close attention to her energy pattern, which I noted had that same labored flow that I’d noticed when I’d observed Lucia, right before her core had depleted.

As Raul’s armor reconnected and she began to stab at it, however, each stab seemed to cause the energy threads to emit chaotic pulses, and the faint blue light flickered several times, before going out completely just as the dagger clattered to the floor, pulling me back to reality.

I was slow to catch Bianca this time, and to my surprise Raul caught her, but as he scooped her up, he quickly offloaded her onto me, then shuddered, as if the very act of touching Bianca disturbed him greatly.

I chuckled a little at the response, then gave him a thankful nod as I gathered up the fallen dagger and gestured to Francesca to retrieve the piece of armor he was wearing.

As I took Bianca to the sleeping area and gently rested her down, she stirred again.

“Stay,” she pleaded, and I took her hand, as she curled up into my lap.

As I stroked her back comfortingly, and she quickly drifted off to sleep, I took another look into her energy pattern and noted that while the flow of the threads were labored when one’s core was close to depletion, in this restful state it actually resumed a more steady rhythm as the depleted energy slowly regenerated.

Was this a mechanism prompted by our implants?

I made a mental note to observe Lucia the next time she’d depleted her core, and went to sleep.

As Bianca slept, however, I decided to focus on my energy manipulation skill.

Danica had said that by using it I would be able to eventually unlock access to the other skills embedded into my armor, and it made me curious as to what those skills were.

As I activated the skill, however, I noted an energy source coming from the dagger I’d retrieved, and as I returned my attention to Bianca, I realized that a skill carried by the dagger also seemed to be manifesting in her.

Every skill node was unique, and while I couldn’t quite tell what they were at a glance, I could certainly discern the ones that aligned.

So, was Bianca learning some kind of skill related to using daggers?

It would be interesting to test that out… although, now that I think about it, we’d been training Lucia with daggers as well.

I made another note to check her later for traces of the same skill.

“Every time I take my eyes off of you, you’re putting some kid to sleep,” Cameron called. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were provoking me on purpose.”

I turned, smiling a little at the comment as Cameron came to my side.

“This one isn’t a kid though,” I said, and Cameron rolled her eyes at me.

“Could have fooled me,” she said. “You and Casey sure disappeared for a while this morning,” she noted, and I rubbed the back of my head nervously.

“We had a lot to discuss,” I explained, and she waved it away.

“It’s fine. I’ve already made peace with how much you care about her,” she said. “Besides… I overheard her talking to Ryker earlier about delivering a baby.”

She shot me a suggestive wink, and I chuckled nervously.

“Well, I did need help making sure we got everything ready,” I said, and Cameron shot me a questioning look.

“You’re pretty excited about this, huh? I figured we have ample time to get everything organized.”

I shrugged.

“Better early than late?” I suggested, and she scooted closer to me, and rested her head against my shoulder.

“How’s she been adapting?” Cameron asked, casting a little glance down at Bianca.

“It’ll take some time… and effort.”

She chuckled a little.

“I’ll say. I saw her training with Francesca earlier,” she said, and I shot her a teasing look.

“Didn’t wanna join in?” I asked, and she rolled her eyes at me.

“I did, actually. But you’ve been a bit of a Nolan recently about me doing anything combat-oriented.”

“Ouch. In my defense, I have some right to my overprotectiveness,” I countered.

“How so?”

“There’s a lot more than feminine grace here to protect,” I said, gesturing to her belly, and she folded her arms defiantly.

“Well, maybe I wanna be there to help protect the father of my unborn child from being murdered by monsters? I mean, I can’t keep letting Francesca do my job for me, can I?”

I chuckled a little, before turning to study her.

 _How many skills had she picked up?_ I wondered.

She’d hardly worn armor, hadn’t she?

As I studied her carefully, I saw traces of really small bumps in her energy web, but to my surprise, there was a significant cluster of threads all tied to what looked like a core being formed where I imagined Cameron’s womb would be.

Was that it?

Was that my child?

I studied the thing with amazement for a while, when Cameron finally shook me from my reverie.

“That’s not creepy at all,” Cameron said, eyeing me curiously, and I rubbed the back of my head nervously again.

“Sorry. It’s a new skill I learned recently; to see what skills a person has, and what the flow of their energy looks like.”

“Oh? So you were, like; checking me out?” she teased, and I snickered a little.

“Yeah, but also. I think I just saw a glimpse of our baby.”

Cameron’s jaw dropped, and she almost stepped on Bianca’s hand as she moved immediately to kiss me.

“Did you really?” she asked excitedly, and I chuckled nervously, as I gave a little nod.

I peered into her energy pattern once more, then committed the view to memory.

 _Our child_ , I thought.

The idea sent a pleasurable flutter up my spine, and as something pulsed out from me, a thought message quickly came to me.

_Nate! Did something happen?_

I took a tentative look around to spot Casey casting slightly panicked glances around the camp until she spotted me.

She quickly began to approach, but as she caught the look on my face, and took a quick read of the situation, she paused.

 _Do you need me to come?_ She asked into my mind, and as I shook my head subtly, she gave a little nod, but even as she headed away, she cast a few worried glances back in my direction.

“Do you mind if I join that little sparring group?” Cameron asked, and I shot her a slightly glum look.

“You don’t have to ask my permission,” I countered, and she shrugged.

“I wasn’t planning on listening to you anyway,” she teased. “I was just playing at being the ‘good wife’.”

She chuckled a little, as she slipped away from me, but not before giving me a little peck on the lips.

Bianca stirred, and made a little whining sound, and I quickly returned my attention to her as Cameron shot me an apologetic glance, before heading off.

As I returned my gaze to Bianca, however, I decided to try putting my newfound energy manipulation skill to work, as I tried to pour my own energy into her in an attempt to accelerate the regeneration of her core.

As far as I could tell, it was working, since I definitely felt the flow of _something_ between us, and it required a huge amount of concentration to maintain, but the difference it made to her energy pattern seemed non-existent.

Nevertheless, I persevered, and as I focused on the task, the world around me seemed to fade into the background.

***

“We’re going to have to do something about this lull,” the man finally said, and Joanna turned to study him.

“We have almost six months to work on him; do we really need to rush things along? I mean, that herald is still hunting him…”

He shrugged.

“Be that as it may, I’d rather lose an asset in development than have our time expire without him showing any significant progress; and I don’t need to remind you that the singularity still hasn’t changed. That means that nothing will happen if we don’t intervene.”

Joanna swallowed uncomfortably.

_If a five-hundred-year-old otherworlder couldn’t stop the singularity, then what chance did our asset really have?_

Unless Danica would really die sometime between now and then…

But if she survived Irileth, then what, save for an encounter with Lilith, could seriously pose a threat to that woman’s life?

And that just begged another question.

Where was Lilith now?

It had been over a century now, on Kepler 452-B at least, since her last confirmed sighting.

“So, how should we proceed?” Joanna asked, and the man smirked wickedly.

“I’m glad you asked,” he said, as he gestured to the display on his desk.

Joanna moved to his side of the desk, as he made room for her to stand over the display, and she rolled her eyes as his hand immediately came to rest on the exposed bit of flesh just beneath the short cut of her work-suit.

She ignored the transgression as she studied the image, and as she tapped the screen, turning on the audio, the situation became a little clearer.

There was a younger man strapped to a chair, his head restrained and his eyes forced open as another man directed him to an image of Nathan.

“This is the man who killed you,” the man’s voice spoke, and the younger man shook his head.

“It isn’t- it was a man in gleaming blue armor.”

“This armor,” the voice spoke, as an image of Nathan wearing Raul’s armor appeared on the screen.

“Yes… this armor,” he replied, his voice hypnotic almost.

“This is the man that killed you,” the voice said again.

“No. It was the man in-”

“This armor,” the voice said again, cycling the image between an ordinary image of Nathan, and Nathan seemingly dressed in Raul’s armor. “This is the man that killed you.”

“This… this is-?”

“He was wearing this armor,” the man offered.

“He was wearing this armor,” the younger man repeated.

“This is the man that killed you…”

And this time, he repeated it, and Joanna let out a soft moan, as the wandering hand moved up her leg.

“Mmh. You’re turning him into a portent?”

She spread her legs a little, allowing the probing fingers to slip past the little crotch of her panties to her sex.

“Not just him… them,” he clarified, and Joanna swiped at the screen, scrolling to different feeds which showed the brainwashing procedure being performed on the three deceased members of the group whose cores had been turned in at the guildhall.

“You’re going to unleash three portents on the forest?” she asked, and he nodded.

“And the perfect minion for the job awaits their arrival.”

 _Jasper_ , she thought, moaning as a pair of fingers slipped inside of her.

“Won’t three portents be a bit much?” she asked, and he laughed.

“They’ll barely survive, that’s for sure. But as long as our asset does; he’ll be stronger than ever.”

 _Those poor souls_ , she thought, as the fingers worked pleasurably inside of her cunt.

***

“Nate!”

I shook my head a little, my eyes flickering open from… sleep?

When did I fall asleep?

“Nate, wake up!”

I let out a tired groan, as my eyes fluttered awake.

“Francesca?” I asked, and I furrowed my brow as I noted the sheer panic in her eyes. “What happened?”

“I think there’s something coming,” she said. “I… I feel something, but I dunno what.”

I studied her carefully, as I took a tentative look around.

What happened to me?

I remembered trying to pour my own energy into Bianca’s core, but after that… everything was hazy.

I took a quick look inwards, at my own energy flow, and noted that my core, while not depleted, was quite low on power.

Had I drained that much of my own power by using energy manipulation?

Francesca helped me to my feet, and I immediately noted that Casey and Gisela were quickly making their way over to us with worried looks on their faces.

Cameron, Jeannie and Jordan also made their way over.

“What’s happening?” Jordan asked, and I shook my head, turning to Francesca.

“What did you sense?” I asked, and she bit her lip nervously.

“It felt like… when those monsters were staring at us, with those hungry, desperate eyes.”

I studied her carefully.

“And you said it was coming?” I asked, and she nodded, closing her eyes for a second, then suppressing a little shudder.

“Yes. I can feel it; even now. It’s getting closer with each second.”

“Can you tell how far away?” I asked, and she shook her head.

“And why can’t anyone else sense it?” Jordan asked, and as her eyes began wavering uncertainly, I rested my hand on her shoulder, and steadied her as I held her gaze.

“I trust you,” I said reassuringly, and she smiled, as I turned to the group.

“Let’s arm up!” I called out. “Me, Francesca, Raul, will form a forward team. Jordan, Jeannie; create two separate squads with hunters. Gather everyone to the center of the camp, and let’s get ready for whatever’s on its way here.”

Everyone began to move, as Gisela directed the Kobalt to follow our lead, and everyone quickly swapped out whichever armors needed to be moved around.

I retrieved my halberd, and Francesca moved to my side as Casey helped Raul to get his armor on.

“Focus on sensing that thing,” I said, as Francesca shot me another worried look, before nodding.

She took a deep breath, but as she closed her eyes and focused, her eyes shot open, and almost at the same time, I felt it; the pores along my neck standing on end as I felt the piercing feeling of the creature’s presence, but before I could react, a scream rang out, and I turned in time to see Lucia, a dagger in her hand, darting toward the line of trees along the training area.

“Lucia! GET BACK HERE!” I screamed, but there was a murderous look in her eyes as she charged blindly towards the thing, screaming as she did.

_Fuck!_

I slung my halberd over my shoulder and darted after her, shooting Francesca a quick glance, and she took off after me without a word.

Lucia’s burst of speed seemed to defy what her little legs should have been capable of, but as I tore after her, what really astounded me was the sheer terror that this creature’s presence evoked.

Running towards it felt like running straight through a swarm of killer bees, and I wondered what kind of tenacity it took for a child to plunge through such a chaotic presence unperturbed.

There!

I spotted her darting past a nearby trunk, but no sooner had I darted in and scooped her up, skidding to a halt, than an indescribable feeling of dread filled me, and as I looked up, I saw the panicked look on Francesca’s face as she hurled her spear past me with as much effort as she could muster.

I turned my head just in time to see the creature swat the weapon away like it was a toothpick as it barreled towards me, and as it leapt, a small armored hand snaked it’s way around my neck from behind just as the creature’s jaw clamped down on me, and he grabbed the hand, and twisted wildly back and forth.

Francesca screamed, but she kept her hand firm and jabbed at the creature’s face with her other hand as it twisted and thrashed.

Eventually it threw her horribly aside, and Lucia screamed, struggling in my grasp to break free.

_Is this the one who killed your papa?_

It was so strange…

I’d seen that creature before, and it was nothing near as formidable a thing as the beast that stood before me now.

I restrained Lucia as I prepared to throw myself between the thing and Francesca’s unmoving body, but its eyes were transfixed on me.

“Danica’s… minion… must… PAY!” the creature bellowed, and my eyes went wide as I recognized the warbly voice.

That was Hans!

But… how?

I crouched and readied my halberd in a defensive posture, but when the creature finally attacked, my chest tightened uncomfortably as I immediately realized how hopelessly outmatched I was for speed.

The difference was so overwhelming, that even as his direction shifted and he darted past me, I was still raising my halberd’s point in the direction of his approach.

I turned, as he darted away…

Wait; that’s the direction of the camp!

Lucia struggled in my grasp again, and this time, I smacked her across the face, and pushed her to the floor in Francesca’s direction.

“She risked her life for you! Now, protect her!” I barked, and she cradled the place where my slap had landed, looking to me like a scared, wounded, puppy.

But as she turned and saw Francesca, slumped over and unmoving; her anger seemed to abate, and she drew her little dagger, then nodded, as she stood protectively over Francesca’s body.

I turned and took off after the creature.

He said I needed to pay, didn’t he?

Why would he run past me and head for the main group?

I felt a pit form in my stomach as I pushed my speed to the limit, trying to get back to the camp as fast as I could, and I got there to a scene of absolute chaos.

There were two bodies on the floor; one looked like Myrinne’s, and the other, Jeannie’s.

I couldn’t tell if they were still alive, but the amount of blood was significant.

The creature growled, and I turned my gaze to the treetops, where the thing was leaping from branch to branch.

“Pay. Pay! PAY!” it screamed.

I tracked his movement with my eyes, then I saw it; the moment when his eyes locked onto its target, and I followed the piercing gaze to Cameron; crouched helplessly beside Gisela, and my eyes went wide as I darted toward her.

I made it halfway there when the creature landed in the open space between me and her, and it shot me one snarling look, before turning to Cameron and leaping.

“NO!” I screamed, charging hopelessly, desperately with my halberd; but I knew there was no hope of beating him to her side.

I all but gave up as he raised his clawed hand to strike, when the last person I expected to see stepped in his path.

“Deine krallen sind verschwunden - _Your claws are no more_!” Miriam cried out, and the creature stopped, then stared at its own claws, a look of sheer confusion plastered on its face.

I paused for a second, then swept in; but he swiped at me, and I just barely managed to deflect the blow.

“Deine augen sehen ihn nicht – _your eyes do not see him_!” she called out, and as the creature turned, he began to cast confused looks everywhere.

I froze, and he swiped wildly several times, hitting nothing but air in a semi-circle around me.

I took a tentative step, and the creature’s head turned toward me, but as he swiped, I easily evaded the blow, then sliced him across his midsection, before leaping away in Cameron’s direction.

She seemed about to speak, but I put a finger to my lips, and she quickly covered her mouth, muffling her own whimper, as she nodded her understanding.

I eyed Miriam, but she was now teetering on her own feet.

_Her core!_

I moved to her side, and placed my hand on her hips, steadying her, and as soon as I identified the flow of energy within her, I poured my own energy into her, and tried to direct the threads toward the bump that I was certain represented her hypnosis skill.

She shot me a thankful nod, as she steadied herself in my arms.

“Sie werden angst vor uns haben- _You will fear us!_ ” she called out, and this time, I felt a significant pouring of energy from her, and the creature made a loud, wailing cry, before leaping into the trees overhead.

It took one more panicked look around, before leaping to the nearby tree and scrambling up the bark, before swinging its way from tree to tree and fleeing the area around our camp.

“Nate!”

My eyesight was blurred, and as I felt myself fading from consciousness, Cameron’s panicked cry was the last thing I heard before everything went black.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nate experiences 'feedback'; Palancar plays its trump card.

***

There was a burning in my chest, and as I shot upright, I felt the overwhelming urge to throw up.

I cast a panicked look around, then leaned over the edge of the cart in which I was apparently being carried, and retched, spewing a thick, green bile out in painful, heaving spurts.

“Fuck, stop for a sec!” Casey called out, and I felt a pair of arms wrapping themselves around me, steadying me, and rubbing my back as I continued to vomit.

“That… is gross,” I admitted, feeling even more nauseated as I saw the contents of what I’d thrown up on the floor beside the cart.

Casey helped me to sit back, but she kept me upright, as laying down would only worsen that burning feeling in my chest.

She handed me a waterskin, and I took a quick drink, which eased up the burning a bit.

“Fucking hell. What’s wrong with me?” I asked, and Casey bit her lip.

“Feedback,” she said, and I let out a pained groan.

“I might be a few power plant meltdowns and one whole planet too late, but seriously; fuck nuclear energy,” I declared, and she let out a little laugh.

I took a quick look around, but my eyes weren’t able to focus on anything just yet.

“What happened to the others? Francesca?”

“She’s fine, but she’s nursing a broken hand.”

“Jeannie? Myrinne?”

“They survived, but just barely. Ryker’s attending to them, but we had to use a few healing vials.”

“I’m glad you did,” I said, and she nodded.

“I figured you’d disown me if I let anyone die,” she said, and I quickly nodded.

“You did well,” I said. “What about Mir- I mean, the princess.”

Casey eyed me a little.

“She’s uh, fine… I think.”

I studied her worriedly.

“You think?”

She frowned.

“She’s suffering from the same effects as you, just… worse.”

“Do healing vials help with that?”

Casey shook her head.

“She needs to get the excess radiation out of her system,” she explained, and I frowned.

I shifted a bit, trying to get comfortable, and Casey studied me.

“Do you want us to stop?” she asked.

“How long until the next scheduled stop?”

“Two hours, I think.”

I shook my head.

“I’ll manage. Where’s Cameron, though?” I suddenly asked, then realized that it was probably insensitive of me to ask that of Casey, but she didn’t seem to care all that much.

“She can’t handle the bumpy ride inside of the carts… believe me, she tried, but she started vomiting almost as much as the princess did.”

The knowledge that she’d tried anyway pleased me greatly, and Casey shot me a wry smile.

“Lucia!” I exclaimed, as I suddenly remembered what she did. “That child needs a beating,” I said, and Casey frowned.

“She’s doing a pretty good job of beating herself up over Francesca’s injury,” she explained. “She’s basically waiting on her hand and foot as we speak.”

I grumbled a little before settling back down.

“Do you know where we’re headed?” I asked, and Casey nodded.

“I don’t think I’m supposed to say anything out loud, though.”

I sighed.

“Sometimes, I really fucking hate this world,” I said, and Casey smiled.

“Really now? And here I was thinking you were ‘Mr. Cool and collected’ about everything.”

I sighed.

“I don’t have to pretend with you, do I?”

She smiled, then shook her head.

“The otherworlder who the Kobalt worship; his name was Hans, I think.”

“An actual otherworlder?”

I nodded.

“Raul and I ran into him on the night we met Danica,” I began, and she studied me.

“Raul never mentioned another otherworlder,” she said. “So, he’s been alive all this time.”

“Well, sort of. Technically, he’s a monster now.”

Casey frowned.

“We can turn into monsters? How?”

“I have no idea how, but apparently Irileth defeated him and ‘turned’ him.”

“Turned?”

“Danica’s word,” I explained, and she nodded. “Anyway, these monsters; the geisterung, the aufhöcker… they’re his spawns.”

“Huh…? I’m still trying to grapple with this ‘humans turned into monsters’ thing,” she said, and I snickered a little bit.

“Well, you haven’t heard the worst of it yet; Irileth was also human.”

“So, someone turned Irileth?” she asked, and I shook my head.

“Not someone, per say… but a particular company,” I said suggestively, and her eyes went wide.

“The company turns us into monsters?”

“Danica said that that’s what happens when we buy a ticket home; because that’s exactly what Irileth did.”

Casey frowned.

“Then there’s no way for us to ever leave…” she muttered, and I nodded, letting out another sigh as I stared off into the tree tops above.

“Do we tell the others?” she finally asked, and I shook my head.

“I don’t think it changes our current course… maybe give them time to settle in, before breaking that kind of news.”

She nodded in agreement, before suddenly leaning down to kiss me.

“What was that for?” I asked, and she shrugged.

“Well… you did almost die. And I was worried out of my mind while you were unconscious. Besides, I’ve gotta enjoy the alone time while I’m still getting it… before, you know, you go off and find the next girl to impregnate,” she teased.

“That girl could be you,” I replied teasingly, and she rolled her eyes at me.

“Not a chance in fucking hell.”

I chuckled a little at the extreme reaction.

“What do you have against kids?” I asked. “Were you abused as a child or something?”

“For your information, I had a _fantastic_ fucking childhood,” she shot.

“Then what?”

She sighed.

“It’s personal,” she said, and I shrugged.

“Your body, your rules,” I admitted, and she smiled, then leaned in to kiss me again.

“Wha- Hey! I fucking saw that!” Bianca yelled, and I shot a concerned look over to the edge of the cart as she leapt onto it, and made an awkward attempt at swinging herself up.

“Christ, can you help her?” Casey asked, as she tried in vain to pull the girl up with her one hand, and Bianca made a whining sound as she dangled dangerously from the cart.

I helped Bianca up, and as she landed with a plop beside me, she folded her hands crossly.

“You’re sleeping with Nate!” she declared.

“Shh, keep your fucking voice down,” Casey chided, shooting a worried look around.

“Well? Are you?”

“Could you fucking control your girlfriend?” Casey asked, and Bianca shot her an angry glare.

“Oh, _I’m_ his girlfriend? You’re the one who’s fucking him, and besides… he won’t even touch me!” she said.

“Wait… you’re not sleeping with her?” Casey asked, and as I shook my head, she smiled a little.

 _Real subtle_ , I thought, as Bianca fumed.

“Arghhh! Admit it! You’re fucking him!”

“I’m not!” Casey declared, blushing a little, and Bianca began to scrutinize her.

“Then what was that lovey-dovey kiss about?”

Casey was beet red, and seemed quite flustered.

“H-he almost died, okay? I just… got a little sentimental!” she said defensively, and Bianca folded her arms.

“Fine, then. Admit that you wanna have sex with him!”

“Ugh, I do not need this! Just- call me when you’re done playing around with your girlfriend,” Casey said, and I snickered a little her response.

 _You can be so cute sometimes,_ I thought, and she eyed me, as if trying to read my expression.

As she tried to storm off, however, she quickly realized that she couldn’t get down from the cart, even as it stopped moving for her to do so, so I quickly moved over to help her down.

I shot her an apologetic look, but the teasing smile on her face told me that she didn’t mind quite so much as her reaction would have suggested.

“So, how does she get to have sex with you and I don’t?” Bianca asked.

“Why are you sure that she’s getting sex?” I asked.

“That kiss said it all,” she replied. “You can lie to me if you want; everyone does anyway. And I don’t even care if you’re fucking her, I just wanna know why you won’t do anything with me if you’re fucking her!”

I took Bianca’s hand, and she moved to my side, studying me intently.

“She’s gonna be embarrassed if you tell everyone else,” I said, and she nodded. “Casey is in a vulnerable state; I guess everyone is, but… she’s endured more than what most of us have. I started offering her emotional support, and I guess that evolved into something more than that.”

“But- but I’m in a vulnerable emotional state. No-one even likes me! You could be my support too,” she pleaded, and I chuckled a little at her argument.

“I could be, but… I want more than that for you,” I said, and she eyed me with suspicion.

“That sounds like you’re just making an excuse,” she replied. “You know, if you don’t want me, you can just tell me that!”

She yanked her hand angrily from my grasp, but her expression softened as I reached for her hand again, a sincere expression on my face.

“Bianca. I want you,” I said. “I want you in exactly all of the ways you want me to want you, but-”

“Why is there a ‘but’?” she whined.

“Because it’s an important but. I don’t just want you, Bianca… I want you to be happy.”

“Then just take me. I don’t want anything except that!”

I took Bianca’s hands into mine, then drew her closer, and she climbed onto my lap as I pulled her close, and kissed her on the forehead.

“If it were just the two of us, and I could focus entirely on you, I’d marry you in a heartbeat. I’d take you someplace safe, just the two of us, and I would do all of the things you want me to do to make you happy,” I said. “But, that’s not possible. There are a lot of things, and a lot of people, that constantly require my attention. If I took you to myself like that, you would hate me eventually, because I would never be there often enough for you; not as often as you need me to be, at least.”

Bianca frowned.

“No; whatever time you have for me will be enough. I’ll be content with it, I promise!”

I smiled, then brushed her bangs out of her face, and stroked her cheek, admiring her cute face.

“You’ll have to be; but I’m going to do this right.”

“Ugh! I don’t care if we do it wrong. Besides; why does this matter?”

I bit my lip a little, as I studied her for a bit.

“Bianca. Correct me if I’m wrong, but… when you fall for a guy, is sex the first thing you do?”

“What do you mean?”

“Do you sleep with someone; and I mean someone that you’re like, and that’s interested in you; before you get to know them.”

She frowned.

“I guess…”

I nodded.

“Well, what I want is for you to do this in reverse this time. I want to get to know you, form bonds with you… and most of all, I want to know that you can form bonds with the rest of the group. Then, and I absolute pinky swear promise you, you’ll get the kind of relationship with me that you want.”

She pouted a little, folding her hands crossly as she studied me.

“I wanna negotiate!” she declared, and I snickered at her.

“Let’s hear it.”

“I want kisses,” she said, and I snickered again.

“Oh~. I thought you didn’t care about kissing,” I said.

“I didn’t, but kissing you the other day was pretty good. And if Casey’s getting kisses, then I want in on some of that.”

“Fine then; I accept your terms. You may have your kisses,” I conceded, and she grinned mischievously.

“And~, I get to kiss you wherever I want to!”

“Denied!” I replied enthusiastically, and she frowned.

“Hey~, I thought we were negotiating!” she complained, and I shrugged.

“Fine then; you can kiss me everywhere, but nothing below the belt.”

She folded her arms angrily.

“Fine,” she conceded, a little glumly, but as I pulled her in and kissed her, she blushed a little, and smiled despite herself.

She snuggled up close to me, and I noted with some interest that she seemed quite content to just sit there, wrapped in my arms.

We remained like that for some time, until the cart came to a stop, and I could hear the sounds of people moving around just outside.

“Are we stopping here?” I asked, and Bianca stood up, and took a look around.

“It looks so. That means lunch!” she declared proudly, and I helped her down from the cart, before climbing down myself.

Bianca was shooting glances between me and the supply cart where the Kobalt seemed to be organizing our meals, and as she gnawed on her finger anxiously, I chuckled a little, then ruffled her hair.

“Go on,” I said.

“Come with me,” she whined, and I shook my head.

“I need to go check on the others first,” I said. “Just, save me a bite, and we’ll meet back here to eat, okay?”

She nodded, and smiled happily as she sauntered off.

“She’s really something, huh…” Cameron said, as she moved to my side, and I smiled as I turned to study her, my eyes flicking to her belly.

“Were you hurt?” I asked, my hand moving almost instinctively to her stomach, but as she swayed girlishly at the touch, smiling, her expression suddenly changed, and as I followed her gaze, I caught sight of Nolan, a shell-shocked expression on his face as he stared openly at the interaction between me and Cameron.

I shot her an apologetic look, and she quickly shook her head.

“It’s fine. I’m like two days away from this being visibly noticeable, and I’m guessing he’s gonna notice. I might as well just bite the bullet here, huh…”

She took a deep breath in, and I studied her.

“You’re gonna tell him?” I asked, and she nodded.

“Wish me luck,” she said, and I let my hand linger in hers for a moment, before she withdrew and headed over to Nolan’s side.

I stared after her for a bit, but as I caught Nolan’s glance in my direction, I quickly turned away.

 _Where are you, Casey?_ I thought, as I scanned the group.

 _Are you looking for me, Nate?_ Casey’s voice spoke into my head. _Look to your left; I’m by the supply cart next to Gisela, just beyond where Bianca’s standing._

Following her directions, I quickly spotted her, and I shook my head, as the timing of the message seemed too good to be a co-incidence.

“What?” she asked, as soon as I was close enough to her to talk.

“How did you know I was looking for you?” I asked, and she bit her lip nervously.

“I sensed something from you, and when I looked over, you were alone…”

“Hmm. If I could control it, this would be a pretty neat way to signal to you,” I said, and she frowned.

“Have you ever tried to control it?”

I shook my head.

“I don’t even know where to start. The thing you described sensing from me isn’t something I really understand.”

“It’s called _feelings_ ,” she teased, and I rolled my eyes, mocking her typical mannerism.

“I wanna check in on everyone who was injured. Can you help me around, or are you busy?”

She turned around, looking for Gisela, then nodded.

“Yeah, Gisela has things pretty much under control.”

“You don’t sound as annoyed by that as you usually do,” I noted, and she bit her lip nervously.

“I guess I didn’t realize how much Gisela actually does to keep things running smoothly, but I have a lot to learn… especially if I want to go around boasting about being your advisor.”

“You do a lot to keep things running too. Don’t go selling yourself short,” I said, and she let out a sigh.

“Thanks. Who do you wanna check on first?” she asked.

“Whose injury was the worst?”

“Probably Myrinne’s, but Jeannie is right over there, and I see Ryker about to do his rounds as well.

I nodded, gesturing for her to lead me there, and Casey led me to a cart some way ahead of the supply carts.

As we got there, I noted the worried look on Ryker’s face; but before he could properly speak, a Kobalt man approached us, and knelt on the floor before me.

“Auslander. The fault is with me. Please accept my life as payment,” he said, as he prostrated himself before us.

_Where’s Gisela when I need her?_

“Uhh, what’s he saying?” I asked, and Casey leaned in to whisper.

“Jeannie protected him from the creature; apparently that’s how she was wounded.”

 _Interesting_ , I thought, though as I thought about it, I recalled that she’d been the one most concerned with the fate of our Kobalt friends, and a curious thought occurred to me.

Maybe we could pair them off?

I studied him, and he seemed young enough, with a muscular tone that implied to me that he was a hunter.

I bent down, then placed a hand on the man’s shoulder, and he flinched.

“Stand,” I said, and he reluctantly obeyed. “What are you called?”

“Elias,” he said, as I studied him.

His facial features were not overly unpleasant.

“I have a request,” I said, and he nodded slowly. “Will you see to the goddess’ recovery?”

“Herr Auslander, this is impossible-” he began, but as I shot him a questioning look, his protest quickly faded away. “Your will, be done,” he said, as he bowed, and I nodded, signaling to Casey for us to proceed.

We approached the cart, which had an open rear, allowing us to climb up much more easily, and Ryker followed, but not without shooting curious glances back at the man.

“Nate, you’re alright,” Jeannie’s voice called, but I furrowed my brow, as her voice seemed weak; strained almost, and as I studied her, I noted that she looked quite frail.

“You don’t look well,” I said, and she smiled.

“I feel like shit too,” she replied, and we chuckled a little, though the effort resulted in a little fit of coughing, and Ryker quickly moved to her side, and helped her to take a sip of water from a saucer placed beside her bedding.

“What happened?” I asked, and she sighed.

“That thing just swept in on us; we were prepared, so it couldn’t get past our line, but it was tougher than we expected. Then it threw Raul like he was just a ragdoll before turning on one of those, uh- hunters, was it?”

I nodded.

“Dunno what came over me; I leapt towards the man and put my shoulder between the creature’s mouth and his neck, and it just ripped into me.”

She shuddered a little.

“Can I see where she was bit?” I asked, and she nodded as Ryker shot her a questioning look.

She turned onto her side, and as Ryker slipped the loose-fitting robe aside, I saw a series of scars running from her shoulder to the middle of her back, just where her spine was.

It was amazing that she survived that.

“Jesus,” I breathed. “You’re gonna have one hell of a story to tell your grandkids,” I said, and she smiled, as she turned over onto her back, and Ryker helped to settle her back into a comfortable resting position.

“By the way; I hope you don’t mind, but I asked that Kobalt who you saved to check on you from time to time. He feels responsible for you getting hurt, and he’s taking it really badly.”

Jeannie shook her head.

“I don’t mind at all,” she said. “And he really doesn’t need to feel badly about it. I just hate that they’re dying for our sakes, and I can’t seem to be of any use to them in return whatsoever.”

I chuckled a little.

“You were about to start training, weren’t you? I’m sure one day you’ll save more of their lives than you can count,” I suggested, and she smiled again, as we turned to leave.

“How is she doing?” I asked Ryker, as soon as we were out of earshot.

“The shed blood must be replenished. She will recover, but rest and nourishment are required.”

I nodded.

“What about Myrinne?” I asked, as I remembered her being wounded as well, and Ryker bit his lip nervously.

“Come on; this way,” Casey said, and Ryker nodded as we followed along to a cart just beyond Jeannie’s.

When we got there, I noted that Evie was there as well, and her eyes lit up as she saw me.

“Nate! I need to ask you something,” she said, as soon as we approached.

“What is it?”

“Casey said there was an energy manipulation skill that you use; can you teach me how to do it?”

I tilted my head at her.

“Sure, but why do you need to learn it?” I asked.

“Because I think I can save Myrinne if I know how to,” she explained.

“Save Myrinne? How bad is it?” I asked, moving to the cart.

As I peeked inside, I caught sight of her, and it was not a pretty scene.

She was wrapped heavily in bandages that were visibly bloody, and I quickly turned to Casey.

“Why wasn’t she healed with the vials?” I asked, and Casey frowned.

“Their cores can’t process the vials the way ours do… this was all we could do before they stopped working completely.”

I frowned.

“Please, Nate. I can save her. I know I can!”

I turned to Evie.

“Tell me everything,” I said, and she pointed to her shoulder, where she now wore a shoulder guard.

“I gave her the shoulder guard with the medicine skill,” Casey explained, and I nodded.

“How has it worked?” I asked.

“It’s amazing. Like, I feel as if I just suddenly understood things about the body and how it works. It helped me to treat some of Myrinne’s cuts, but there’s something more to it. Like, I could feel something inside of her trying to heal the worst of the wounds, and something just tells me that I could help it along if I knew how to direct the energy from her core to the places that need that energy to accelerate healing the most.”

I nodded, immediately understanding what she meant.

“Can I?” I asked, gesturing to the shoulder guard, and Evie quickly nodded, deactivating the piece and removing it.

I fixed it in place on my own shoulder, and as we secured the straps and it powered on, I climbed into the supply cart where Myrinne lay, her breathing so ragged, that every breath seemed as if it could be her last.

I focused my gaze on her and concentrated hard, and as I did, I saw the threads of energy flowing within; but it was pretty slow and choppy, much like what happened when someone’s core was almost depleted.

There were many smaller threads, however, which connected the main thread to the various areas which had been damaged, a lot of which I now realized represented internal injury, and as I placed a hand against her body, I began to focus on directing the threads to the areas that my newfound intuition about the body seemed to be indicating were in the worst shape.

Myrinne’s breathing evened out almost immediately in response, and Evie placed a hand excitedly on my shoulder.

“It’s working! You’re doing it,” she said, but no sooner had she uttered the words than the urge to puke suddenly overwhelmed me, and I turned, darting to the side of the cart just as I began to vomit violently.

Casey quickly moved to my side, and she rubbed my back gently until I was done, and I wiped at my mouth, and blinked back the tears.

“Fucking hell, Nate. You need to hold off on using your abilities until the excess radiation leaves your body.”

“But, can he teach me?” Evie asked.

Casey bit her lip, uncertainly.

“I’m not sure. He learns abilities quickly because of another skill that you don’t have access to, so it might not be transferable,” she said.

“Actually, Danica said that energy manipulation was a basic skill that everyone learns eventually; and that’s the basis of what I just did. Let’s give it a try,” I said, and as Casey eyed me sharply, I added, “relax, I won’t use any abilities myself.”

I returned the shoulder guard to Evie, then described to her the energy pattern, and the way I saw it when I focused my gaze on someone, and as she focused hard on me, her eyes suddenly went wide.

“Oh my God! I can see it,” she said, and I let out a relieved sigh.

“Now, tell me what you see when you look at her,” I said, and Evie nodded, focusing on Myrinne.

“Her threads are so weak… compared to yours. Nate-”

Her eyes teared up, and I rested a hand comfortingly on her shoulder.

“We can save her. You can… I believe in you,” I said, and she nodded, wiping away the tears. “Tell me if you see the areas where she needs to accelerate the healing the most.”

She nodded.

“I think I see them… she has a damaged lung, and muscular tearing along- here; I don’t know what it’s called.”

“Stomach lining,” Ryker suggested, and Evie quickly nodded.

“How do I help her?” she asked.

“You need to direct the threads to the areas where the healing should be prioritized,” I explained.

“How do I do that?”

“Just focus on the spot, and imagine that you’re directing the threads to it, from the primary energy thread.”

She bit her lip, as a look of intense focus appeared on her face, and she nodded.

“I see them moving; how many threads did you manage to direct there?”

“I’m not sure.”

I focused on Myrinne, much to Casey’s annoyance, but I noted that while the threads directed by Evie weren’t as thick in volume as what I’d done, she seemed to be directing the threads to multiple affected areas at once.

“Keep that up, and I think you’ll do fine here,” I said, and Evie nodded, as I continued, “just keep an eye on your own core, okay?”

She nodded again, and Casey and I decided to leave her to it.

Ryker also stayed behind, and I noted that he seemed quite interested in Evie’s newfound ability.

Maybe I should also keep him in mind as a candidate for core training?

“Ryker would make a great healer, wouldn’t he?” I suggested, and Casey nodded.

“Are you thinking about training him?”

I nodded, and she rubbed her chin thoughtfully.

“We need him for medical emergencies, though,” she said, and I nodded.

“Maybe we can get Evie up to speed first? Then let her take up some of the load so he can focus on training. His medical skill is probably already decent enough, so it’s really a matter of bolstering his core capacity.”

Casey nodded in agreement.

“Where do you wanna go next?” she asked, and I gestured ahead to a cart where Francesca was hanging upside down over the edge, her legs locked onto the wooden barrier on the side of the cart, and she was doing inverted abdominal crunches.

As we approached, however, I spotted Lucia, who was studying me with an expression that was equal parts worry and fear.

“Come on,” I said to her, and Francesca paused her workout to study us. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

Lucia’s eyes teared up a bit, and she shook her head, but as I gestured again, insisting, she finally took a few timid steps towards me, and I scooped her up.

“You understand what you did, don’t you?”

She bit her lip, then nodded timidly.

“I don’t want you to get hurt; I know you hate that monster, and I promise you… we’ll get your revenge. But you need to get strong enough, or else you’re just throwing your life away.”

She nodded, wiping away the tears, and replacing them with a more determined look.

I ruffled her hair a bit and she wrapped her arms around me as I held her comfortingly.

“How’s your arm?” I asked, but as Lucia winced, I shot Casey a quick look, and she nodded.

“Hey, Lucia. Let’s go get Francesca something to eat,” Casey suggested, and I shot her a thankful nod, though her ability to correctly guess what I wanted at a glance was beginning to unnerve me.

I set Lucia down, and as Casey took her hand and led her to the supply cart, I returned my attention to Francesca, and shot her a disapproving stare.

“What?” she asked.

“Can’t you rest even with a broken hand?” I chided, and she shrugged.

As she tried to get herself down from the cart, however, I stopped her, and eyed her lips for a moment, which made her smile.

“We could totally pull off that spider-man upside down kiss right now,” I said, and she giggled at me.

“But wouldn’t that make me spider-man, and you, Mary Jane?”

I shrugged.

“I could be your MJ. Go get them, tiger,” I said, and she giggled again.

“If we’re re-enacting spiderman, let’s at least do the less cringy versions,” she said.

I leaned in and kissed her, then helped her up from her workout position.

“I really fucked up, huh?” she said.

I raised an eyebrow at her.

“I’m sorry, what?”

“When that thing grabbed me; I figured how strong he was in an instant, but I tried to let my hand noodle, thinking I could survive the thrashing before making a counter attack, but I was wrong. He snapped my arm anyway. I should have tensed up, held firm; and tried to control his trashing,” she said.

“No way you could figure that out in that situation,” I said, and she frowned.

“I know… but I still regret my error. Even before the fight; we always have a spare dagger lying around; if I’d taken it with me, I’d could have stabbed that thing right in the face instead of jabbing at it with my fist. That fight could have been over before he even got past us. That was my second mistake, and it could have cost us lives.”

I shook my head at her, chuckling as I did.

“Now I see why Raul is terrified of you. My fierce little lion.”

I ruffled her hair a bit, and she blushed cutely.

She truly was something though, wasn’t she?

We were both hopelessly outmatched by that beast’s sheer athleticism and deadliness.

Yet in that instant, she had already worked out how she could have beaten it, while I could barely conceive of a way to react.

Maybe I’d need to start taking lessons from her as well.

“Hey, Nate. Do you think you could support my weight? I wanna try doing a one-handed push-up, but I don’t wanna risk falling on my arm if I can’t do it.”

I shook my head at her, when something occurred to me.

“Actually… there might be something else you can work on right now.”

I explained to her how I was able to see the energy threads inside of a person, and she sat down cross-legged in front of me, as she decided to give it a try, and once again, her eyes went wide as she immediately figured it out.

“Holy shit! That’s amazing!”

I nodded, focusing on her core threads as I did.

I could see the coagulation of threads where the bone in her right arm had been broken, that were delivering accelerated healing to the spot.

As I explained to her how to manipulate the threads, she began to work on it while I watched, and I noted again that she was able to direct the threads as I’d explained, though the density of the threads she gathered up was significantly less than what Evie had managed to accomplish.

 _Was that because of the armor?_ I wondered.

Even so, I quickly realized that this was a skill that everyone needed to learn as soon as possible, since being able to handle the healing of minor injuries on our own would be a crucial skill going forward.

Francesca thanked me for my help, then set to work on repairing her own injury, so I turned and tried to figure out where my final stop would be; Miriam.

I spotted Gisela some way off, and as I approached her, she turned to study me, a slightly worried look on her face.

“Herr Nathan. Are you well?” she asked, concern plastered on her face, and I nodded, rubbing the back of my head as I did.

“How is the princess?” I asked, and she frowned.

“She is with sickness, but her affliction does not appear dire.”

“Can you take me to her?” I asked, and Gisela quickly nodded.

I followed along as she led me around a bit of bush beside the supply cart to where a little make-shift sleeping area had been assembled for the princess to rest.

As soon as Miriam spotted me, however, she frowned, and quickly said something to Gisela.

“The princess wishes you not see her in this state,” Gisela explained, and I shook my head.

“You can leave us,” I said, and she shot me a worried look, before turning to the princess and bowing slightly, before turning to leave.

As I approached, however, Miriam scowled a little.

 _I am not in a state to be in the presence of my beloved,_ she began, and I shook my head.

I remembered Gisela’s assertion that the princess at least understood the old tongue, so I decided to give it a try.

“I was worried,” I said in German, and she smiled.

 _My state is not something of worry; this affliction is just ugly_ , she explained, and I shook my head.

“You saved my life. You saved everyone,” I countered. “How could I accept such an honor, if I could not sit by your side through your affliction?”

She smiled, though still a little glumly, as I moved closer and took a seat beside her.

She rested a hand against my face, caressing it gently.

 _You are also afflicted_ , she said, and I nodded.

As she tried to sit up, however, she stumbled, and I caught her, then brought her head to rest on my lap, and as she lay there, she smiled again.

 _Your energy flowed into me at that time_ , she said. _It left me with a longing to be filled with your essence in a different manner._

She shuddered a little, and I snickered, as I understood her curious use of ‘Kobalt innuendo’.

“If you desire it, you may have it at any time,” I said, and she shifted a little uncomfortably.

_Truthfully, I wished us settled so that our godling would come forth surrounded by companion-servants._

“I can arrange that,” I said suggestively, and Miriam blushed.

_Oh? Are goddesses seeking your bed already that many?_

“If you will it, I would bed them all,” I continued, and she smiled.

_In time, my sweet. I will not permit godlings to serve a princess; especially not yours._

As I stroked her smooth, glassy hair comfortingly, Miriam let out a soft, appreciative moan.

 _I desire to rest in your embrace. May I request the honor?_ she asked, and I nodded.

“Of course,” I replied, and she curled up on my lap, and after a few short minutes, she was fast asleep.

I studied her as she slept, and I suddenly felt the urge to study her energy pattern again.

I quickly recognized the hypnosis ability, along with several other abilities that formed little clusters around her core thread; but as I studied the hypnosis skill, I suddenly realized that what I’d previously believed to be one large bump, was in fact a cluster of bumps wound together with threads and forming a little knot.

What did it mean?

Was the hypnosis skill then, not exactly a skill; but rather, the combination of several skills?

Or were there perhaps prerequisite skills required in order to acquire it.

I thought about it for a bit…

There were some skills that I’d seen that I hadn’t been able to copy, weren’t there?

Like Danica’s fighting style?

Or even the way she moved as she ran; and movement skills fell into the realm of something that I’d even copied before.

It was a curious thing, and it made me wonder if there weren’t other people other there; otherworlders like Danica, who could offer us some guidance when it came to these things.

I mean, if left on my own, I’d probably have taken weeks to happen across energy manipulation; yet with a few minutes of instruction, I’d been able to teach the skill to both Francesca and Evie.

There was a high probability many more things like that existed; useful, game changing things, that we could maybe learn with a few small pointers.

I let out a tired sigh, then sat back.

I felt pretty tired as well, but as I moved into a more comfortable position, the princess stirred just long enough to settle properly into my arms.

She seemed so frail and vulnerable in my arms, and as I studied her sleeping form, I began to think about our current situation.

That creature; whatever it was, was still out there, and I had no idea how long Miriam’s hypnosis would last.

We needed to get stronger; and faster too.

And for that, we’d need a skill trainer…

***

_What was that?_

The man just disappeared!

And my claws!

Even now, I could not see them.

I turned to the sky and let loose a wicked howl, then slashed at a branch, and it fell.

It exists!

I cannot see them, but they exist!

Then so does the man…

To think I would let him slash me.

ME!

He will pay

Pay.

PAY!

I need rest.

There is still much to learn, but the meal is more than I could eat in a year.

I needed to digest faster.

Faster!

Maybe if I eat the smaller ones, then my light would burn brighter and the master’s knowledge will fill me!

Smaller ones…

There were many around the tasty one, but I can’t smell them anymore.

That woman.

That fucking woman!

She ruined everything!

I will feast on her too-

Wait!

I smell it.

One crawls nearby!

Follow, quick.

I swung from branch to branch, until the thing came into sight.

He was running.

Run, run, little bug!

Wait… what’s a bug?

Must be master’s word…

No, my word!

I am master, and he is me!

Tasty little bug, come, come!

I leapt onto his back, and his scream died out as I tore the throat out of his neck.

Now, just to gather up the core… but, maybe a snack while I wait?

The flesh is no longer as tasty, but no mind, the core is ready!

But as I absorb a little, a scowl crosses my face.

The taste is poor.

Bitter.

But… I must eat.

This one will take but an hour…

Wait, what’s an hour?

Never mind! The meals will be many before master’s knowledge can come to me.

Eat, eat, hunt!

Eat!

***

“Hey, Nate. Wake up.”

I groaned as my eyes fluttered open.

“Is it time to leave?” I asked, and Casey nodded.

The princess was still asleep beside me, but as my eyes adjusted, I caught sight of Gisela and another of her companions beside her.

“We will move the princess to a carriage, Herr Nathan,” Gisela said, but I quickly shook my head.

“Let me,” I said, as I easily scooped her up.

She was such a petite, delicate little thing, wasn’t she?

It was hard to believe that one so small could carry such significance and importance to an entire people.

She stirred, and as her hands gently brushed against my cheek, she smiled.

_Your touch is as gentle as the Garenon breeze, mine Götze._

Gisela led me along to the cart prepared for Miriam, and as I settled her in, she held onto me.

_I desire your comfort, love._

I shot Gisela a quick look, and she nodded, letting me know that it was okay, but I caught a slightly glum expression on Casey’s face as she left us, somewhat reluctantly, and the journey resumed.

_Tell me a story, high Götze._

I chuckled a little, rubbing the back of my head nervously.

“That’s a little difficult. This tongue does not come naturally to me.”

She waved a hand dismissively.

_Any tale that you adore will do, my sweet. I wish to hear the sweet nuances of your voice; I need not understand._

I gave the matter some thought, then nodded, clearing my throat as I began:

“There was a throne; upon it sat no king, nor creature, and while it existed, it did so in neither space nor time, until the throne willed such things into existence. But as space and time came to be, the throne also fashioned two beings. To these beings, it delivered a command:

‘Travel to the ends of space and time,’ it commanded the two beings, ‘and return when you have seen the ends of your respective journeys.’

“So, the first being set off through time, while its opposite number, through space. But even as they travelled on and on, no end was in sight. It was then that a voice spoke to the being of time:

‘If you return now and say that you have seen the end of time, then none can doubt you!’

‘But what of the throne?’ the being asked. ‘Is it’s will not absolute?’

“The voice laughed.

‘The throne sees nothing. It will know nothing of your journey, for this task, is in itself meaningless.’

“The being of time gave thought to the voice’s words, then nodded.

‘Very well. Let us return, and you can confirm to the throne that you were with me when I saw the end of time.’

“The voice eagerly agreed, but as soon as the being returned, it quickly realized its mistake, and as it stood before the throne, no words came.

‘Speak onto me,’ the throne commanded. ‘Why do you appear before me?’

‘The end of time, we have seen!’ the voice answered, but the being remained silent, for he could not bear to lie to the one who supplanted him with life.

‘Forgive me, my throne! I failed in the performance of my task. I grew weary with my journey to the ends of time, and I allowed this voice to convince me that I should return to thee.’

“A loud rumbling sound echoed from the throne, and the being cowered.

‘Your transgression is grave, but alas; you speak in earnest of your misdeed. Your conscience is clean; but to make amends, the being of space thou must now seek! Go forth, my being, and seek thee the ends of space.’

“Thus it came to be, that time moved forward along the plane set forward by space, one forever seeking the other; and when time finally catches up to space, all things will again cease to be.

“To be continued,” I whispered, as Miriam let out a soft, gentle exhalation.

She was fast asleep, and I found myself giving in to my own core-strained exhaustion as well.

I settled in beside her then drifted off to a dreamless sleep, and I must have slept for some time as the next time I awoke, it was to a darkening night sky.

The caravan had come to a halt, and Miriam was stirring beside me.

She rubbed sleepily at her eyes, then smiled as she noted that I had remained by her side.

 _Your presence is a comfort I never knew I needed until now,_ she said into my mind, and I smiled, as she moved in and nuzzled me affectionately.

As I climbed out of the cart, however, I caught sight of Bianca shooting daggers out of her eyes at me, but before I could properly process anything, another wave of nausea came over me, and I turned to the side of the cart just as I began to heave and retch, roughly spewing out more of that thick, green sludge.

 _What the fuck am I even throwing up?_ I thought, as I wiped at my eyes.

The taste in my mouth was bitter; worse than any medicine or any taste, even, that I could remember.

My mind felt hazy, and I heard the princess cry out something just as I felt myself being supported by another.

I tried to make out who it was, but I was falling into unconsciousness fast, and as I went down, I did so with the hope that whoever it was would be able to support my weight.

***

I woke up to a familiar but curious sensation of breasts pressed up against my chest.

Wait, where was my armor?

I felt a slight moment of panic, as my armor had basically become my second skin over the past few days, but a different kind of panic set in as I realized that the breasts pressed up against my chest weren’t the only ones in contact with my body.

I opened my eyes slowly, trying to figure out what was going on.

“Nate, are you waking up?”

The voice was Cameron’s and it came from somewhere behind me; wait, my head was resting against something soft.

What the…?

As my eyes fluttered open, I found myself in an almost surreal scene.

Bianca was on top of me, hence the breasts that were pressed into my chest, but curled up under my right arm was Molly, and under my left was Leanna; with both girls pressing themselves quite closely to me on either side, and as I turned my head, I spotted Cameron, grinning at me with a curious expression.

“I actually died back there, didn’t I?” I asked, more to myself really even as I said it out loud, and Bianca giggled at me.

“Hey, if he thinks he’s dead, then can we do some dirty things to him?” she asked.

“Sure, why not?” Cameron replied, until a familiar sound of a clicking tongue came to me from somewhere off to my left.

“Behave,” Casey said. “Until we get all of the excess feedback out of his system, he needs to do as little as possible.”

“He doesn’t have to do anything. I’ll do all the work,” Bianca said suggestively, as she sat up, and rubbed her hands across my chest.

“Hey! Lie back down. Maximum body contact, remember?”

Bianca frowned as she obeyed Casey’s order, and I turned in her direction and shot her a questioning look.

“What is this?” I asked, and Casey sighed.

“After sleeping with your princess, you accumulated more feedback. I’m not sure why, but you absorbed most of the excess feedback that she was afflicted with, and it made you really sick.”

I frowned, as if I had done that, it certainly wasn’t intentional.

“So, this is what? Feedback therapy?” I asked, and Bianca smirked.

“Yep. I’m saving your life here, so you better remember to thank me for it later,” she said.

“Maybe he should thank us all… one by one,” Molly added suggestively, and Leanna squirmed a little against my arm.

Casey moved closer to us, then as she stared at me, I eyed her with a look of surprise.

She was gazing into my energy core!

As soon as she was finished looking at whatever she was checking on, she caught the expression on my face, and smiled.

 _I learned to use it,_ she said into my head; quite proudly, I should add, and I shot her a quick smile.

The smile immediately faded, however, as soon as I realized that Cameron was behind me.

“Wait, if this thing makes you sick, why are you doing this too?” I asked, turning to her, and she shook her head, caressing my face lovingly with her hand.

“I’m not in as much surface contact with you as those three,” she said, gesturing to the other girls, but that reassurance did little to settle my fears.

I shot Casey a quick look, and she nodded.

“Maybe I should take over for a bit?” she suggested, and Cameron frowned.

“I guess I could grab something to eat,” she said, and I quickly nodded in agreement, as she slipped from behind me, and Casey took her place, resting my head against her lap.

As everyone settled in again, however, Leanna squirmed against me, and as I suddenly noted a slight bit of heat coming from her, where her body pressed into mine around her sex, and I began to stir almost instinctively.

I panicked for a second as Bianca’s expression told me that she felt it, as she turned to me and smiled.

But, thankfully, she didn’t say anything… and soon enough, I felt myself falling back into another deep sleep.

I woke up a few more times during the night, still smothered pleasurably in a tangle of limbs, but the girls were all asleep those times, and I lay there, unmoving, not wanting to ‘upset the apple cart’, until eventually I drifted back off to sleep.

This continued throughout the night, until I awoke to the sight of the girls being roused and led, groggily, to their own spots in the sleeping area.

Evie, Ryker and Gisela then joined Casey in checking on me.

Evie took a look into my energy core, then nodded.

“Almost all of the feedback seems to have cleared up.”

I frowned.

“It’s not gonna make the other girls get sick, is it?”

Casey shook her head.

“When the feedback is drawn out in small amounts, and especially while sleeping, it actually just gets absorbed by their own cores.”

I rubbed my chin.

“So, absorbing feedback in small amounts can develop your own core?”

Casey nodded.

“Well, yeah. But if it goes over a really small threshold, it makes you really sick, and unable to recover your own core capacity for a while.”

I stretched a little, before turning to Evie.

“How’s Myrinne doing?” I asked.

“She’s stable now. I had to be careful about accelerating her healing too much because it still drains her own core, and when I tried to use my own core to accelerate it, Ryker stopped me.”

I shot him a questioning look, and he braced, as if I was about to slap him.

“Why?” I asked.

“He said that when you pour your own energy into another, it almost always results in feedback for both parties,” Evie explained, and I frowned.

I’d done that twice yesterday, hadn’t I?

With Bianca, and later on with Miriam…

No wonder I felt so sick.

I felt much, much better now though.

I stretched lazily again, as my limbs felt slightly numbed from remaining unmoved for so long.

“What time is it?” I asked.

“Two hours before the final segment of night,” Casey answered, and Gisela nodded at her.

“And how far away are we from our first destination?”

“We will arrive this day-cycle,” Gisela answered, and I tilted my head at her.

“We’re getting out of this grove that quickly?” I asked, and Gisela bit her lip nervously.

“Our trajectory is changed; we aim for a little cluster originally meant to be bypassed.”

“Will the princess be well enough by then to see visitors?” I asked, and Gisela shook her head.

“No, but our image is aided if the princess sees to visitors while tended to by her god-mate,” Gisela said, nodding to me, and I smiled.

_A little Florence Nightingale gender-swap play, huh?_

Sounds good to me.

“Is it safe for me to use skills again?” I asked.

“Yes-”

“No-”

Evie and Casey looked at each other, having given me the two contradictory responses respectively, and I snickered a little at Casey.

“Sorry, but you’ve been overruled by my attending physician,” I said, and Casey frowned.

“You should rest a little more,” she said, and I shook my head.

 _I’ll be damned if I let that thing come back here and hurt Cameron, or my child,_ I thought.

“Did Bianca sleep all night?” I asked, and Casey nodded. “And Lucia?”

“Yeah- you want to train them? Now?”

I nodded.

“We need to step up the daily training a bit. From the dangers we’ve seen so far, we’re overdependent on a small group of fighters, and if any of us get hurt like Francesca did, we’ll end up in trouble.”

Casey bit her lip, but Evie nodded in agreement.

“Nate is right. I’ve been useless in the last two conflicts, and many others have too. We need to step up.”

I turned to Ryker.

“I want to include you in the training, not to teach you combat skills, but to improve your core capacity. Would you be okay with doing that?” I asked, and the boy cast frightful glances between me and Evie, but as Evie gestured that it would be okay, he quickly nodded.

“Is it really safe for us to core-train the only Kobalt versed in medicine, though?” Casey asked.

Ryker actually shook his head at this, before interjecting.

“All of the companion-servants have been trained in healing,” he said, and I nodded.

“Besides; Lucia recovers her core capacity after a four-hour nap; that’s a little over one segment,” I said turning to Ryker. “We can afford to have you sleep at least that much, at least once a day, right?”

Ryker nodded shyly, and I smiled, ruffling his hair a little playfully as I did.

The boy blushed, and I noted that he had many mannerisms that one might consider ‘girly’, in addition to having a face that one might consider quite beautiful, but also in a rather feminine way.

“I’m thinking of training Gunter as well,” I added. “He’s shown some potential in the use of sensory skills.”

Gisela rubbed her chin, then nodded.

“I see little use in training such a sapling, but none will object; and Gunter will be most pleased.”

She bowed, and headed off to attend to things elsewhere, and as Evie headed off to fetch Lucia and Bianca, I took the moment to embrace Casey, and she studied me.

“What is this?” she asked, and I snickered a little.

“Thanks for holding down the fort,” I said, and she shoved me playfully in response.

“I’ll take that gratitude in kisses, please,” she said, her eyes flicking past me to the rest of the group. “When you’re done playing with your little girlfriends, I mean.”

She stuck her tongue out at me, and I smirked a little as she sauntered off after Gisela.

As Evie gathered up the trainees, I took a look around for a suitable place for us to train, when Francesca began to stir.

She took a look around, then sleepily made her way to my side.

“Hey,” she said. “You gonna do some training?”

She began to stretch a little, and I eyed her curiously.

“Yeah; what’re you doing?”

“Warming up?” she said, and I snickered at her.

“Come here,” I said, patting the seat at my side, and as she came over, I began to examine her hand. “How is it?”

“Should be healed by tomorrow, with that new healing trick you taught me. It wasn’t that bad a break, and Ryker made sure the bone was set and everything.”

I patted her on the head.

“Well, I still want you to take a break from training. At least for today?”

She pouted.

“Can I still watch? And maybe help?”

I nodded.

“Sure; but no one-handed pushups or anything else like that,” I warned, and she nodded reluctantly.

“Nate~. It’s still dark,” Bianca whined, as she darted to my side. “Please tell me we don’t have to train now? Pleaseeeee~.”

I snickered at her.

“You have to train,” I said, and she pouted, but as she shot a quick glance at Francesca’s broken arm, she seemed to brighten up a bit.

“Okay. This is my chance!” she declared, and I snickered as she darted off to the supply cart.

“Lucia,” I called out, and the girl turned timidly towards me.

_Still feeling badly about that, huh?_

“Go with Bianca and get yourself a dagger from the supplies,” I called.

“Okay,” she answered, and I shook my head in surprise.

“Since when is she speaking English?”

Francesca smiled a little.

“She’s been picking up words here and there from me,” she said, and Evie frowned.

“I tried to get her to talk all day; then she hears Francesca say one thing and she picks it up. By the way, she says ‘fuck’ whenever something happens. Guess who taught her that?”

I eyed Francesca, and the girl blushed.

“What?”

“Do you let your parents hear that foul mouth of yours?” I teased, and she shrugged.

“They were never around much; plus, I played a lot of online games, so I curse a lot more than you can imagine.”

I chuckled a little as I studied Francesca in a new light.

 _Would have never pegged her as a gamer,_ I thought.

As Bianca and Lucia returned with some of the armor and weapons, I asked them to sit in front of me as I began to peer into their cores.

As I figured, Lucia also seemed to have unlocked the dagger skill that I noticed in Bianca before, but I was quite shocked to see that the bump that represented that skill in Lucia’s web seemed to be much more pronounced than Bianca’s.

Hadn’t Bianca trained many more times with the dagger than Lucia had?

And shouldn’t her implant have accelerated the rate at which she gained that skill by an even higher factor?

It was pretty strange, and I made a mental note to keep an eye on it.

“I wanna try something,” I said, as I retrieved one of the wooden staffs that we’d been using for training.

I retrieved the dagger, then cut two lengths of wood; the same length as that of the dagger, then handed them to Lucia and Bianca.

“I want the two of you to picture these pieces of wood as daggers, and attack each other as if you’re trying to kill the other person? Do you understand?” I asked, turning to Lucia, and she nodded, then charged at Bianca who yelped as Lucia stabbed her in the leg.

“What the fuck? You little fucking rascal!” she exclaimed, aiming a kick at Lucia who easily leapt out of the way.

I chuckled at Bianca as I held her back, then separated her from Lucia.

“Wait until I tell you to begin,” I said, and Lucia simply turned her head up at Bianca, as if to say she wasn’t sorry, even so.

Bianca scowled, then got ready, and Francesca eyed me, as I moved to her side.

“What are you thinking?” she asked.

“Let’s just watch,” I said, and she shrugged, as we turned our attention to the two.

Evie and Ryker also moved to join us, bringing more stuff from the supply cart as they did.

“Are you letting Bianca fight a kid?” Evie asked, and I nodded.

“Okay, on three!” I said.

“One, two-”

I never got to three, as Lucia darted in at Bianca, and she complained loudly again, but Lucia used the opportunity to stab at Bianca’s gut this time, and she fell to her knees, clutching the spot.

“She’s cheating!” Bianca complained, and I snickered at her.

“She might be; but you need to keep your eyes open. Monsters aren’t gonna count.”

Lucia was grinning wickedly at Bianca, and I noted that it was really getting under Bianca’s skin.

The two got ready for another round, and this time, I simply yelled ‘go!’ and Bianca moved quicker this time.

She circled away from Lucia, and as Lucia lunged in to attack, Bianca evaded, then spun with surprising agility, and slashed at Lucia’s hand.

The girl’s wooden dagger went flying, but as Bianca moved in to finish the job, she contented herself with gently tapping the stick against Lucia’s neck, which seemed to annoy the child even more.

“Again!” Lucia said, and I snickered a little at the response, as I retrieved the child’s wooden weapon.

I handed it to her, then nodded.

“Again,” I said, and she readied for the next round.

As I returned to Francesca’s side, however, I noted that she was studying them quite intently.

“This is so weird; when they fight with the longer sticks, neither of them is anywhere near as good as this. What’s going on?” she asked.

“I think our respective weapons teach us skills which make us more efficient in using them,” I suggested.

“Oh! That makes sense. And they’ve been doing their core training with the daggers, huh?”

She thought about it for a bit, then frowned.

“Should I try to diversify a bit, then?” she asked.

I shook my head.

“A spear fighting specialist is much more useful against monsters than dagger specialists are.”

“Ouch! You little bastard!” Bianca cursed, and I snickered a little as she hopped on one foot.

Bianca was doing much better than I’d expected, but even as the age advantage that she held over Lucia showed through, Lucia, I noted, had a knack for scoring the odd victory, mostly by resorting to underhanded tactics, or doing things that were downright unexpected.

It was a very rogue-like way to fight, and I had to admit; it was quite impressive.

As the sparring continued, Nolan and Jordan, who were on the night watch, eventually found us and came over to observe.

“Hey, you seem pretty much healed up,” I noted, and Nolan nodded, though he seemed quite uncomfortable, and I suddenly remembered the conversation that Cameron had intended to have with him.

“He is,” Jordan added, a little more brightly. “Even the scars are basically gone.”

“I’m glad to hear it. Has there been any sign of that creature since the attack?”

Jordan shook his head.

“No sign of anything, really.”

As Bianca easily disarmed Lucia again, I suddenly felt the urge to test her out against a slightly more evenly matched opponent.

“Hey, Jordan. Do you mind going a round with Bianca?” I asked, and he rubbed the back of his head nervously.

“Should I? I am on watch.”

“Everyone’s up, more or less. I think it’ll be fine,” I said, and he reluctantly agreed.

“Should I disarm?” he asked, and I quickly shook my head.

“Actually, this might work perfectly,” I said.

Jordan retrieved one of the wooden sticks, but as I noted that he now carried the sword at his hip, I retrieved the stick that I’d cut before to make the dagger length pieces, and to my delight, I found that the remaining length was about as long as his sword.

“You can use this as a sword,” I suggested, and he shot me a relived look, as I called Lucia to my side.

She seemed annoyed that I’d stopped the fight just as she’d lost another round to Bianca, but as the two readied to fight, she seemed to settle down, and watched with interest.

“Ready? Go!” I chanted, and Bianca quickly darted towards Jordan.

She made a stab at his leg, and he evaded, before making a slashing attack which struck Bianca in the ribs.

“Oww~,” she whined. “That hurt!”

“Sorry,” Jordan began, as I moved to her side.

I inspected the damage, then opted to put on one of the chest pieces on her, as well as the leg plates and arm guards.

She was still studying me with a glum look, when I patted her on the head, then leaned in to whisper:

“If you beat him, I’ll let you cuddle naked with me tonight,” I said, and her eyes lit up.

“Let’s fucking do this!” she yelled, as she focused on Jordan with some serious intent.

“And, go!” I called out, and this time, Bianca darted in, but as Jordan moved to evade what appeared to be a certain strike, she darted forward after him, and swung her little blade, almost catching him at the neck.

Jordan recovered quickly then leapt clear of her, readying himself to react if she attacked again.

I watched on with interest.

Jordan was clearly quicker than Bianca was; much stronger too, but she wasn’t using a weapon that would ever require him to use that strength against her, so this was a battle purely of speed and timing.

Bianca began to circle him slowly, but he kept his stance firm, and ready to repel any attack; then, she crouched low, and darted in.

She moved straight at him, and certain that he’d read the trajectory of where she could attack from, he made a single step forward and timed a sweeping slash upwards in her direction.

It was a well measured stroke, and delivered with such precision and technique that I would have bet everything I owned that the attack would have landed exactly as he’d planned; and I would have lost that bet.

I wasn’t even sure what happened myself, but Bianca seemed to stop; not skid to a halt, or alter her trajectory; she seemed to come to an immediate, dead stop within the space of a single step just as Jordan executed his timely swing, and after watching the blade whizz by, she simply resumed her dash with the same speed as her darting approach, and struck Jordan squarely in the jaw.

He stared at her in open mouthed shock; not from the blow received, but from how she’d managed to evade his slash, and I turned to Francesca, who was grinning.

“Did you see it?” I asked, and she nodded. “What was that?”

“At the moment she stopped, a huge web of threads was focused on her foot where it made contact with the ground.”

“Wait, you can use sensory perception in combat now?”

Francesca blushed.

“Sort of. It wasn’t activated all the time, but at the moment when she did that move, I saw it.”

I shot her an admiring look as she moved to Bianca’s side.

“You need to teach me that move!” she called excitedly, and Bianca blushed and rubbed the back of her head, grinning stupidly, as Jordan moved over to join me.

“I need to stop getting my ass handed to me by these chicks,” he muttered, and I gave him a pat on the back.

“To be fair, I’m not sure that the physical differences between the sexes matters as much here when armor and super weapons come into play.”

He chuckled a little, then nodded, before adding.

“Still sucks to lose. Not that winning would do me any favors,” he muttered, as he shot a despondent glance towards Nolan, who seemed to be preoccupied with checking on Cameron.

“I take it he’s worrying over the pregnancy,” I said, and Jordan turned to study me.

“The what?”

I shook my head, my surprise evident on my face.

“I’m sorry; I thought he told you.”

He shook his head in response.

“Apparently there’s a lot that he isn’t telling me,” he said, frowning. “I’m gonna do a perimeter check,” Jordan said, and I shot him a sympathetic glance as he headed off.

“You owe me a favor!” Bianca exclaimed, as she bounced around in front of me excitedly, and I nodded, chuckling, as I ruffled her hair.

Francesca caught the gesture, and she shot me a teasing smile as my eyes flicked towards her.

I figured it was enough training for the day, but if the group was really going to make progress, I needed to make sure that in addition to combat training, everyone depleted their cores at least once a day.

So, I had Francesca suit up, while Bianca and Lucia took turns wearing down their cores by stabbing her with their daggers, while I bolstered her breastplate’s defensive properties via my energy manipulation skill.

After they were both out cold, I let Ryker take a go at Francesca with the hunting knife, but as he fell unconscious as well, I noted that Francesca’s core still seemed to be at about half capacity.

Ordinarily, I would have let Raul finish the job, but between Francesca’s injury and my feedback affliction, he’d ended up being the only capable fighter keeping the group safe for the past day.

I was still giving the matter some thought when a solution presented itself, but not one I was altogether happy to allow.

“Let me try,” Leanna said, approaching us, and Francesca chuckled a little, somewhat nervously, as the girl eyed the dagger.

“Okay,” I said, as I gestured to Francesca to remove her armor.

“I meant, let me try using the dagger,” Leanna clarified, but as she reached for it, I shot her a worried look, and she paused.

She eyed me for a moment, then nodded.

“On second thought, I’ll try the armor first,” the girl said, and as she strapped the piece on, Francesca reached for the dagger, and I stopped her again.

“Use your spear,” I said, and she bit her lip, as she took a hesitant glance at her wounded arm. “You don’t need to wield it properly; just make sure the point makes contact with the armor.”

Francesca nodded and as she retrieved the spear, she made several strikes at Leanna in the basic armor, while I used my energy manipulation skill to keep her armor from quickly deactivating.

 _Nate, why is Leanna in training?_ Casey’s voice spoke into my head, and as I cast a worried glance over my shoulder, I heard her voice again:

_On my way._

Eventually, Francesca fell to her knees, teetering on the verge of unconsciousness, but as I quickly moved from Leanna’s side to retrieve the spear, Casey beat me to it.

“I’ll take that,” Casey said. “And for the record, the next time you take these without proper authorization, there’ll be hell to pay!” she yelled.

“Sorry,” I muttered, and Leanna studied the interaction with some interest.

“Your armor, too,” Casey said, and the girl quickly removed the armor, before handing it to Casey.

I scooped Francesca up and into my arms, and Leanna moved to my side under the pretense of helping Francesca to bed.

“Is she always like that?” Leanna asked, and I nodded.

“We’ll talk… just follow me as soon as we get Francesca to bed.”

She nodded, and Francesca, despite being on the verge of unconsciousness, shot me a curious look, but she didn’t say anything.

As I tucked Francesca in, Leanna hung back for a bit, and I made my way across camp, out of sight of the main group, and after a while, she hurried after me.

“Were you followed?” I asked, and she shook her head.

“I almost had a dagger, though. Why didn’t you let me sneak it away?”

“There are trackers on every weapon, and I’m not sure yet, but I think that they can track you as long as you even touch one of them… have you ever?”

She shook her head, a slightly worried expression on her face, until something occurred to her, and her eyes went wide.

“Then, right now?”

I nodded.

“They know we’re here. They might even be watching, I’m not sure.”

She bit her lip, as if thinking about something, until finally, she shook away her trepidation, and shot me a determined look.

I was about to ask what she was thinking when she leaned in and kissed me.

“What’re you doing?” I mumbled into her lips, and she placed a finger against my lips silencing me.

“Just follow my lead,” she said, as she took one of my hands into her own, and brought it to rest over her t-shirt, against her breast.

She moved closer to me, and kissed me with some show of passion, and while I acted as if I were lost, helpless, and simply following her lead, I had to admit, kissing her was pretty fun because she was pretty good at it.

When we broke apart eventually, I shot her my best show of a sparkly eyed look, and she blushed a little.

“You’re so good at this. I mean, I’m not sure if I can even tell that it’s not real anymore,” I breathed, and she smiled, but her eyes narrowed a little as she studied me.

“Really? I’ve been watching you, and your acting has been brilliant as well,” she said, and I nodded quickly.

“I know, right? Out there, it’s easy… but when you kiss me like that, I get a little giddy,” I admitted, trying my best to blush a little, and Leanna quickly smiled.

“It’s okay. I don’t mind,” she said. “And you don’t have to hold back, okay? I’ve already made up my mind; I’m going to do whatever it takes to beat these bastards, and I’m gonna make sure the both of us make it through this.”

“Are you sure we can do it? It feels so hopeless; and, I’m not sure if I should talk about it here, but they can track us through-”

She cut me off with a kiss, and as we kissed for another minute, she leaned in to my ear and whispered:

“We’ll talk when it’s safe.”

“Remember what I said about the weapons,” I mouthed to her, and she nodded, allowing me to sneak off, before moving back to the camp herself.

 _Look for the tree next to the cart you came in on with the princess,_ Casey’s voice spoke into my head.

Fuck me.

Which cart was that?

I looked around for a bit, when her voice spoke to me again.

_It’s the one to your left, past the supply cart!_

I chuckled a little bit to myself, then cast a careful look around for Leanna, before sneaking off.

“What’s the situation?” she asked, and I bit my lip nervously.

“Under control, for now.”

Casey let out a sigh.

“She went for a dagger, huh?”

I studied her, shaking my head a little.

“You saw that? I wasn’t sure you were around yet…”

“Francesca told me,” she said, and I shot her a curious smile.

“Francesca? So, she’s suspicious of Leanna too?”

Casey bit her lip.

“I told her about that situation, actually,” she clarified, and I chuckled a little.

“Well, look at you. Trusting other people to do things instead of trying to do everything yourself.”

“Ha ha,” she replied sarcastically. “I’m just learning how to play your games,” she countered.

I took another quick look around, then moved in to kiss her.

“What was that for?” she asked, and I shrugged.

“Leanna made out with me, and it made me feel a little dirty.”

“Dirty as in gross, or naughty?”

“Gross,” I clarified, and she kissed me again.

“Well, too bad she didn’t blow you,” Casey teased, but as she made to move away, I pulled her back in, and as I kissed her this time, I slipped a hand into her council robes, and fondled her breast a little.

“Now you’re being _naughty_ ,” she said, and I shrugged.

“It’s not naughty. You’re my advisor. This is part of the job description, remember?”

She kissed me again, then smiled.

“To think; my only condition for joining the princess’ council was that I didn’t have to fuck you. Now, look at me.”

“Well, in your defense, old you didn’t know what a fantastic lay I was,” I reasoned, and she snickered a little.

She stole one more kiss, before wrestling me out from our little hiding place.

The Kobalt were gathering up the makeshift sleeping bags into one of the new supply carts, and I moved over to where our core depleted sleepers were now being moved.

“They won’t wake up, huh,” Cameron noted, and I nodded.

She ended up helping me move the lot of them, since the Kobalt were mortally fearful of touching us ‘Gods’.

We ended up fitting Lucia, Bianca, and Francesca into one cart, while Ryker was moved over to where Myrinne was recovering, at Evie’s suggestion.

The princess looked to me expectantly as we prepared to leave, but as Gisela explained to her that the sickness of her feedback would hinder my own recovery, she quickly agreed to travel instead with her companion-servants.

Casey tried to insist that I should also travel by caravan, at least until we made our stop at the nearby cluster, but I quickly refused since Casey seemed to be preoccupied with her new tasks of managing Palancar’s interference, and I much preferred spending the day in Cameron’s company over the bumpy ride alone in the back of a cart.

Cameron also seemed quite pleased to travel by my side, and as we set out, I cast a quick look around for Nolan, and spotted him with Jordan, though there seemed to be a sort of awkwardness between the two.

“So, how did that conversation with Nolan go?” I asked, and Cameron sighed.

“Well, first he tried to talk down to me like I’m a confused teenager who doesn’t understand what she’s doing.”

I snickered a little.

“In his defense, you are carrying the baby of a man you just met,” I said, and she shot me a glum look.

“On the surface, sure… but there are extenuating circumstances here to consider, and he’s quite capable of seeing that when it suits himself. What he keeps doing is making dumb arguments to back up his own points when he’s just conveniently interpreting things to fit his point of view.”

“Hnn~. Like what?”

She sighed.

“Like calling you a murderer, just because you carried out Emily’s execution.”

“Ouch. Didn’t he nominate me for that task?”

She nodded in response.

“Not just that. Back then, after you did it… he was actually worried about you. He saw that it affected you despite this whole ‘psychopaths feel nothing’ thing that people keep pushing. Then when he wants me to think that you’re dangerous, he suddenly decides that you can’t possibly feel anything for me because you have no feelings.”

I sighed.

“Well, he’s not completely wrong,” I said. “I mean, I’d probably still be dwelling on the Emily thing if I didn’t have an off switch to hit when it comes to thinking about things that bother me.”

Cameron nodded again, then frowned.

“I don’t care even if you felt nothing, Nate. I understand now that this is what you are, and you didn’t choose that. And I love you regardless.”

She sighed again.

“I’m sorry he’s being like this,” she said, and I shook my head.

“I’m more understanding of his position than you think. When someone’s worried about a person that means a lot to them, they do irrational things sometimes. I don’t think he means badly, he’s just worried and this is his way of expressing it. Is it healthy? Probably not, but without condoning it, I do at least understand.”

Cameron smiled at me, resting her head against my shoulder as she took my hand into hers.

“When he’d gotten injured, I was pretty worried about him; but I don’t know if he thought that my worry meant something else,” she said. “You know, I said you were crazy the first time that you suggested that he was being jealous over me, but I remembered recently that he and Jordan have had fights in the past over our relationship. He actually convinced me then that Jordan was just being irrational, but maybe there really was something to it.”

“Well, it kinda looks like if one of those fights in going on right now,” I said, nodding in their direction, and she frowned.

“Maybe I should give them some space,” she suggested, but there was a bit of a rueful look on her face, and I shook my head.

“I dunno. If you didn’t have some friends to fall back on for emotional support when I’m not available, I’d be kind of worried,” I said, and she smiled at me.

“Oh~. Concerned about your dear wife, are we?” she teased. “I’ll be fine, though. Maybe it’s time I start making new connections around this group anyway.”

We stuck to playful small talk for the rest of the journey, until Casey made her way over to me.

“Hey, Nate. We’re coming up to the cluster, and I think we should get the council together to decide some stuff,” she said, and I gestured to her to lead the way.

With Myrinne absent, I noted that her place had been filled by another of the princess’ companion-servants; a timid looking girl, who I’d never spoken to.

“This is Alva,” Casey offered, introducing her, and Cameron and I both introduced ourselves in kind.

“I am not worthy,” the girl replied, bowing her head slightly as she did.

“This cluster is really close to Palancar, so we can expect their presence there,” Casey began.

“Do you think we can expect interference?” I asked, and Casey turned to Gisela, who rubbed her chin thoughtfully.

“It is possible, but unlikely. Palancar’s image will suffer if they are seen openly opposing the exiled princess.”

I nodded.

“So, what are our objectives at this cluster?” I asked, and Casey moved to respond.

“They’re not likely to trade with us, but we need to get word out about our victory over the monsters in the blighted grove. We’ll put up the fur we harvested on display, and we’ll have our late meal before darkness falls, and let them see that we’re handing out meat to the commoners as well during that time. Alva here will take over the princess’ task of recounting the battle, but we’re gonna try to put forward the notion that our victory over the monsters led to the purification of the blighted grove.”

 _Nice touch,_ I thought.

“So, we’re spending the night here?” I asked, and Casey nodded.

“But we’re leaving just after first light.”

I rubbed my chin thoughtfully.

“That won’t give us much time to recruit settlers, huh…”

Ideally, spending a day or two at each cluster would help us to gather more recruits, but recruitment would probably be much slower in these clusters closer to Palancar anyway.

“Actually, Gisela has a suggestion for that,” Casey said, gesturing to the girl, and she nodded.

“Since the princess is in exile, and the matron, unable to bear seed anymore, most would have anticipated a new selection; but the young seed bearers unable to find mates would have already missed that window. Perhaps the prospect of being companion-servant to Gods might entice some of them to our side.”

I rubbed my chin thoughtfully.

“What exactly does being a companion-servant entail?” I asked, and Gisela fidgeted a little.

“Performing any task required by the one being served,” she answered, and I frowned.

“And seed bearers are the only ones who are permitted to take up this role?”

“Any are permitted, at the discretion of the one being served; but it can be anticipated that the volunteers will be seed bearers.”

I thought about it some more.

“Are companion-servants permitted to marry? Find mates, I mean?”

Gisela tilted her head at me.

“If the one being served permits it, then yes.”

“And will our hunters and runners accept mates who have served Gods?”

Casey smiled, as she caught on to what I was suggesting, and Gisela studied me for a bit, then nodded.

“It is less likely if they have borne saplings while in service; but they would be honored to, otherwise.”

I turned to Casey.

“We’ll talk to Jordan and Nolan; Raul as well. Put them in full armor, and we’ll try to bring on board as many as we can.”

Casey nodded, and as they went off to organize things for our arrival at the cluster, Cameron went off with them, but not before mouthing ‘good luck’ to me, as she nodded in Nolan’s direction.

I took a deep breath in, then approached the two and explained our plan.

“You want us to take slaves?” Nolan asked incredulously.

“Not, slaves… more like servants,” I countered.

“And what exactly makes that nothing more than a semantic difference?” he asked.

“Maybe the way we treat them?” Jordan suggested, and Nolan shot him a venomous look.

“ _You’re_ gonna take his side on this. About slavery?” Nolan asked, and Jordan’s eyes narrowed on him.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” he asked, and Nolan quickly went silent.

“I’m not forcing either of you to do this if you don’t want to, but we need to get more settlers on board if our settlement is going to prosper when we do get there.”

Jordan nodded, but he still seemed a little unsettled.

“Is it alright for us to do this, though? It kinda feels like if we’re tricking these girls into coming along.”

“It’s morally ambiguous for sure-”

“You don’t say,” Nolan cut in, as I continued:

“-but I don’t think we’ll survive for long in the world if we’re not prepared to do what needs to be done sometimes.”

Jordan nodded in agreement.

“You’re right. Besides, we can probably offer these girls a much better life in the long run. Maybe we can make amends for what we’re doing by making sure that they’re well cared for.”

I nodded, resting a hand on his shoulder in a gesture of gratitude, and Nolan scoffed as I headed off.

As I mentioned the plan to Raul, he merely laughed.

“Servants, huh? Just a week ago I was sleeping in barns and trying to figure out how not to die horribly.”

“So, can I count on you?” I asked, and he laughed again, as he eyed me.

“You know you could just order me to do it if you wanted to, right?”

“I could,” I replied, “but that won’t do any good if I’m trying to get you to be part of the team, will it?”

He shook his head at me.

“I’ll do it,” he said, but as he turned to walk away, I caught him by the shoulder.

“I don’t need to worry about you choking any of them to death, do I?” I asked, and he shook his head, an uncomfortable look on his face.

“I guess I deserve that, but… while this world might have driven me to murder, I was never a rapist.”

 _How noble,_ I thought, with some amusement, as I headed back to the princess’ council.

As I got there, however, I was surprised to find that Cameron was also being put into armor.

“What’s this?” I asked, as she beamed happily at me.

“I’m not just any Goddess; I’m the mate of Nathan the God-king!” she declared proudly, and I chuckled a little as I studied her.

“And how is showing off my Goddess-wife gonna help me to pick up some sexy little servant girls?” I asked, and Casey popped out from behind Cameron with an annoyed expression on her face.

“Because that’s totally our objective, right?” she asked, rolling her eyes. “According to Gisela, the highest caliber servant-candidates will flock to you, particularly to be in service to your mate, since in their eyes, she’s a kind of princess herself. We’re just testing that theory out.”

“Hmm. And what do the Kobalt regard as high caliber servant material?” I asked, and Casey smiled.

“Girls with unique abilities,” she answered, and I cracked a smile.

 _Interesting_ , I thought.

The group had come to a stop as we made preparations for entering the village, but as we began to move again, I cast a tentative glance around.

“Aren’t we moving through some fairly thick brush here?”

I suddenly noted that Raul was at the fore, cleaving through some bushes with three other hunters.

“We’re carving our own path here. No one really travels through the blighted grove, and especially not to this cluster, from this direction at least,” Casey explained.

“You’re really doing your homework, huh?”

She nodded.

“I told you I’d handle Palancar, right? So, you can focus on…”

Her words trailed off as she spotted Cameron by my side.

“Focus on what?” she asked, shooting a curious glance in my direction.

“Uh, skill training,” Casey finished, and I nodded.

We walked for about thirty more minutes through overgrown brush, and I even helped the wagons along, as they got caught several times in the thick undergrowth, until suddenly we burst into a sort of clearing, with a kind of pathway that wound a little way down to a huge cluster of trees.

“Holy ball sacks,” Casey said. “ _This_ is a ‘small cluster’?”

I bit my lip, as the place was much larger than _Kleiner Hein_ , and if I wasn’t being told that it was another cluster, I would have been certain that we’d happened again upon Palancar itself.

The canopy trees had to be at least fifteen, if not more in number, with rope bridges linking them, and busily being traversed by Kobalt, whose robes made our own attire feel much more like rags than I’d previously realized.

“Are you sure we can’t trade for clothing here?” I asked Casey, and she shook her head.

“They might have the items we need, but they’re unlikely to trade since few will want to do anything that might anger Palancar.”

I nodded.

It was an understandable stance, given how close they were to Palancar, and how dependent they probably were on the larger city.

“So, I’m guessing accommodation is unlikely,” I said, and Casey nodded.

“Well, probably not in the grove trees, but there’s a campground within the city for travelling merchants which we might be allowed to use.”

As we drew near to the grove, however, I spotted a small group of Kobalt at the fore of the road leading to the town, and as Cameron shot me a quick look, I nodded.

Casey eyed us with curiosity.

“What is that?” she asked.

“The welcoming committee,” I explained, and she nodded.

As we approached the group, Gisela moved to the fore and hailed them in their tongue, but they quickly cut her off, saying something in English that I didn’t catch.

Gisela gulped.

“We are travelers seeking refuge for the night, and safe passage,” she called, and the man eyed her.

“Travelers, or traitors?” the man replied. “ _Grenze_ will not hide fugitives. Besides, where is your princess, even?”

“Ill,” I called, stepping to Gisela’s side. “We have injured, and others in need of care. Our passage means no harm, but we have endured much.”

There was a group gathering behind the trio, and one of the Kobalt beside the one who spoke to us, leaned in to whisper.

“Injured from what? Have you engaged Palancar?”

“Geisterung, and Aufhöcker,” I replied. “Palancar forced us into the blighted grove, and while we have cleansed that wretched place, much blood was spent to earn that victory.”

Murmurs erupted around the gathering, with several pointing to the canopy beyond the brush, from which we’d just emerged.

“Forgive our skepticism, but what proof is there of this deed?”

I gestured to the group, and a cart was brought forward, and audible gasps could be heard as the onlookers spotted the furs that were stacked high, with the skinned faces of two aufhöcker draped over the wooden beams at the end of the cart.

The trio of Kobalt stepped back, and spoke in whispers, until finally, one of them approached.

He was a large-set man, wearing long, elegant robes, and a curious headpiece.

“You say blood was shed to earn these… tell me, Auslander. Was it God-blood, or Kobalt blood?” he asked, studying me intently.

“Kobalt,” I replied. “Gods are slow to bleed.”

He studied me for a while, before breaking into a grin.

“I have no love for Gods, false or real. But you, I like. The branch of Kahnwald offers sanctuary to the travelers!” the man declared, turning to his comrades, and the two men furrowed their brows.

“Your declaration will not be challenged by the council of Grenze, Herr Kahnwald. But your fate will be your own.”

The two men turned, and made their way from the gathering, though I noted with some interest that their retreat was quite hurried.

“Herr Kahnwald,” I began, and the man shook his head.

“You may call me Gert,” he replied.

“Nathan.”

He bowed his head, then smiled.

“Forgive my rudeness, Auslander, but before I escort you to my grove, may I see the princess?”

I turned to Gisela, who bit her lip nervously.

“She slumbers still,” Gisela noted.

“I do not intend to disturb her rest, but I must confirm with my eyes.”

Gisela nodded, before escorting the man to the cart where she was now resting, but the man took no more than one glance at her, before falling to his knees.

“Das schicksal sei verdammt! To see one so high travel like a common pauper! Even Palancar should not stoop so low!”

The man made a hooting call, much reminiscent of Gunter’s method of communication, and Gisela bowed to the man, as if his response had humbled her.

“We are not worthy,” she said, and as I bowed my head as well, he smiled.

“You will learn the custom? Is it not beneath your kind?” he asked, and I shook my head.

“There is value to be found in all manner of tradition,” I replied in German, and his eyes went wide.

“The old tongue? Well, you are full of surprises, Auslander. A palanquin will be prepared for the princess, but what accommodation do your people require? Might I interest the gods in a stay within my grove-tree?”

“What of the rest of the Kobalt?”

“They are too many for my humble steading. Perhaps, accommodation can be made within the travelers lodge.”

I shook my head.

“I prefer to remain with those in my charge,” I replied, and he smiled again.

“A humble God? You continue to defy expectations. I must insist, however, that the princess be housed at my grove; it would dishonor me greatly to house one so high amongst common travelers.”

“I am in your service,” I said, bowing again, and the man smiled.

“My attendants will arrive shortly to show you to the travelers lodge,” he said, before turning to leave.

“On a scale from one to ten, how well did that go?” I asked Gisela.

“I would be pressed to admit to less than a ten.”

“And how likely was that outcome?” I asked, and Gisela frowned.

“Truthfully, I would not have anticipated it,” she replied, and I let out a sigh.

Leaving the princess unattended for the night would be a mistake; but I did not want to upset our hosts, nor create an image going forward that we would be hostile to those who offer us hospitality.

So much depended on how we handled this, and as I considered the predicament, an idea came to me.

Casey eyed me as I moved to the cart where Francesca and the others were at, and as I got there, I noted that Lucia and Bianca were already awake.

Bianca moved to speak when I raised a finger, and she went silent.

Slowly, I shook Francesca awake, and as soon as she stirred, she took one look at me, then sat up, a serious expression on her face.

“Keep an eye on the princess. Never leave her side,” I mouthed, and she nodded, her eyes flicking to my hand as I passed a dagger to her, and she quickly concealed the blade at the back of her shirt.

Bianca shot me a curious look, but she didn’t say anything until I stepped outside.

“Am I getting my special reward tonight?” she asked.

Her tone seemed playful, but there was a curious hint in there, as if she wasn’t sure if she should act normal yet or not, and I quickly nodded at her, to let her know that it was fine.

“I did promise,” I replied.

“Are we getting rooms to stay in tonight?” she asked, and I shook my head.

“No, we’ll be sleeping under the stars… or trees, rather.”

She giggled at me, but I could hear it again.

A slight difference in her tone, as if her playfulness was more of an act than her actual mood.

To my surprise, she slinked away, and I eyed her for a moment, before returning to Gisela.

“Nathan; I think you should request to stay with the princess,” she began, and I shook my head.

“It’ll be fine,” I said. “But might we request lodging for the injured along with the princess’ companions?”

Gisela studied me for a moment, then caught the look in my eye and nodded.

“Such should be a simple request to grant,” she replied, bowing, as she headed off.

Gert’s assistants arrived to show us where we could settle in for the night, but as we entered the grove, I noticed, to my surprise, that the gathered crowd seemed to have not only dispersed, but that there were almost no Kobalt around or looking on.

It seemed… unusual, given the reception we’d received back when we’d first entered Palancar.

As the Kobalt in our group began to go about setting up the usual sleeping areas, I called Casey over to my side.

“Since the princess will be sleeping in the grove tree tonight, have the Kobalt set up one sleeping area for the rest of us.”

She nodded, as one of Gert’s assistants approached me.

“High Auslander. Herr Kahnwald requests a discussion,” he said, and I nodded.

“May I bring my advisor?” I asked, and the man seemed uncertain.

“He requested that you be brought alone. If needed, I will bring your advisor to you,” the man offered, and I shot Casey a quick look, before nodding.

“That’s fine,” I replied.

As the man led me away from the camp area, I took a quick look around and noted again that hardly any Kobalt could be seen going about their regular business as they had before we’d entered the grove.

I gave the matter some thought, when I noticed a Kobalt child looking to me with some amazement from the balcony of one of the treehouse-apartments until an older woman grabbed the child, and quickly retreated indoors.

That was… odd, to say the least.

The man led me to a tree which seemed to be the tallest of the little group of five trees that I assumed made up Gert’s branch, and as we entered, we climbed several staircases, then followed a long corridor which led to a large pair of doors.

The doors opened just as we approached, and we were ushered inside by two Kobalt who were armed much more like hunters than assistants.

I shot them a curious look, as I spotted Gert seated up ahead.

“Auslander, I’m glad you accepted my invitation! Come; food is prepared for us,” the man called.

“Forgive me, but we had our meal just before arriving here,” I said, and the man nodded, waving away my concern.

“It is of no import, Auslander. But let us talk nonetheless. This matter of monsters. I sense that there is quite the story behind it. You mentioned the aufhöcker; a thing never beheld by Kobalt eyes! Tell me, did the thing truly exist?”

I nodded.

“Unfortunately.”

He chuckled a little.

“And you slew the beast yourself?”

“A few of them; some of my fellow warriors did as well.”

He arched an eyebrow at me.

“A few of them, you say. Our people believed the aufhöcker to be a single entity,” he said, and I shook my head.

“They hunt alone, but we encountered many. Nine, I believe there were, of which we slew six.”

He stroked his beard, that look of amusement never leaving his face.

“Well then; perhaps we can persuade you to regale us with the tale of your battle sometime this night,” the man added, and I nodded.

“I would be honored; but what exactly is it you wanted to discuss? And is it alright if I call my advisor to my side? I feel uncomfortable without her wisdom to help me navigate the intricacies of diplomacy.”

The man chuckled.

“Come now. This discussion is no serious diplomatic engagement. I find you to be an interesting one, Herr Auslander, and I simply wish the pleasure of your company.”

“I see. Well then, I just hope my company lives up to your expectations.”

“It already has. You know, many have wondered about this God for whom the princess would forsake her very kingdom. There are some who believe you to be in the possession of special powers, capable of manipulating others to their will,” he suggested, and I chuckled.

“Hnn~. I would be doing much better than these rags we’ve been sleeping on if that were the case, though wouldn’t I?” I mused, and the man laughed again.

“Indeed, that would seem to be the case. But tell me, Auslander; have you ever heard of the legend that the princesses of Palancar are themselves endowed with special powers?”

“Special powers?” I asked.

“Yes. The kind reserved only for the Gods, some might say…” he hinted, and I studied him, making sure that my reaction revealed nothing about my state of mind.

Was he referring to the princess’ hypnosis ability?

“Truthfully, as a young God I have little idea of what our powers really are. Tell me, though; what kind of God powers are the princesses blessed with?”

“There are several, according to legend; the ability to read one’s thoughts, for one.”

“Oh? That would be quite useful, particularly for one in a position of governance.”

“Of course; then there’s the ability to bend others to one’s will and direction,” he continued, studying me carefully, and I raised an eyebrow.

“So much power…” I muttered. “And a terrifying thing to behold in the hands of one with ill intent.”

“Yes, of course this is all just speculation; but the final one is my personal favorite.”

He waited for a bit, until I gestured to him to continue:

“The ability to see the future,” he said, and I let out an appreciative whistle.

“If Palancar held such treasures, their power would be absolute,” I said, and the man nodded.

“What do you think of the ability to divine the future, though, Auslander? Does it fascinate you?”

“It would be an asset for sure, but I guess that depends on what the future has in store for me,” I joked, and the man laughed.

“Well… would you like to find out?”

I laughed again, but as his gaze lingered on me, and the humor seemed to evaporate from the atmosphere, I studied him, still chuckling a little.

“Are you going to tell me my future?” I joked, and he shrugged.

“I can’t… but perhaps, there is one who can. Would you like to meet her?”

I studied him for a bit.

“Is she going to read my future?” I asked, and he nodded.

Something was up.

Even if such a person existed, would he risk exposing her to someone like me?

The guards in the room said he didn’t trust me as much as his demeanor would suggest… so there was no way he would let someone of such importance anywhere close to me.

I decided to play along.

“I can’t see how I could turn down such a chance,” I said, smiling, and he laughed again.

“Armin! Have Fraulin Astrid brought to us,” he called, and the assistant who’d brought me in bowed deeply, before leaving the room.

As the door opened, I spotted two more guards stationed outside of the doors.

 _They weren’t there before_.

Damnit; why couldn’t I communicate with Casey?

I suppressed an inward sigh, as I continued to converse casually with my enthusiastically hospitable host, but the wait was not long, as the doors burst open, and in stepped a timid looking Kobalt girl.

Her features were quite plain, and she had a timid looking face… much more like that of a companion than anything else, but she wore a regal ceremonial dress, much like the one that Miriam wore on the day of our introduction, and she bowed deeply as she stepped into the room.

“I am not wor- the honor of meeting you is mine,” she offered, changing her greeting mid-sentence.

She wore a slightly terrified expression, and I studied it with some curiosity.

“Astrid, was it?”

The girl nodded, shooting a furtive glance in Gert’s direction.

“Forgive my little sapling. She is not accustomed to hosting so dignified a guest.”

“Your sapling? She’s your daughter?”

The man nodded.

“Come, Astrid. Our guest requests a reading,” he said, and the girl bowed again before approaching me.

“Your hand, if I may?”

I nodded, offering the limb to her, and as she brought my hand to rest against her chest, I gasped, as a blue aura began to pulse from her.

“I see… a child,” she began. “A son, being carried by the God-mate. The child will come forth without issue…”

My eyes narrowed on her, and almost instinctively, I stared beyond the flesh and into the web of her energy core.

There were two bumps; neither of which seemed to be anything of note… but as I stared, something else drew my eye.

What was that?

There seemed to be something else… something she carried?

Was that where the pulse was coming from?

Her eyes were closed shut, but I noticed that the hand that held mine to her chest was shaking.

Why was she so fearful? And what were those pulses?

I was about to withdraw my hand, when suddenly, a much larger pulse shot out from that place that I’d sensed, and this one seemed to actually ruffle my hair as if the very air waves around me were disturbed by its passing.

And in that instant, all of my armor went dead, and my eyes went wide as the pieces fell off of my body.

“Götter vergeben mir - _Gods forgive me_ ,” the girl muttered, tearfully, and I spotted the two guards darting toward me, their spears aimed at my chest.

I grabbed the girl and threw her out of the way as I side stepped one spear point, then headbutted the first guard in the face, before grabbing the other spear and shoving the wooden handle into the second guard’s face, before turning and kicking him as hard as I could in the chest.

_Fuck. That hurts without armor or strength boosts!_

Two more guards were in the room, but I was quick to react.

Using the spear I’d seized from the second guard, I jabbed the butt end into the face of the next Kobalt guard, then swept the legs out from under the second, before stabbing him with the pointy end in the shoulder.

He screamed as I jerked the tip out of his shoulder, then pushed the doors shut, and barricaded it by placing the spear through the handles.

I retrieved two more spears, further reinforcing the barricade, before turning to my ‘host’, who still seemed quite amused.

“I told you; we’re slow to bleed.”

He laughed.

“No, but quick to shed blood, evidently.”

I scoffed.

“How much blood do you see here? Your Kobalt’s lives will remain their own yet… I am confused though. Why tempt fate by angering one with as much power as me?”

He laughed again.

“Because I know what you seek to bring to this grove,” he replied, and I studied him.

“Is that what Palancar told you?”

He shook his head.

“It’s what the future showed.”

I cast a tentative glance towards the girl.

“Hnn~. Does that mean that this fake has a genuine counterpart, then?”

“And why do you assume her to be a fake?” the man asked, and I chuckled.

“Because she has no skill of any value,” I replied.

_Nate! We need to get out of here. The townspeople are fleeing!_

I moved to the window, looking for Casey, but we were on the far side of the grove tree from where the merchant grounds lay.

I picked up one of my armguards, and as I strapped it on, the item activated, to my relief.

“Your little play has failed, yet you don’t seem all that bothered,” I noted, and Gert continued to smile.

“I know what you plan to do with these lands,” he said. “And for my people, I will die gladly.”

I shook my head at him.

“Well, either your fortune teller is no better than this girl; or someone else is coming to do the things you’ve seen.”

“Please, Auslander! Have mercy!” the girl cried, as she threw herself at my feet, but I placed a hand on her shoulder, and gave her a reassuring squeeze.

“You can relax. I mean you no harm,” I said, as I continued to put on my armor.

The guards were throwing themselves at the door, but I knew that the barrier had been made from the wood of the canopy tree, and short of a God-weapon, there was no weapon that the Kobalt possessed that could dent those things.

“Does this prediction of yours come with a specified date?” I asked, and the man laughed.

“What game are you playing now, Nathan?”

I smirked.

“No more titles? Where did your regard for formalities suddenly go off to?”

The man’s smile quickly faded, as he studied me.

“What do you seek? Is it the one who makes predictions? Because she is long gone…”

I shook my head.

“You wouldn’t have tried to kill me unless you knew for sure that you had some means to stand up to the rest of my people. Surely Palancar had told you of our numbers?”

The man studied me, biting his lip angrily, but he didn’t respond.

“Nothing more to say? Well, I guess I’ve dallied here long enough,” I said, as I made sure that my armor was all activated, and in place.

I headed for the window, then turned to add:

“Oh; tell your guards that if they value their lives, don’t attack us. I have no desire to shed Kobalt blood, but I will if they threaten my princess.”

And with that, I leapt from the height, and rolled as I landed with a dull thud.

 _Fuck… that hurt a little bit,_ I thought, even as I walked away with an air as if it were no big feat.

Casey’s face showed visible relief as she spotted me.

“Nate! Did you get my message?”

I nodded.

“We need to prepare. Something’s coming here,” I said.

“Something?”

I nodded.

“A lot of things haven’t been adding up, and now I think I understand…”

“Understand what?”

“Palancar has a weapon, and they’re fairly certain it can kill us.”

Casey’s mouth fell open, and I took a glance around, as I studied the surroundings.

The grove trees would make for good cover, but we didn’t want to get pinned inside of one.

But the open space of the campground wasn’t really that safe either.

I mean, if they rained arrows down on us, we’d be in trouble… although, I’d never yet seen anything like a bow in my time here.

“Let’s have our non-combatants flee with the villagers,” I began, when Gisela darted to my side.

“Herr Nathan! An elder of Grenze offers sanctuary to our Kobalt.”

“Can he be trusted?” I asked, and she nodded.

“He is a distinguished Kobalt of sound reputation,” she answered.

I nodded.

“Get them inside then. The princess, and the injured too.”

The rest of the group quickly gathered to me.

“What’s going on?” Cameron asked, and I shot her a worried look.

“Swap your armor to Bianca,” I said, and she frowned.

“Fuck yeah!” Bianca exclaimed.

“Molly, do you think you can fight?”

“Nate, I can fight!” Cameron said, and I shot her a worried look.

Molly was shaking, and I let out a sigh, before turning to Nolan.

“Fine, you swap to Bianca,” I said, and he shook his head.

“Are you sure?”

I nodded.

“She’s been training, and your knowledge of geography is invaluable,” I reasoned, and he nodded.

“Where’s Raul?”

“Here,” he said, as I spun around, looking for him.

“Take the hunters, establish a perimeter facing east.”

“Nate, something’s coming!” Francesca yelled, as she darted to us.

“As in, like a monster?”

“Or something that gives off a presence like one.”

I bit my lip nervously.

Who could it be?

Vanessa?

Or was there some other card they had to play?

“Keep your dagger ready, and stay with the princess.”

She frowned.

“Who’s wearing my armor?” she asked, and as I nodded to Bianca, she smiled.

“You better kick ass!” she called out, and Bianca responded with an enthusiastic shout.

“You bet!”

“Francesca; keep Lucia with you,” I said, and she nodded, but as she turned to leave, I called out to her. “Keep an eye on her,” I warned, in a lower voice, and she nodded again.

“Nate! There is problem!” Gisela cried out, as she dashed to my side. “Herr Henke will not let the princess or injured Goddesses into his tree.”

I shook my head, disbelievingly.

“Why?”

“He says he wishes to save Kobalt life; the princess and the goddesses will only serve to undo that purpose.”

I bit my lip nervously.

“Bring her to that grove tree,” I said, indicating to the tree just behind us. “Have her and the rest of the injured stay just in front of the entrance, and have the runners form a line in front of them.

“Raul!” I called out to him. “Move the perimeter back, over here!”

I gestured to the area in front of where the others were, then I sensed it; it was a presence just like that of the monster that had attacked.

This was really it, huh?

Palancar was throwing everything into this… whatever it was.

If I had a bad feeling about this to begin with, now it felt a thousand times worse.

I made sure I had my dagger, as I readied my halberd.

“Spears, swords to the front if you’re in armor. The rest of you can still fight, but focus on watching the backs of those who make the first strikes. Bianca.”

“Here,” she said.

“Stay by my side. Don’t just attack out of nowhere; I’ll try to make openings for you. Get in, hit, then get out. Got it?”

“Got it!”

“Here it comes!” Francesca yelled, and I nodded as the presence was most certainly upon us, but as I scanned the tree line for some indication of the beast, a silvery spinning disc instead shot out from the trees, and my eyes went wide as I caught sight of it in the nick of time.

I darted forward in front of Jordan, and I cried out as I swung the bladed tip of my halberd, and a loud clanging sound thundered as the blade collided with the missile, and the thing crashed into the nearby tree with a thunderous boom.

“What the fuck was that?” Jordan asked, as he turned and saw the damage that the thing had done.

“Eyes open!” I yelled.

Could it use those attacks repeatedly?

If it could, then this could get messy, and fast!

The answer came via another disc which came hurtling across the forest floor, this time, aimed at Molly, who was furthest away from me to the left, but Raul stepped forward this time and deflected the attack off to his right.

The disc collided with the earth, and a great cloud of dust exploded in the wake of the impact.

“Its aim is shit, but that thing is packing a serious punch,” he cursed, but this time I saw where the attack came from.

Was it goading me into moving forward?

“Get the princess inside the tree!” I yelled. “Bianca, let’s go.”

I darted out from the front line at a measured pace when Bianca suddenly moved past me.

“Hey, behave,” I chided, and she shot me a stupid grin.

“Sorry! This armor is faster than my old one!”

We made it halfway to the thing when the disc came hurtling toward me, and as I easily swept it aside, I spotted the source of the attack, and my eyes went wide.

A Kobalt!

She was a Kobalt girl, and she wore a full suit of armor, much like ours; but there was that silvery disc on her arm, almost like a shield, and as she struck a pose, aiming the thing at me again, I prepared myself, and repelled the attack, just as Bianca moved past me, and aimed her dagger at the girl’s neck.

She evaded the strike, but as I studied her movement, I noted that something felt off.

She was quick! Quicker than I was, for sure.

But that evasion was sloppy…

I mean, she leapt two feet away when two inches would have worked fine, and as she ran off without executing so much as a counter attack, I stared after her.

I was beginning to wonder if this was the extent of the attack, when the rumbling sound of something charging at us came echoing to me, and I turned to Bianca.

“Fall back. Quick!”

As we darted for the main group, another disc came flying at me, and I swiped it away, before yelling.

“Monsters incoming!”

The group readied themselves, as I turned to Raul.

“Try to keep the discs from hitting anyone,” I said. “Everyone else, engage the monsters, but keep your eyes open! Dodge if you don’t think you can deflect the disc!”

I’d hardly finished speaking when the monsters burst through the bushes beyond the grove; but these were not the geisterung to which I’d gotten more or less accustomed.

Instead, they looked like wolves with sleek black fur, but with crested heads, and tails which split into three at the ends and whipped around as they walked with a cracking whip-like sound.

I counted fifteen in the first wave, and they were fast; faster than the geisterung, and while they lacked the vicious claws of the geisterung, their teeth were razor sharp and made for tearing through flesh.

“Hunters, hold them off!” I yelled, and the hunters moved forward with their bone tipped spears, and tried to fend off the onslaught as those with god-weapons moved forward and killed as many of the creatures in the first wave as they could.

Bianca stabbed one in the neck, before retreating just as another leapt at her, and I skewered the creature; but an explosion off to my left drew my eye, and I turned in time to see a gaping hole in the side of the tree trunk where the princess and the others were now hiding.

“Get down in there!” I yelled out.

A man screamed somewhere off to my right, and Cameron stabbed one of the creatures just as it began to tear into the shoulder of one of the Kobalt hunters.

He was clutching the spot, and backing away from the fray, but the wound didn’t appear fatal.

“Get him inside,” I said to the nearby runners.

Another disc came flying toward the tree, but this time, Raul was on it, and he deflected it away.

“How many more monsters do you think they’ve got?”

I surveyed the scene.

“I’d say that was it,” I said, frowning.

Was the worst of it over?

If so, then I could hunt that woman down with relative ease…

I mean, the worst that I could imagine her doing with her skills was outrunning me with her superior speed…

Another disc came flying in, and I darted across the face of the tree and deflected it, but as it crashed into a nearby tree, the woman came charging at me, and my stomach lurched as I quickly realized that she was even faster than I’d initially imagined.

She had to be at least as fast as Hans!

I watched her for a weapon, when the disc appeared at her hand and as she leapt into the air above the level of my head, she hurled the disc downward into my face, and I swung just in time to deflect it; but that attack was just a distraction, as her arm transformed into a wicked curved blade, and as she swung, a sword came up in front of me, parrying the blow, just as I raised an arm protectively over myself.

I shot Jordan a thankful nod, but the moment of relief was short lived as she brought the sword arm down on us with incredible force.

But as Jordan and I struggled against her, Bianca quickly moved in and stabbed the woman in the hip, just where her armor ended around her thigh.

She cried out, then leapt backwards before darting off into the trees.

“Did you miss me Nate?” she called out, and I tilted my head, at the unfamiliar voice that had addressed me in such a familiar way.

“Is that you, Vanessa?”

She laughed, and I immediately recognized the sound.

It was her… but how?

“You regret it now, huh? Leaving me there back then?”

To think, back then I was worried about Palancar, when instead I had handed them a weapon…

“Not just yet,” I called out teasingly. “I mean, you haven’t even scratched me!”

She laughed again.

“I’ll do more than scratch you, sweetie. You and that fucking bitch!”

She came charging at me again, and this time, Cameron and Jordan moved to my side.

We were ready for her, but as Raul moved out of the corner of my eye, she hurled the disc wickedly toward one of the Kobalt hunters, and as Raul failed to deflect the disc, the man exploded into a mess of blood and flesh, and she smirked wickedly as she swept her blade at us.

We all got our weapons up to defend against the attack, but the sheer power of the swipe completely overwhelmed us, and we went flying backwards collectively, colliding hard with the tree trunk some feet back.

But Bianca was on her toes today, and she darted in again, and this time, drove her dagger into the woman’s foot, and she left it, impaling her to the ground before rolling out of the way of her clumsy counter strike.

“You useless little cunt. I should have let them rape you with the rest of those fucking whores!” she spat.

She cried out, as she pulled the blade from her foot, but if I wasn’t worried before, I was now…

Her power and speed were well beyond us.

At this rate, it would only be a matter of time before she would adjust to our capabilities, and finish us off, one by one, with ease.

I grabbed my halberd and darted at her, but she evaded my jab with ease, and as I turned the face of the blade in a swing, she leaned back under the arc, then turned and kicked me in the ribs hard.

I went flying, and my breastplate deactivated, falling off of me as I skidded across the earth.

I gasped for breath, but every gasp caused a sharp pain to shoot through my side.

_Fuck! Were my ribs broken?_

I tried to clear my mind, and think… we needed to find a way to end this in one sweeping go.

Maybe if we distracted her once more, then Bianca could land a stab on something vital?

I was still trying to come up with a solution when the princess emerged from the entry hall.

Gisela was tugging at her, but she swept the girl aside with a solid shove.

“Stay back!” I called out in German, but she shook her head.

 _She defiles something more precious to every Kobalt than the very breath we draw,_ she said into my mind.

I gazed into her core, and furrowed my brow, as her capacity was barely enough to use a single hypnotic suggestion, but she swept past the entry hall, approaching Vanessa-in-Kobalt-form.

“Oh? You’re coming to me? Way to make this easy,” she said, but the teasing expression on her face quickly faded as she noted the intense look of resolve in Miriam’s eyes.

 _Don’t do it!_ I thought to myself, but as I reached for my halberd, a sharp pain shot through my side.

I shook off the pain, as I tried to stand, only to fall to my knees.

What do I do?

Vanessa readied her blade arm to strike, when Miriam raised her hands, and I gasped, as I suddenly felt my power being drawn from my body.

I instinctively activated my sensory perception, and then I saw it.

Energy was being drawn from almost everyone around her, and as it swirled and spiraled into a circle around her, her aura seemed to intensify, and brighten.

“Meine Königin. Erinnere dich, wer du bist – _Remember who you are, my queen_.”

She channeled all of her energy into that command, and Vanessa fell to her knees.

“No- what have you done! Ahhhhhhh!”

She screamed and writhed about, before struggling to her knees, and looking about.

“Where am I?” she asked in German, before looking down at her own bladed arm. “What- what have I become? Hans? I… I couldn’t save you. Oh, my sweet Hans…”

She cried as she fell to the floor, but as she looked up, she caught sight of the princess, and shook her head.

“You… you are one who seeks follow in my footsteps. I wish you a better fate than what my love has borne…”

She turned, looking around, until she spotted Bianca.

“Strike quickly,” she said. “My mind will soon give way to the hunger…”

Bianca shot me a quick look, and as I nodded, she moved in, but her hands began to shake as she prepared to strike, and Raul placed a hand on her shoulder, as he moved to her side.

“Let me,” he said, as he took a deep breath, then sank his blade through the woman’s neck, and she fell to the ground as she bled out, gasping a little, before her eyes went dead, and she turned to me.

_You win this time, Natey boy… but I have more toys to play with!_

The voice was Vanessa’s, and I bit my lip nervously, as the girl fell to the ground, still and unmoving.

We’d made it.

Just barely, but we’d made it again…

As I looked around though, I felt a weariness descend on me, and I wondered when we would truly escape from this perpetual state of conflict.

Miriam coughed, retching loudly, and my stomach tightened, as I looked over, and saw blood falling from her eyes, and pouring out of her ears.

She began to vomit violently, a mixture of blood, and a thick red ooze, and I tried to stand again as I made for her side.

“Evie!” I called out, and as the girl came running out of the entry hall with Ryker in tow, the two quickly moved to her side.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "The Gods reign supreme!"

***

Francesca moved to my side while Ryker and Evie saw to the princess.

“Fuck, Nate… your ribs are broken,” she began, as she peered into my core.

“Hard… to breathe,” I mumbled, and she cast a panicked look around.

Alva moved to join her, and she helped me onto my back.

“Help remove the covering,” she said, and Francesca nodded, as Jordan and Cameron joined her at my side.

“Is he okay?” Cameron asked, her voice tinged with worry, and I tried to shoot her a reassuring smile.

“Stay… armed. Alert,” I said, and she turned to Jordan, who nodded.

“I’m on it,” he said.

Cameron and Alva removed my armor, then my shirt, though with some difficulty, and Alva began to examine my side.

“The pieces are intact,” she said.

“Then why… can’t I… breathe?” I panted.

“Easy, Auslander. Steady the breath. Deep, long drafts, and no movement. We will find a goddess to spur the healing.”

Francesca shot me a quick look.

“I can,” she said, and Alva studied her with a look of confusion.

Did she think that Francesca couldn’t heal because she was a fighter?

It was a curious reaction, and one I would think about when I wasn’t in so much pain.

“Nate! Do you need a heal?”

I shook my head, and Casey studied me worriedly.

“If you won’t… use one for... a stab, then-”

“Christ, will you stop fucking talking?” she shot, moving to my side.

Francesca was studying her with a curious smile, but even as Casey caught her look, her eyes remained teary, and she held onto my hand.

“Can you heal him?” she asked, and Francesca nodded.

She moved to my side, and placed a hand against me as she began to focus, and I turned to Casey.

“There’s someone… with unique… ability. Find, before… she leaves.”

“I’m right here,” a voice called, and I winced as I turned in the direction of the unfamiliar voice.

She was a young Kobalt girl with pretty, silver hair, and a cute round face, but the expression on her face revealed a maturity that strongly contradicted her youthful appearance.

“Astrid, you do not understand!” Gert called out, but the girl quickly waved a hand dismissively at his objection.

“Looks my prediction came to pass,” she said, casting a tentative look around, and I winced again, as I smirked a little.

“Was it worth it to laugh at that?” Casey asked, shaking her head at me.

“A little,” I conceded, but as the girl’s eyes swept past me to where one of the Kobalt hunters had been killed quite brutally, in our fight, she frowned.

“How many died?” she asked.

“Just the one,” Casey answered.

“Two,” Bianca corrected her, as she gestured to the now fallen, former queen.

 _I’m not sure she was still human_ , I thought, but as the Kobalt girl; the real Astrid I think, followed Bianca’s gaze, a horrified expression replaced her already worried look.

“Oh Gods… how could we have been so blind?”

She moved to the woman, and bowed in a show of respect, before rising up with an angry expression on her face.

“Palancar has strayed; the roots which anchored our people is now a vine which threatens to suck all life from our groves!”

I studied her, as her eyes flicked to me.

“But you. Some see you a savior, when may just as well be the doom of us all.”

I bit my lip nervously, as Casey stood up beside me.

“Some position you’re in to judge when your people laid a trap here to kill us!”

The girl scoffed, then raised her hands to show rope burns.

“I was tied up in a room in that tree right over there; and that’s where I’ve been ever since I’d decided to come seek him out! So, direct your misguided scorn somewhere else.”

“You… sought me?”

She nodded, approaching me as she spoke:

“This rot will fester, with or without your hand… and do not think me so silly as to abandon the hope that lies with you, simply because you possess the potential to do great harm.”

I swallowed with some difficulty, as she moved past Casey, and crouched down at my side, next to Francesca.

“Here. This rib presses to his lung; fix it, before moving on to the others.”

Francesca nodded, as Casey continued to eye the girl.

“Whoa! Back up,” Raul called out from somewhere behind me, and I heard a series of shouts in the Kobalt language quickly follow.

“Tell them to stand down!” Astrid yelled, and Gert seemed to cower at the sound of her voice.

“We cannot know their intent,” he began, but she cut him off with a venomous stare. “Stand down…” he mumbled, a little timidly, and I studied the girl with some appreciation.

“I don’t like this,” Casey began, and I eyed her, slightly amused.

She was always so slow to trust, wasn’t she?

“He said stand down!” the girl yelled in German, and the Kobalt hunters who’d come pouring out of the grove tree all turned their spears away at the command.

I was still studying her with admiration when a loud horn-like sound echoed to us from Palancar’s direction.

“Casey, should we… try to get out… of here?”

She clicked her tongue in annoyance, as she studied me.

“I don’t even think we can move you that far…”

“Ugh,” I groaned, as I tried to move-

“Tell him to stop moving!” the girl chided, and Casey shot her a dirty look.

“What does it fucking look like I’m doing?” she asked, and I snickered a little.

“Pater, we must raise the plague emblem,” Astrid said, turning to Gert, and he frowned.

“Astrid, this is too much! What if Palancar means to send aid?”

“They sent us a monster! Do you truly believe that that thing would have spared any? Besides, look at the road… where they approached from. Tell my pater, Auslander… did you always intend to come to this grove?”

I shook my head, then nudged Casey.

“We decided on it yesterday, basically,” she said.

“-the last day cycle,” Alva explained, and the girl nodded in response.

“See? My vision shows no lie! Palancar meant to strike at us!”

He shook his head disbelievingly.

“But that can only mean…”

“Yes, Herr Kahnwald,” Gisela said, stepping forward. “It means that Lucilla Mater is dead.”

Grimaces appeared on the faces of the Kobalt around us, and murmurs of shock could be heard…

“Erect the emblem,” Gert said, and two men immediately darted off.

“What’s… the emblem,” I managed, and Casey shot me a warning glare.

“It warns of plague, that others may avoid our lands while we seek to contain the spread of disease.”

Casey shook her head.

“And what makes you think Palancar will respect it?” she asked.

“Because, they know we possess god artifacts capable of creating such things; things like disease without cure, and quick death.”

Casey eyed the girl.

“The kinds of things you planned to use against us?” she asked, and the girl vented her annoyance by making a curious sucking sound with her tongue.

“Is there a more sensible Goddess to speak with?” she asked, and I patted Casey’s hand, trying to get her to restrain herself.

“What about… the monsters,” I croaked, and the girl nodded.

“The monster would be a problem, but Palancar will be reeling from this loss. They will not soon sacrifice another of their ‘prized possessions’.”

“Then, will you… offer us sanctuary?” I asked, and the girl nodded, turning to the larger group behind her.

“Our fates are intertwined now!” she shouted. “Treat the other with dignity, even if you feel distrust.”

She returned her gaze to me.

“I will see to your healing myself; have the others brought into this tree.”

“Our dead,” I muttered, and she nodded.

“We will see he is rested with dignity. Bring forth carriers!” she called out, and Casey made a clicking sound with her tongue.

“Don’t leave him with that girl,” Casey said to Francesca, and she shot me an awkward look, as Casey headed off.

I tried to focus on my breathing as Francesca assisted my healing process, until a few hunters approached me with one of the wooden stretchers.

The thing was lain beside me, and I was rolled, with some difficulty, onto it, before they carried me off to the grove tree.

Francesca followed, but as they led me past the entry hall and down a corridor to a room off of the ground floor, I was greeted by Astrid, who barred Francesca from following.

“I’m not leaving his side,” she said, and the girl made that sucking sound through her teeth again.

“You are in the way, goddess. This healing procedure releases feedback, and your princess is to be treated here as well. The space is required.”

Francesca shot me a longing gaze, and I nodded.

“It’s fine,” I said, and she bit her lip as she retreated, but only as far as the far wall of the corridor.

Astrid scowled.

“At least leave room for another to enter,” she scolded Francesca, who quickly took a few steps to the side, and Astrid eyed her before pulling the door shut.

“Go easy on them… they’ve endured much,” I said, and she shook her head.

“I’m in no mood. My entire world came crashing down today,” she said, and I nodded.

“You’re right. My apologies,” I said, and she studied me.

“Does that act really fool everyone?”

I sighed.

“It does, but… only because… I’m _really_ committed to it,” I joked, wincing again, and she cracked a smile at me.

“You’re pretty charismatic. I find it nauseating,” she said. “Speaking of nauseating, here comes the bane of all worlds,” she added, and I tilted my head as the door opened up, and the princess was rushed inside, followed closely by Gisela and Evie.

“Get out. All of you.”

“I can help with whatever treatment,” Evie shot, and Astrid let out another sigh.

“All of you are being a nuisance! This is treatment of god artifact, not meagre healing skill. Now leave!”

Gisela furrowed her brow worriedly, but as she studied Miriam’s labored, shallow breathing, she nodded, but not before shooting me a pleading look.

“I’ll protect her,” I called, and Astrid rolled her eyes at me, before moving to the entrance and slamming the door shut, with some aggression I might add, as soon as Gisela stepped foot outside of the frame.

“What’s this… artifact?” I asked.

“You’ll see,” she said. “I need you to hold onto your beloved princess before I activate it, though.”

I tilted my head at her.

“May I request an explanation?” I asked, trying to be as polite as I could, and Astrid eyed me.

“Diplomatic. Not bad,” she said. “The device uses your core to trigger healing, like those vials your people use, but I’ll teach you trick. If you focus the energy overflowing from her, you can draw her feedback into your own body and use it to power the healing.”

“So, I need to use energy manipulation?” I asked, and she studied me.

“Yes. You know this skill?”

I nodded in response, and she swallowed uncomfortably.

“You people do learn quickly,” she reminded herself.

She moved to the table on the far side of the room, and retrieved a black, round stone, and as she brought it to the table where I lay, she placed the object into my hand.

“Place it over the heart, then image the healing as you draw the sickness out of the high one.”

I nodded, trying to focus on Miriam’s energy, but as soon as I did, the urge to vomit threatened to overwhelm me.

“No, no, no! Activate the artifact, then draw the sickness!” she chided me, and I nodded.

I focused on the orb, as I placed it to my chest, and as I directed it to the threads coagulating around my ribs, I began to draw the feedback from Miriam’s body, and I gasped, as the pain in my ribs intensified, and the bone began to knit.

Astrid brought a wooden stick to my mouth.

“Bite,” she commanded. “I do not need goddesses charging in here with weapon drawn when you scream out in pain.”

I nodded, doing as she ordered, and I fought back tears as the pain threatened to overwhelm me.

It took some time, but eventually I adjusted to the sensation, and as the urge to scream out passed, Astrid retrieved the stick from my mouth.

“I owe you my thanks,” the girl said, and as I studied her, she shook her head. “What?” she asked.

“What are you thanking me for?” I asked, my confusion evident on my face, and she seemed perplexed by my reaction.

“What? Do you believe me ungrateful?” she asked, and I shook my head again.

“Just, clarify?” I asked. “What exactly is the thanks for?”

“For not murdering my life-bringer,” she explained. “You could have easily cut your way out of his clutches. Such restraint is rare in those with your kind of power, so I offer my gratitude.”

I chuckled a little, then nodded.

“You don’t need to thank me. It’s all part of my ‘act’,” I joked, and she smiled.

“I am beginning to appreciate the caliber of your acting,” she said, and as Miriam let out a low groan, I spotted her eyeing Astrid with an expression of annoyance.

“Oh, shut it. I saved your life, and that of your precious,” Astrid said, and Miriam frowned, before turning to me.

_Are you well, my sweet?_

I nodded, but as I used my sensory perception skill, I noted that her core was in a critical state, in addition to a lot of feedback still clouding her system.

Astrid began to examine the princess, then furrowed her brow as she did.

“You really pushed it too far, this time,” she said, and I turned to study her.

“Will she be okay?” I asked, and the girl sighed.

“We need to rid her of enough sickness that she will not bleed or petrify, but I sense something else amiss. Let me fetch that healer-companion of yours for a second opinion.”

Astrid left the room, then returned with a worried looking Evie.

“Nate! Your ribs; they’re healed!” she exclaimed, as she examined me.

“Do me a favor, and tell that to the one-armed Goddess,” Astrid muttered, but Evie shot me a surprised look as she peered into my energy core.

“But… you’ve barely used your core. How is that possible?”

I quickly explained to her the process of using the feedback from Miriam’s body to power the accelerated healing, and she nodded, thinking intently.

“So, if we can find things to do that drains one’s core-capacity, we can purge more of the feedback?”

Astrid nodded, studying Evie closely.

“What about the skill training?” I suggested.

“Skill training?” Astrid asked, but as I explained the process, she shook her head.

“The channeling will work, but your princess drew on the cores of many around her. The sickness accumulated is much; many gods will be exhausted before this ‘feedback’ as you say it, is cleared, and Palancar may threaten us still.”

I nodded, as I rubbed my chin thoughtfully.

There had to be a way, but how…?

I was still thinking about it when I noted a strange expression on Evie’s face.

“Um, there’s something that I think might work, but… could you leave us? Just for a bit?” she asked timidly, and Astrid shot her a dubious look.

“They are in my care, and this situation is dire. Do what you must, but I will not abdicate my responsibility.”

Evie bit her lips nervously, then took a deep breath in.

“Nate… that skill you used when you were with us. With Molly and Francesca?”

I raised an eyebrow, as I studied Evie.

“Uh-huh…”

“Could you, uh… use it now?”

She shifted uncomfortably as I continued to study her.

“You’re serious?”

She nodded.

“When you used it, I- uh, can’t be sure, but I think your threads accumulated in… there,” she said, nodding suggestively, “and it might draw out the princess’ feedback if you, uh- do it.”

I blinked a few times, but as I cast a tentative look back at Miriam, who seemed to have fallen unconscious again, and was breathing in those shallow, raspy breaths, I nodded.

I was about to ask for Cameron, when Evie knelt before me and began to unbuckle my belt-plate.

Astrid’s expression shifted to one of slight discomfort as she looked on, but she didn’t move to leave, and as Evie withdrew my thing from its confines in my pants, Astrid looked on in a wide-eyed daze.

Evie shot me a tentative, shy look, as she took my still soft part into her mouth, and I let out a reflexive moan as I began to stir to hardness inside of her mouth.

 _What a feeling that was,_ I thought, but Evie wasted no time, as she began to suck on me, all while running her tongue deliciously along the underside of my sensitive shaft.

The stimulation was fantastic, and while I felt the urge to prolong my pleasure, the impulse gave way to the necessity of the situation, as I coaxed myself into cumming quickly, but not before focusing my core’s energy on the production of sperm deep within my balls, as I began to draw upon the energy cloud around Miriam’s core.

Evie sensed the incoming orgasm, and she nodded subtly as she continued to suck, increasing her intensity as she began to massage my balls, and work the base of my cock in tandem with her sucking.

Then it came, and I instinctively grabbed a handful of hair as she continued to suck, though slowly, and more deliberately, as I emptied my seed into her throat, and she swallowed my offering with an almost possessed desire, even as the spurts seemed to come forth, more and more, in a never ending deluge.

As the pulsing stopped, and the remnants of my seed dribbled from my softening head, Evie turned, and coughed a little, before wiping away a little bit of wateriness from her eyes.

“Amazing,” Astrid breathed, as she moved forward. “The seed… you consumed it! And the feedback with it.”

Evie blushed a little, but Astrid seemed to be examining her as she would a lab rat in a clinical trial.

“This might work,” Astrid noted, “a few more times and the princess’ sickness will be contained.”

“I could do it again,” Evie offered, but Astrid quickly shook her head.

“I don’t think it would be wise. Your core was replenished; any more, and sickness will result. Call forth the goddesses. Those with spent cores, preferably.”

I shook my head at her, then chuckled a little.

“The ones with whom I can share this are few; I can’t just replenish anyone who randomly needs it like this,” I countered, and she shook her head.

“I too have reservations about using the part for activities beyond seed-giving, but this situation requires sacrifice, Auslander. You will bear this burden,” she said assertively, and Evie stifled a giggle.

“You heard her, Nate,” Evie teased, “Doctor’s orders. I can fetch Francesca and Molly, but is there anyone else?”

My mind instinctively went to Cameron, but as I recalled her own reservations about performing oral sex, I hesitated.

“That’ll do for now,” I said, and Evie shot me a little nod, as she headed off.

I caught Astrid’s eyes lingering on me several times while we waited, and as I recalled Eradne’s mention of feeling an unnatural attraction towards me, I wondered if perhaps Astrid’s inquisitive looks were also guided by a similar inclination.

It also occurred to me that Evie had been gone for a bit longer than I expected, but as she returned, I quickly learned why:

“Nate! This is it! My moment!” Bianca exclaimed, as she burst into the room. “And there’s no way you can turn me down!”

She was grinning evilly at me, when Casey came bounding into the room after her.

“Bianca! I told you to stay on watch.”

Bianca frowned, then turned to me with a pleading expression.

“Nathan~, help! I don’t wanna keep watch. It’s not fair~,” she whined, and I chuckled at her.

“Who’s on watch right now?” I asked.

“Jordan, Nolan, and Raul,” Casey answered, “but Cameron and Molly were too, and they’re on their way over here.”

“Wha-? I don’t even know who ‘Molly’ is, why does she get to do it? Nate~,” Bianca continued to complain, and I chuckled at her.

“Those three should be able to handle the watch for now,” I said, as I shot a worried glance at Miriam.

 _And maybe I would need the extra help,_ I thought.

As Cameron and Molly entered the room, Cameron shot me a teasing smile.

“Well now, this is quite the group,” she said.

“You are the God-mate?” Astrid asked, and as Cameron nodded, the girl breathed a sigh of relief. “I am thankful. You, at least, I can serve without desiring my own end,” she said, casting a disapproving glance at Casey.

“Serve?” I asked, and she turned to me.

“Yes. Was it not obvious that I desired to enter the service of your mate?”

I shook my head disbelievingly, as she began to examine Cameron, sizing her up.

“Your term is advanced. I will need to conceive quickly if my sapling is to serve as companion.”

“Term?” Bianca asked, and Cameron chuckled nervously, as she turned to me.

“For now, let’s just help Nate with this,” she offered, and I nodded as Molly dropped to her knees in front of me.

“You don’t need to tell me twice,” she said, winking at me, as she quickly swallowed me up, much to Bianca’s annoyance.

“Wha- hey! I was here first!”

Molly spit me out long enough to answer:

“You snooze, you lose,” she said, with a shrug, before resuming her expert tonguing of my cockhead.

 _Damn,_ I thought. _I almost forgot how good Molly was with her mouth._

Cameron moved to my side, and perched herself beside me.

“I think you’re gonna have to make do with these girls,” she said, and I nodded, giving her leg a reassuring squeeze as Molly’s technique sent an involuntary shudder up my spine.

“Maybe I can help, actually,” Cameron said, as she leaned in to kiss me, and I cooed into her mouth, as Molly took me in deeper than Evie had, before swirling her tongue around my shaft.

“This is pretty fucking surreal,” I noted, and Cameron smiled.

“I’m pretty sure there’s gonna be more moments like these when you actually become king,” she said, as she moved in to my neck, and began to kiss me.

Evie knelt down beside Molly, and she moved in and began to plant kisses along my inner thigh, eventually moving to the places along the base of my cock that Molly couldn’t get to, and the involvement of all the ladies made Bianca hopping mad.

She made a soft whinnying sound, and while I wanted to offer her a comforting look, I was on the verge of cumming, and I began to focus on the task at hand.

Molly slipped me from her lips as I was about to burst, and as Evie quickly scolded her, she took me back in just as I came, and at Evie’s urging, Molly began to swallow, though with some difficulty, as I emptied another abundant serving of seed down her throat.

“You didn’t tell me I had to swallow,” Molly scolded, and I shot her an apologetic look, as I shuddered a little in my post-orgasmic state.

“Sorry,” Evie said. “If you don’t swallow, then the feedback can leak out, and get drawn back into the princess, worsening her affliction.”

“I see. You’re up, kid,” she said, turning to Bianca, who was pouting furiously.

“But he’s not gonna be able to do it again,” she said, and I shook my head in response.

“I’ll be fine, I’m using an ability,” I explained, and she eyed me curiously.

She seemed skeptical to say the least, but as she moved in to take Molly’s place, and her eyes zeroed in on my cock, her expression changed to one of pure satisfaction.

She took my part into her hand, and wiggled it around a bit, studying it, before leaning in and giving it a little kiss.

“Hey; this isn’t for pleasure. Get to it,” Casey chided her, and she turned and gave the her a dirty look.

“It’s a process, okay?”

She returned her gaze to me, and Cameron chuckled as she watched on with interest.

“You’re taking this well,” I said, and she shrugged.

“I’ve never seen blowjobs up close like this. I’m taking notes,” she explained, and I chuckled at her.

“Ah-!”

I yelped a little as Bianca suddenly latched roughly onto my cock, and she shot me a dirty look that said ‘pay attention to me, idiot!’.

I chuckled a little, then leaned down to pat her on the head, and she smiled happily, before resuming her effort.

To my surprise, however, for all the talk of how awesome she was at it, her technique was quite sloppy, and not practiced in that way that Molly’s was, or even as consistent as Evie’s.

Instead, she was slobbering all over me, and gagging whenever she took me more than three or four inches in, but what she lacked in technique, she made up for with the sheer zealousness of her approach, sucking on me with an almost frenzied bobbing.

“Well, look at her go,” Molly said, and Cameron watched her with interest.

“I still can’t see her as anything more than a kid with a new toy,” Cameron admitted, and I swatted her playfully, before moving my hand to Bianca’s head, and grabbing a handful of hair.

“I think I know what to do with this,” I said, as I sat upright a bit, and Molly’s eyes lit up as I took control of Bianca’s head, then jerked her a few times back and forth along my shaft.

“Ohh, yeah. Fuck her face,” Molly cheered, as Evie shot her a disapproving look, but even Casey seemed intrigued by the development.

Bianca gagged whenever I went in too far, and I gave her time to recover, but each jerking penetration took me deeper into her mouth, until at last, I felt my head come into contact with the tighter channel of her throat, and with a few more jerking thrusts, I felt myself ready to unload.

But as I released her head, and Bianca began sucking, the feeling of an impending orgasm faded a little until Molly swooped in to the rescue.

She turned her head to the side and began to run her lips along the underside of my shaft, which initially seemed to annoy Bianca a little, but as it pushed me close to the edge, I began to focus my attention on the energy manipulation again, and Bianca made a happy noise as my cum began to spew forth beyond her lips.

Unfortunately, she tried to collect it all in her mouth rather than swallowing as it came, which she quickly realized was unwise, as the deluge of cum was far more than she could possibly contain, but as she tried to swallow finally, she gagged again, and her eyes went wide as she coughed; but with her mouth clamped shut, the cum had nowhere else to go, and came spewing out of her nose.

Her eyes began to water as she released me, sending a slight spray of cum onto Molly, whose face was positioned just beneath her, and Molly quickly moved in to her lips, allowing her to accept what Bianca could not swallow.

Molly was breathing unevenly, and Evie shot her a quick smile before leaning in to lick clean the cum that had splattered her face.

Bianca seemed embarrassed by the whole thing, but I quickly pulled her into my arms, and ruffled her hair playfully.

“You did good,” I said, and she frowned.

“No; that was terrible,” she argued, and I shrugged.

“You were under pressure,” I offered, and she nodded.

“I know, right? Sheesh, I just need time to warm up properly.”

She smiled in that childish way that she often did when she was trying to hide her own nervousness, but the moment was cut short, as Evie shot me a worried look.

“I don’t think we’ve drained even half of the feedback from her system,” she said.

“What about Francesca?” I asked.

“She’s tending to the wounded Kobalt, and her core isn’t exactly depleted much,” Casey explained, and Cameron shot me a teasing smile.

“I’m pretty sure Jordan wouldn’t mind offering a hand,” she said, and Molly’s eyes lit up at this.

“For real?” she asked, but Evie shook her head again.

“I think there’s something else wrong here,” she said, and I studied her worriedly.

“Something else? Like what?” I asked.

Evie bit her lip nervously, as she examined Miriam.

“I don’t think her core is regenerating at all,” she explained, and as I turned to Miriam and gazed into her core, I noted that while her capacity did seem to be depleted, my own ability didn’t really allow me to see small nuanced changes in the way that Evie seemed to be describing.

Was it really not regenerating?

“This is what I feared,” Astrid noted, furrowing her brow as she did. “For now, let us leave the princess to rest. She has expelled much sickness, and if her core does not begin to regenerate, the ‘feedback’ itself may be all that stands between her and death.”

Astrid arranged a proper sleeping chamber for the princess, but she refused to allow any of her companion-servants to attend to her, much to their annoyance.

“If you draw out the life that keeps her to this realm, what do you believe will happen? Be of sound judgement!” she scolded them, and with that, we left the grove tree.

Once outside, I noted that the hunters from both of our groups were gathering up the fallen monsters, harvesting their cores with Lucia’s assistance, while also preparing them to be dressed.

“Have we received any indication of Palancar’s intent?” I asked, and Casey shook her head.

“The day-cycle is late; you will not leave this grove before darkness descends anyway,” Astrid added, and I turned to her.

“What do your people intend to do?”

“My pater insists on remaining here. Many will too, but most others have fled to _Rosengarten_ and the clusters beyond.”

“How far away is _Rosengarten_?”

“With caravan? Two segments at best.”

I rubbed my chin.

We would have to stay here for the night, then perhaps set out at first light.

“Those who will choose to stay. Do you think they can be persuaded to leave with us tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow?”

“The next day-cycle,” I clarified, and she frowned.

“If my pater can be persuaded to leave, then yes… but he is most stubborn.”

I thought about it for a bit.

“Won’t he listen to you?” I asked, and she shot me a glum look then raised her hands, indicating the fresh bruises from where she’d been tied.

“This is what came of my advice, Auslander,” she explained, and I bit my lip.

“Yes, but imprisoning you means he wanted to keep you at his side, no? Maybe you can convince him to follow you.”

“You misunderstand his intent, Auslander. My father’s possessions root him to this ground; to him, I was but another thing he owned.”

She walked off, and Casey moved to my side.

“Short of another monster attack, we should be fine for one night,” she said.

“I don’t like being this close to them, though,” I said, as the raised trees with rope bridges could even be seen off in the distance.

“I don’t think that Vanessa can remotely control another monster without sleeping; her core capacity might not even be up to the level that most of our best warriors are at,” she said.

I nodded, as Casey gestured to the supply cart, and I followed her there.

“This is the armor that Vanessa’s monster-girl was wearing,” Casey said, and I gave a little appreciative whistle.

“What tier?”

“Three,” she said.

“Grade?”

“Medium.”

“Why put that level of armor on a monster, though?” I asked, and she shrugged.

“Honestly, this set might not have ranked highly in their eyes. For one thing, the pieces are all built for speed.”

“Speed-three would be a great boost to our combat capabilities,” I noted, and she nodded in agreement.

“I say distribute the pieces evenly amongst our armored fighters. You’ll learn the skill more slowly, but having access to it in combat will be a huge boost.”

“What about the disc weapon?” I asked.

“Not so much a weapon as a monster mutation,” she answered, and I frowned.

“So, they’re not limited to blade appendages then?” I asked, and she nodded.

“Monster mutations can take different forms, so we need to be careful when facing something of this caliber.”

As we discussed the distribution of the armor, Gisela approached us, a worried look on her face, and with Alva at her side.

“Herr Nathan. There is important matter,” she began, and I turned to study her.

“What is it?”

“The princess. There is method of saving her, but it is… problematic.”

“Tell me,” I said, and as she shifted uncomfortably, Alva shook her head at her.

“If the princess bears your seed, the core of the new life will repair the damage done to her own,” Alva explained, and I studied her for a moment, a look of shock on my face.

“How certain are you?” I asked.

“Our assertion is without doubt,” Alva said, and as I turned to Gisela, the girl nodded timidly.

“How soon should it be done?” I asked, and Casey shot me an incredulous look.

“You’re really just gonna do that?” she asked, and I shrugged.

“If it’ll save her life, then yes.”

“There is one other problem,” Gisela interjected. “The princess wishes that her sapling come forth amongst companions.”

“Jeez, do you want him to impregnate everyone?” Casey shot.

“Not everyone, just the princess’ companion-servants,” Alva answered, as if it were fairly obvious, and Casey let out a frustrated sigh.

“How are we gonna travel with that many pregnant women?” she reasoned, and I chuckled a little at her response.

She certainly didn’t seem to mind watching that ‘blowjob fest’ a little while back, but when it came to impregnation, her jealousy meter seemed to immediately spike.

As I considered the development, however, a thought occurred to me.

“Gisela, how long does it usually take for Kobalt women to birth saplings after conceiving?”

“The same as for the false-god, and all tongued-folk,” she replied. “By the sixth moon after the bleeding has ceased.”

I bit my lip.

“How many day-cycles is a moon?” I asked.

“Thirty days,” Casey answered.

“In Kepler days?”

She nodded.

So that would be… six months after the first missed period, so seven months?

Or two hundred and ten Kepler days, which came up to about two hundred and seventy earth ones…

That meant the term was almost identical to that of a regular human.

“So, the same as ours on earth. But, would the same hold true for the child of a god and Kobalt?”

Casey frowned, as she considered the problem.

“Our children develop cores at conception, and accelerate their own development; but without an implant, and depending only on the accelerated growth of the mother, it won’t be anything close to what Cameron is managing.”

“So, how long do you estimate it would take?” I asked, and she shrugged, turning to Gisela and Alva.

“It is without reference,” Gisela answered. “Such a coupling has not been achieved for several hundred year-cycles.”

I bit my lip, then nodded.

“How long would it take us to get to a safe distance from Palancar’s influence?” I asked.

Gisela thought for a bit, then nodded.

“Perhaps one moon; two, to be without doubt.”

I turned to Casey.

“We can press on during the early stages of the pregnancy, then settle down temporarily until the mothers all give birth,” I suggested, and she scoffed.

“That could take weeks, Nate.”

I shrugged.

“The journey will be long, anyway. A rest at that point will probably be welcome, even.”

She shook her head at me, then sighed.

“Let me just… work out the details,” she said, as she got up, and headed off.

Cameron passed her on her way to me, then shot me a questioning look, as Gisela and Alva slipped away.

“She alright?” she asked, and I shook my head.

“I’m not sure, actually.”

“Do you wanna talk about it?” she asked, and I chuckled a little, before relaying the details of our discussion to her.

“Oh~? She definitely is the jealous type, but I didn’t realize she was so accepting of her feelings for you that she could get _that_ jealous.”

I studied Cameron for a bit.

“Doesn’t it bother you at all?” I asked, and she laughed.

“You’re aiming for God-king status here. I’d be stupid if I didn’t think that you’d have these kinds of obligations. Besides, when we do settle down, we’ll need a healthy number of ‘godlings’ to get things going in the right direction, won’t we?”

I eyed her with a teasing smile.

“Well, maybe we should contribute as much as we can to that cause,” I said, and she laughed.

“How about I _actually_ have the first child before you start planning the second. I mean, just how many kids do you wanna have with me anyway?”

“I figured we’d start with two, then take it from there,” I replied, and she giggled at me.

“I can live with two.”

“Can you live with-?”

“Someone’s coming!”

I quickly glanced in the direction of the shout, then spotted Casey making her way over there, and quickly followed.

“What is it?” I asked, as soon as I got to her side.

“A councilor I think, and about fifteen hunters.”

“Diplomacy, maybe?” I asked, and she frowned.

“You shouldn’t let your guard down. They might have more of these ‘God artifacts’, and who knows what they’re really capable of.”

I nodded, slinging my halberd over my back as I moved to intercept the approaching team.

Casey and Gisela were at my side, but I noted with some worry that Cameron had also tagged along.

The delegation from Palancar was approaching along the road from the south, and as they neared, I noted that there were two councilmen, and another whose robes seemed to display elevated status, though his robes did appear different from what the councilors wore.

“Whoa!” I called out, as soon as they were close enough to hear me. “I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but we’ve raised the plague symbol over this cluster!”

The man scowled.

“Yet we see no visible signs of affliction,” the man answered, and I smiled.

“Does the tree with rotted root display its affliction openly for one to see?”

The man’s eyes narrowed, as he seemed to take offence to my apparent use of ‘Kobalt metaphor’, and I smirked, as my words had produced the desired result.

“Well, that’s fine anyway. If you wish to see our sick for yourself, then come along.”

I turned, to lead the man back to the cluster, when he stopped, and called out:

“I don’t care about your sick. We’re here to arrest you and your princess, for your crimes against Palancar.”

I turned around, and laughed.

“You and what army?”

The man tilted his head in confusion, and Casey rolled her eyes at me as I chuckled to myself.

“Do we let them leave?” I asked Casey, and she frowned.

“They’ve seen enough to plan an attack for sure, but I don’t see how we could stop them.”

I raised an eyebrow at her.

“Wanna bet I can take them all without even drawing my weapon?”

She rolled her eyes at me again.

“Are you trying to show off, or something? Because this may just be the most unattractive thing you’ve ever done.”

I shrugged in response.

“I’m seriously trying to ask you how we should proceed. Taking them out is an option; that’s all.”

Casey shot me a warning look as she gave the matter some thought, but as I glanced back at the councilmen, I noted a fearful look on their faces, and I wondered if they’d heard our little exchange.

 _Taking them out it is_ , I thought, but as I moved to strike, a thunderous booming sound stopped me in my tracks, and I turned around just in time to spot a fiery explosion bursting out of the grove tree where I’d met with Gert.

“Fucking hell. What now?”

I signaled to Raul, and he moved over to my side.

“Keep them from leaving. Don’t kill any, but grab one of those big-wigs if you need to.”

“Got it.”

As I moved to the grove tree, however, I suddenly noted that Astrid seemed to be in a panic, and she rushed to my side as soon as she spotted me.

“Nathan. This is bad!”

I studied her reaction, then turned to the tree.

“Is your father still inside?” I asked.

“Maybe, but that’s not the problem- that was an artifact! One that should have never existed!”

“What does it do?” I asked.

“It unleashes the white-flame; a fire which spreads quickly, burning everything in its path until naught is left but cinders.”

I studied her.

“Won’t the water pulled up from the grove trees extinguish the flame?” I asked, and she quickly shook her head in response.

“It won’t! The flames are imbued with special properties, and reacts to water if it were miasma.”

_Miasma… that was alcohol, wasn’t it?_

“The water drawn up by the roots will cause explosive reactions, and unless stopped, spread everywhere! All of Eltari faces danger!”

I cast a glance back toward the councilmen, and noted that they seemed to wear the same panicked expression as Astrid.

 _So, they know what this is_ , I thought.

I turned to Casey.

“What do you know about this fire?”

She rubbed her chin thoughtfully.

“I know there are cocktails which create chemical reactions that burn like fire, and that would react to water and matter in the way she describes, but most of them would just burn themselves out as soon as the reaction agents are used up. What she’s describing would only be possible if the reaction produced further reaction agents in the process, allowing it to propagate indefinitely.”

“And that falls into the realm of what’s possible here?”

She nodded.

“On earth, we depend on heat and pressure, or processes like nuclear fission to manipulate the elements; but an energy core is like a mini-nuclear reactor, and can achieve the same things with much more efficiency; so definitely possible. Besides, going on their reactions, I think we need to prepare for the worst.”

I nodded in agreement.

“Okay, take Cameron with you up to the third floor and see what you can figure out about the fire from observation,” I ordered, and she nodded, heading off as I turned to Gisela.

“What do we do, Nathan?” she asked, a hopeless expression on her face.

“We have to stop that fire. Is any of ours in that tree?”

She shook her head, and I nodded.

“Okay, have our runners get our people out of the other trees and into the clearing on the other side of the cluster.”

“It will be my task,” Alva said, as she headed off, and I returned my attention to Gisela.

“I want the hunters to go through the bottom floor of that tree and untap every water line; I don’t want any water getting up there to fan those flames.”

Astrid was studying me intently.

“Do you really think you can stop the flames?” she asked.

“We have no choice. If the fire travels up the grove tree and spreads to the canopy, then we’ll all be in trouble whether we run or not. I need you to tell me everything you know about that fire. Is there any way to stop it?”

She shook her head.

“Stifling the air is the only way.”

I kicked at the ground, then stooped down to examine the earth.

It was pretty dry, wasn’t it?

Maybe we could smother the flames.

“Can you get the people of this grove to work with us?” I asked, and she nodded.

“Yes. None would deny aid to avert this tragedy.”

“Good. Get whoever you can to gather up earth. The drier, the better. We’ll need to make sure that the fire remains on the third floor, and away from the stairs.”

“What do we do with the earth?”

“Start by packing it along the rooms where the fire may cut off our access to the upper floors, then try to spread it around as much as you can on the floor directly above where the fire started. Go.”

She headed off with a quick nod, and I turned to Raul.

He had one of the swords, and Jordan, the other.

Daggers and knives, even spears, would be much less useful here.

 _What I wouldn’t give for that great sword Caleb’s goon had bought right now,_ I thought.

“Raul! Forget about those idiots for now. We need to do some tree cutting.”

“Which tree?” he asked, and as I gestured to the grove tree, he laughed.

“Seriously? That thing has got to be at least a hundred feet wide. Even if we had the right equipment and an entire team, that would take more than a night.”

I shook my head at him.

“We’ve gotta stop that fire from spreading. What else can we do?”

“A week ago, I would have said fuck it, let’s bail,” he said, letting out a long sigh. “But I guess we’re gonna cut that tree down.”

I patted him on the back, as Jordan, Nolan, and the rest of the girls moved over to join us, and I quickly explained the situation to them.

“What’s the plan?” Evie asked, as I took a deep breath.

“We need to cut that tree down before the fire spreads,” I said, and Molly let out a laugh.

“How the fuck are we supposed to do that?” she asked, and I let out a nervous sigh.

“Jordan and Raul will come with me. We’ll aim for… the tenth floor, I guess? Since the branches don’t start to spread out until about there. It’ll take us time, so I need everyone else to buy us that time. The Kobalt are gonna try to use earth to smother the flames, I want everyone else to help with that.

“Nolan; meet up with Cameron on the third floor. You can take the hunting knives and try to do some damage along the lower floors. Try to separate away the wooden things that’ll burn easily, and spread the fire more quickly through the rooms.”

“The fucking walls are wooden,” Nolan replied incredulously, and I shook my head.

“The walls won’t burn as easily as the things in the rooms. We also need to keep the stairwells from burning, and worst-case scenario; if the three of us get stuck up there, you’ll need to create a path for us down.”

“Fucking hell of an ask,” Nolan said, and I nodded.

“If you think I’m asking you to work miracles, I am. But if we don’t pull one off here, we all die.”

“Well, there’s some perspective for ya,” Molly said, shooting me a wink, and I gave her a thankful nod.

“Okay, let’s get to it. Oh, and Bianca. I want you to keep an eye on our new guests,” I said, gesturing to the delegation from Palancar. “If they do anything untoward, just stab them a few times.”

She nodded.

“I don’t know what ‘untoward’ means, but I’m on it!” she declared.

“The rest of you, keep a lookout for Casey’s orders,” I said, and with that, the group separated.

We headed for the grove tree, and I was immediately greeted by water flooding out of the main hall.

“Fuck; fire doesn’t move downwards, does it?” Raul asked, and I shook my head.

“No, but we better hope this doesn’t catch.”

We quickly made our way up the stairs, and as we got to the third floor, we ran into Cameron and Casey.

“Fucking hell, Nate. This this is just as bad as they said. The fire is almost through this floor already.”

“Doesn’t look like we can contain this here,” Jordan noted, and I nodded, biting my lip worriedly as I did.

“Head down, and try to co-ordinate the effort from below,” I said to Casey, and she studied me cautiously.

“What are you planning on doing?” she asked.

“Cutting off the tree from higher up. We’re gonna try to make it fall that way,” I said, indicating the direction away from the center of the grove, and she nodded, but her expression was one of worry.

I shot her the best reassuring smile I could, and we continued on to the tenth floor, but as Raul took a look outside, he frowned.

“We can probably get higher up,” he suggested. “The trunk might narrow a bit more.”

I took a look outside, then nodded.

“We’ll go three more stories up,” I said, and Raul frowned.

“Thirteenth floor? Could you make it fourteen, or an even twelve?” he asked, and I snickered at him.

“You superstitious?” I asked, and he nodded.

I took another look outside, then decided that the fourteenth floor would work just as fine.

“Okay, how do we start this?” Raul asked, and I led the two to the room on the far side of the floor.

“Start by cutting holes into the walls,” I said, gesturing to the walls on either side of the room.

I moved to the far wall, then made a slice along the length of the wall, then cut into the spot where the wall curved away from the outer bark.

I then made a vertical cut along the length of the wall, before making two more horizontal cuts across the wall, then a final vertical cut which allowed me to kick a square shaped hole through the wall.

This gave me access to the room next to the one we started out in, and Jordan quickly moved over to inspect the work, as I began to repeat the process.

“You’re gonna cut in a circle until you go all the way around the tree?” Jordan asked, and I nodded.

“But, won’t the walls of the rooms running through the center of the tree also connect the lower level to the upper one?”

“Yep, that’s why we need to do those same cuts along every room,” Raul answered, and I pointed at him as I clicked my tongue in approval.

I’d made my way through to the third room along the outer ring, when a Kobalt runner came bursting up the stairs.

“Auslander, the fire has spread to the fourth floor. We fear the way down will be made impassable,” he said, and I nodded.

“That’s fine. Make sure no one else comes up, and get some of the other Gods to cut some holes in the floors of the rooms furthest from the flames.”

The man nodded, then headed off.

“Holes in the floor?” Jordan asked.

“So we can leap our way down,” Raul answered, and I nodded, as I took a tentative look down the side of the building.

“How many rooms are we looking at?” I asked.

“About twenty, I think,” Jordan answered.

“Okay, let’s keep going. I want one continuous cut along the profile of the entire floor.”

Jordan and Raul went to work on the inner rooms, while I worked on the outer ring of the tree, but as I got halfway across the tree, a sword burst out of the far wall of the room behind me, and I gulped, swallowing uncomfortably.

“Hey, do a check on who’s on the other side before you cut!” I yelled.

“Sorry!” Jordan called out, poking his head through the door and shooting me an apologetic glance.

As I finished up making my way around the tree, however, Jordan and Raul also finished up on the rooms, and moved to join me.

“What now?” Jordan asked, as Raul began to inspect the tree from out the window.

“That fire’s climbing fast,” he noted, “and the weight of the tree is keeping it in place pretty solidly.”

I rubbed my chin thoughtfully in response.

“We need to start cutting diagonally along the walls, away from the vertical cut, until the top of the tree can topple over,” I said, and Raul frowned.

“I’m not sure if we’ll have a whole lot of time.”

“Then let’s hurry.”

We started with the room we began the whole endeavor in, since this direction was the best one for the tree to fall over into, away from the center of the cluster, and where the group would have gathered.

But as we set out to work, we quickly realized that the going was slow, and we’d managed to cut no more than a five foot high gap, about twenty feet wide by the time the fire had spread to the eighth floor, and it was spreading much more quickly now.

A few times, it even seemed to hit water pockets along the way, resulting in little explosions.

“Fuck me,” Raul muttered, as another explosion blasted a hole the size of a wrecking ball in one of the floors less than four stories beneath us.

“Can we manufacture an explosion like that up here?” Jordan asked, and I frowned.

“We cut off the water supply down on the ground floor,” I replied, a little despondently.

This was going badly, and we were running out of time.

We needed to come up with something, and quick.

While I continued to think about the predicament, we resumed our cutting, though moving at a much more hurried pace, and sweat was now pouring down Jordan’s face as he sliced and cut his way through the walls.

For a second, it even seemed as if our work had paid off, as the tree creaked, and titled over onto the space we’d cut, but the moment of hope was short lived, as the tree merely rested onto the spot, unmoving, and to our dismay, sealing off the open space we’d carved out, making our job at cutting even more difficult.

“Fuck! The floor’s starting to heat up!” Jordan called, and Raul shot me a worried look.

“Either we climb and try to start this all over again, or we bail, and fast.”

“No way we can start over; the fire’s spreading faster now than before,” I answered.

I bit my lip nervously, as I scoured my mind for a solution.

 _Think!_ I told myself.

“Nate! We need to move,” Raul said, and I nodded.

“Cut your way down, there’s something I think I can try, but I don’t want anyone else dying with me if this doesn’t work.”

Raul shook his head.

“We all leave, or no one does,” he said, and as Jordan nodded, I took a deep breath in.

“Okay. Let’s get to the other end of this floor.”

The two followed me to the far end of the tree from where we’d been cutting our wedge, and as I got there, I sat down, then took a deep breath in.

“What’s the plan here? Are you gonna meditate the tree to death?”

“Sort of,” I said, chuckling a little at Raul’s joke, and he shook his head in response.

“Energy manipulation,” I explained. “Gisela said these trees could be shaped using it, but they do so by interacting with the seed itself while the tree is being formed. I’ll need to locate where the core is, before I can put this plan into effect.”

Raul nodded, and he took a seat beside me, and Jordan shrugged, before doing the same.

Everyone had learned how to use energy manipulation in its most basic form by now; through sensory perception, and the added help was welcome.

“I think I’ve got something,” Jordan said, and I turned to study him.

“Where?”

He shook his head, uncertainly.

“I have no idea how to describe to you what I’m seeing,” he replied, and I frowned.

_Why did it feel like if everyone was better at using sensory perception than I was?_

“Can you see the threads which lead up to this wall?” I asked, and Jordan nodded.

“I see it… what do you want me to do?”

“Try to get the wall to grow here,” I said, and he shook his head, uncertainly.

“Grow?”

“I get it; you want to push the trunk over. Like a wedge,” Raul explained, and Jordan nodded, though a little uncertainly.

“The threads are moving, but I don’t see anything happening… can this really be done in this short a space of time?”

“These trees can grow rapidly through core acceleration. I’m sure it’s possible,” I said, and Jordan nodded, as he resumed his efforts.

“Wait… something’s happening,” Jordan said, and I turned to study the wall.

It didn’t seem to have moved.

“Something’s… speaking to me,” he said, shaking his head. “It sounds like a girl.”

Raul and I shot each other a dubious look, before returning our attention to Jordan.

“What’s she saying?”

He shook his head again.

“I- I can’t understand. I think she wants to know what I’m doing to the tree, but I don’t know how to respond.”

“Jordan, try to convey to her your feelings. That you want to help, to save the tree. The forest.”

“How the fuck...” he began, before shaking his head. “Wait, I think she understands… she’s scared. The fire is scary.”

As Jordan spoke, a green aura began to emanate from him, and I gasped as it eventually spread until it had surrounded us all.

“I don’t understand how to do that,” Jordan said, and Raul and I exchanged a look, as he didn’t seem to be speaking to us.

“What does she want you to do?” I asked.

“Give her… form,” he answered, and I nodded.

“Try imagining it. A form to match the voice you heard.”

Jordan nodded, and a few seconds later, the image of a girl began to flicker to life before us.

She took a tense glance around, then looked down, and studied her own image.

“Are you the ones who hurt my tree?”

I shook my head.

“The one who hurt you most likely perished,” I said, and she frowned.

“That man…” she muttered, a slightly melancholic look on her face.

“We need your help,” I said, and she shot me an angry look.

“Help. Why should I help you? You are the one who cut me,” she said, gesturing to the slices we’d made across the tree, and I nodded.

“To save the forest,” I answered, and the girl eyed me suspiciously.

She closed her eyes for a moment, as if focusing on something, before letting out a sigh.

“It is as you have said,” she finally answered, then nodded, turning to Jordan.

“If I offer you the sacrifice of my home, what would you offer me in return?”

Jordan’s eyes fluttered open, and he studied the girl with a confused look.

“Offer?”

She nodded.

“My core will not allow me to sustain this form. Will you sustain me?”

Jordan raised an eyebrow.

“Sustain you? How?”

“Anchor my core to your physical form.”

Jordan shot me an uncertain look, and I quickly nodded assertively in his direction.

“I will,” he answered, and the girl began to study him, frowning a little as she did.

“Your form is not displeasing, but I feel sad, knowing that I will no longer tower amongst the forest’s tallest trees.”

She let out a sigh, a forlorn expression on her face.

“So be it,” she said, as she approached Jordan, then reaching out, she took his hand, then placed it against her chest, over her heart. “Give name to this entity.”

Jordan blinked twice, then looked over to me.

“Name her,” I mouthed, and he nodded.

“Nymphadora,” he said, and Raul laughed so suddenly, that it came out more like a snort.

 _Harry Potter fan?_ I thought, with some amusement.

“Nymphadora?” the girl asked, studying him.

“Well, I think you’re what we call a nymph. I just thought…”

She nodded.

“I see. I accept the name, and with it, I bind myself to you… your name?”

“Jordan.”

“Jordan. We will be as one,” she said, and he gasped, as she suddenly vanished in an explosion of light, but that curious green glow seemed to pulse now, out of Jordan, and he moved to the wall and placed his hands against it.

He focused for a while, and I stared with amazement as a wooden beam began to grow, pushing the upper section of the wall further upwards as it did.

This continued for a bit, until two more pillars began to grow on either side of the first, and as the wall moved higher and higher, eventually a cracking sound was heard, and the Jordan winced, as the tree began to tumble over, then landed with a deafening, thunderous crash.

“Holy shit. When did it even get dark?” Raul breathed, as he stared in amazement at the open sky above us, and I stared longingly along with him.

It was the first time that I’d seen the stars since the night when Francesca and I had camped outside back when we’d first encountered Raul.

“Fuck me… you don’t realize that you missed the stars until you go this long without seeing them.”

Raul smirked at me.

“Maybe it’s because you just didn’t see them enough since you got here. I mean, I probably last saw them the same time you did, but I didn’t even realize it until you mentioned it just now,” he said.

“Um, guys… I think we might need to get down from here,” Jordan said, and I gasped, as I looked across the open floor to see flames licking at the edges of the opposite side.

“Let’s cut our way down,” Raul said, as he sliced across the floor.

He cut a square, which fell down to the lower floor with a little stomp, and as we jumped down, we repeated the process once more, only to find ourselves looking at burning hot, white flames.

“Damn… that really burns white, huh? What is that, phosphorus?”

I shrugged.

“Might be some fucking element we don’t even have on earth for all I know,” I said, and Raul raised an eyebrow at me.

“I’m not sure that’s how chemistry works,” he said, and I snickered a little, but my attention went to Jordan, who was doing that green glowing thing again, and his eyes were closed shut.

“Nymphadora says she can create stairs, off the side of the tree trunk.”

He placed his hands against the wall, and as I peeked out of the nearby window, I spotted little bits of wood growing out of the side of the tree.

“They aren’t going all the way down,” I said, and he frowned.

“The tree’s damaged down there,” he said, and I nodded.

“Let’s climb down, and see if we can find a section of trunk that’s still alright.”

We climbed roughly five stories down before we were forced to climb into a window.

The room was thankfully not on fire, but the floor was burnt to a crisp, and I was certain that it would burn underfoot if not for our armored boots.

“What now?” Raul asked.

“We cut?” I suggested, and he nodded, making a slice into the floor, but before he could finish the square, the floor beneath us creaked, and we all shared a panicked look, just as it gave way and we went crashing through.

“Fuuuuuck!” Raul called out, as we crashed through several floors before landing, a little painfully, on one of the sturdier floors.

“How far down are we?” Raul asked, as I moved to the window.

“Four from the ground, but Casey has our backs,” I said, as I spotted the layer scrap cloth padding on the ground.

“Do we jump?” Jordan asked, and Raul shot him a frightened look.

“Four stories?”

“I made it three stories without padding today,” I said. “Just, roll as you land.”

Raul seemed seriously perturbed by the suggestion, until Jordan offered us a solution again.

“Wait… she can grow something to us from the ground.”

He placed his hand against the tree, and I stared down the side of the trunk as a cluster of vines began to work their way up the side of the tree.

As soon as it got to us, we grabbed on, then climbed our way down to the floor.

“Sweet earth!” Raul cried out, throwing himself down onto the ground, and Jordan shot him a little smile, as he knelt down, and took a bit of soil into his hand.

“You have no idea,” Jordan said. “It looks so different to me now.”

“Because of the wood nymph?” I asked, and he nodded.

I rubbed my chin, as it was certainly an interesting combination to say the least, and I immediately wondered what abilities he might develop as a result of the partnership.

As some falling debris landed ten feet to our left, however, we quickly began to move clear of the tree, and as Casey spotted us from some way off, she began to run towards us.

“Nate. You stupid fucking piece of shit!” she yelled, as she dove into my arms and kissed me.

Raul raised an eyebrow at the reception, as Cameron and Gisela also moved to join us.

Casey quickly withdrew, but there was no escaping the teasing look that Cameron was shooting at her, as she moved over to hug me.

“How the fuck did you all pull that off?” she asked, and I gestured towards Jordan.

“Why don’t you ask our new hybrid wood-nymph teammate,” I said, and he rubbed the back of his head, chuckling nervously as she shot him a questioning look.

“Wood-nymph?” Nolan asked, as he moved to join us.

To my relief, he embraced Jordan, and Molly studied the interaction with wide eyed interest.

As I looked around for Evie, Francesca and Bianca, I suddenly noted that a chant seemed to be breaking out amongst the Kobalt, and I shook my head as I tried to put the words together.

“What are they saying?” Casey asked, as she moved to my side, and I smiled.

“Die Götter regieren über alles – _The Gods reign supreme_ ,” I said, and Cameron suddenly tugged at my arm.

“Nate! Look at the grove tree. It looks just like that tree back in Palancar!” she exclaimed, and as I turned to study it, realization dawned on me…

The odd-looking decapitated tree that housed the council back in Palancar.

Now that I thought about it, didn’t that tree also look as if it had been similarly burnt as well?

Gisela moved to my side, an awestruck expression on her face.

“Herr Nathan. Palancar can no longer stand against you,” she said, bowing, and as I turned, I saw that all of the Kobalt of this grove were on their knees, bowing before us, with even the hunters who had arrived with the council’s delegation joining in.

The councilmen themselves seemed quite disturbed by the development, but even they could not help but kneel beside their kin.

Casey moved to my side, as I swallowed uncomfortably, before asking:

“So, then… how do we handle this?”

***

It had been almost an hour since the fire crisis had been averted, and after organizing things with the remaining Kobalt, tending to the wounded, and seeing that meals were served, all of the otherworlders had now settled in at a grand table in the entry hall of one of the larger trees, along with Gisela, Alva and Astrid.

Food was brought to us by Kobalt servants, and I noted the customary servings of dried fruit present amongst the spread with interest, as it certainly had not come from our supply.

Gisela and Casey sat at my right and left, with Alva and Cameron seated beside them respectively.

“You said Palancar can no longer stand against us,” I asked, turning to Gisela, and the girl nodded. “Would they take the princess back, then?”

She shifted uncomfortably, biting her lip as she slowly shook her head.

“Many might desire it… even make appeals on her behalf, but those who venerate the traditions will hold than an exile can never be overturned, and the princess herself will reject such a development.”

“How can we be sure that Palancar will cease aggressions, then?”

“You have repeated a feat of mythical proportions, Herr Nathan-”

 _You mean, Jordan did_ , I thought, shooting him a knowing smile, and to my surprise, he blushed a little.

“-the people of Palancar will now accept the princess’ choice in you, as mate, a divine one. All eyes will be drawn to the councilors, and their actions scrutinized and held to account. Even if additional avatars were available to Danebe’s Goddess, to use one now would be to turn all of our people against his branch, and his fate may very well be worse than exile.”

“So, would Palancar now trade with us?” I asked, and Gisela nodded.

“The state will not, but the many merchant-branches and smaller leaves will definitely sway to our requests.”

I turned to Casey, who was wearing a thoughtful expression.

“What’re you thinking?” I asked, and she made a thoughtful sound.

“Maybe we don’t need to migrate across the forest anymore,” she said. “I’d still prefer a little distance between us and Palancar, but if the smaller groves will trade with us now, then maybe we can settle somewhere with good access to enough basic necessities.”

“How about somewhere with access to a guildhall, and a river to boot,” I offered, and she turned to face me, her mouth agape.

“Irileth’s domain? You want to settle inside of Irileth’s domain?”

I nodded in response.

“The blight has been fading quickly; I think it’s reasonable to assume by now that Danica defeated her.”

“What about the harbingers serving under her? Do we know that they were all defeated as well? In five hundred years she might have picked up a lot of them. What if one of them were to resettle her domain?”

“We could scout the area and find out,” I suggested, and she shook her head.

“I still don’t like it. There’s too many unknowns,” she countered, and I chuckled a little.

“There are plenty of unknowns out there as well. We could end up running from a threat we know into greater threats that we have yet to identify,” I pointed out. “Think about it; access to a guildhall, and the Kobalt in this immediate area might flock to us when word gets out about what happened here tonight.”

“Nate, there’s something else you should know,” Nolan interjected, to my surprise, and I glanced across the table at him.

“What is it?”

“Myrinne had mentioned this place when we were talking about maps. We were pretty sure that we were gonna bypass it, but she did mention that there’s an extensive map of this section of the forest somewhere in this grove.”

“Fuck me. Well, let’s hope it didn’t burn with the rest of Gert’s tree.”

“It didn’t,” Astrid cut in, “and not by chance, either. I stole the map from his collection, back when I first had my vision.”

I shot her an impressed grin.

“How did you know that I’d need it?” I asked, and she smiled.

“I didn’t. I just saw myself stealing the map, so I did. Now I guess I know why.”

Despite my keen interest in seeing the map, we decided to finish our meal, and organize the watch party for the night.

Molly volunteered to cover the first shift, and to my surprise, Bianca volunteered along with her.

“I’m not sure if you’re even allowed to keep watch,” I began, when Molly waved away my protest.

“Oh, come on. She’s done right by me,” Molly said, but as she shot Bianca a conspiratorial wink, I felt a slight feeling of discomfort about what those two planned to get up to.

I shot Bianca a questioning look, and she shrugged, but there was a teasing look on her face as well.

_Guess I’ll find out soon enough._

Beds had been prepared while we ate, and when we finished our meal, Astrid gathered us up in the room off of the main hall, which was a meeting room that seemed to be similarly fashioned in all of the grove trees we’d encountered so far.

The map was then brought to us, but as she unveiled the thing, and hung it on the far wall of the room, away from the door, I realized that it was much more of a tapestry than a map, in the traditional sense.

I examined the material, and it felt soft, but quite firm, and I had to admit; quite beautifully crafted.

“This is amazing. Was this made here?”

Astrid shook her head.

“A gift, from Brașova.”

“Brașova?” I asked.

“A _Getaen_ city within the realm of Dacia,” Astrid replied.

“The wood elves,” Casey explained, and I nodded, as I studied the map with interest.

Nolan studied the map as well, but while my preoccupation was with the aesthetic quality of the map, he was focused on what was depicted on the tapestry, and he was furrowing his brow, a dissatisfied expression on his face.

“The town we stayed at-”

“Kleiner Hein,” I offered, and he nodded.

“-I don’t see it here,” he said.

“The map is almost a hundred year-cycles old; differences are expected,” Astrid explained, and Nolan nodded.

“Figures, but there’s a bigger problem. This river… is this supposed to be the stream we crossed before entering Irileth’s domain?”

Gisela studied the map, then shook her head.

“This river runs through Eltari, and to the great plains beyond, through the lands of the false-god-king.”

“Wait, what? Aren’t these the hills we were trying to get around when passing through the blighted grove?” I asked, indicating to a little cluster of rocks.

Gisela nodded, and I frowned.

“I’ve seen this river, north of where we’d camped, but I’ve travelled west a fair bit, and there was never any river running south like this…”

“It might be further west than the map indicates,” Astrid suggested. “My instruction imparted that this river is well known to the Getaen-folk.”

“Nolan, how does the eastern bank of that river look for a settlement?” I asked, and Casey shot me a worried look.

“I’d be more comfortable answering that if I knew how much land there was between these hills and that river.”

I rubbed my chin thoughtfully.

“I think I’ve travelled more than thirty miles west of there without encountering it,” I offered, when Raul moved to speak.

“Actually, didn’t we go further than that on the night you met Danica?”

It was difficult to say.

We did move quite quickly that night, though I did run for much longer with Bianca.

Either way, the distance was some way.

“If it’s as you say, then this would be perfect. The only problem I can think of is that you never encountered the river, so do we even know that it’s still there?”

I nodded.

“It must be. We encountered it north of the camp, while it still wound westwards.”

“Are you sure it was this river?”

I nodded.

“It was pretty big. Uncrossable, really.”

Nolan thought about it for a while.

“Well, as long as it exists, then the only other problem would be if it ends up being so far west that we can’t reliably trade with Palancar, and the groves around it.”

I turned to Gisela.

“What do you think?” I asked, and the girl bit her lip nervously, as she thought about it.

“The proximity to Palancar is preferable, as the Kobalt will feel more comfortable being near to the home they left, even as they are no longer welcome. Perhaps we can plead for temporary shelter within Grenze while reconnaissance is performed.”

“Grenze would not dare deny you accommodation; besides, I inherited this grove this night.”

A temporary base with grove trees and proper rooms?

It was a dream come through!

I rubbed my hands together excitedly.

“Well then, unless anyone has any more objections to voice, we can call this meeting to an end, no?”

Everyone quickly agreed, and as the group went their separate ways, Cameron moved to my side.

“Wanna share a room?” she asked, with that sparky look in her eyes, and I smiled.

“Just let me know where yours is, and I’ll come to you,” I teased, but an audible sigh from Casey drew both of our gazes in her direction, and she quickly averted her gaze, suddenly aware of her own indiscretion.

Cameron shot me a teasing look, wandering off just as Gisela pulled me aside.

“Herr Nathan; if we are to prolong our stay within this grove, might we discuss the matter of the princess’ ceremony?” Gisela asked.

“Ceremony?”

“To supplant the princess with life-seed,” Gisela explained, and I nodded.

“Right. If the grove seed is to be planted soon, I take it she would no longer object?”

Gisela nodded in response, as she shifted uncomfortably.

“But the companions must be assured,” she began. “The princess will not accept your decision unless your resolve is tested, and found true.”

“You said the companions all volunteered to carry future companions themselves?” I asked, and she nodded. “Did they _all_ volunteer?” I asked stressing on the word, and as Gisela turned and our eyes met for a moment, she quickly turned away and averted her gaze.

“This is fact, Herr Nathan.”

“You can call me Nate,” I said, reaching for her hand, and she bit her lip nervously, suddenly seeming a little flustered.

She shifted uncomfortably, hesitating for a second, before meeting my gaze.

“Nate,” she finally said, and to my surprise, the green color of her skin seemed to momentarily change hue in ripple like waves across body, and she shuddered a little, as if a chill blew through her right then.

Alva seemed to catch the interaction, and gazed over at us with interest, prompting Gisela to blush furiously, seemingly quite embarrassed by the reaction.

_Maybe I should get her out of here._

“Have your quarters been prepared?” I asked, and she nodded timidly. “Take me there.”

She took a quick look around, then nodded again before leading me away from the meeting room.

Her gaze remained firmly ahead as we walked, but as she led me down the corridors, her pace began to quicken until we were practically running.

Eventually, we came to her room, and as soon as she opened the door and pulled me inside, she dove into me, pressing her body into mine as she hugged me tightly, though burying her head into my chest.

She was panting, her breaths leaving little wisps of condensation on the reflective, metallic surface of my breastplate, and she pressed her forehead to my chest, steeling herself, before lifting her face to study me.

“I’m sorry, Nathan. I’ve brought you great embarrassment. To lay bare my true feelings for you like that, in front of everyone… you must think me foolish. I-”

I cut her off by pressing my lips to hers, and her eyes went wide.

She seemed to freeze up, but as I kept my lips pressed against hers, a shudder ran through her body, and her skin did that curious thing again, where the shade of green changed hue in a fluttery wave before returning to its natural olive green.

Eventually, her eyes went shut, and she melted into the kiss, returning my advances with a soft, but pressing will of her own.

She rested a hand against my chest, then withdrew it, almost fearfully, as if the touch were not allowed.

I broke the kiss, then took her hand, and brought it to my neck, and she shuddered again, as the hand rested against me.

I stepped back, and Gisela watched with interest as I unclasped the straps on my armor and began to shed the protective covering from my body.

When I was done, I moved to her, and she retreated, almost as if by instinct.

“Do you fear me?” I asked, and she quickly shook her head.

“I fear myself,” she admitted, and I tilted my head at her.

“Yourself?”

She nodded.

“As a mere servant, I would be foolish to desire the touch of a God.”

I studied her carefully.

“Do you?”

“Do I what?”

“Desire it. My touch,” I clarified, and she shifted uncomfortably, turning away from me as she did.

“I am not worthy,” she replied, somewhat despondently, and I moved to embrace her from behind, my hands joining together over her stomach.

She shuddered again at the touch.

“I didn’t ask if you were worthy; I asked if you desire it,” I said, and she bit her lip, swaying a little in my arms.

“Would you hate me if I did?”

“Of course not,” I replied. “After all, I desire you more intensely than you probably realize.”

She turned around, and studied me with a frown.

“Is my form not displeasing to you?”

I raised an eyebrow at her.

“Displeasing?”

She nodded in response.

“When I disrobed for your inspection back in Palancar, did you not find me unpleasant?”

“Is that what you thought?” I asked, chuckling a little as she nodded. “Well, please accept my apologies. My only concern that day was that you found my stares uncomfortable,” I explained.

“Stares?”

I nodded, gesturing to her body.

“I find you very attractive, Gisela. And more than a few times, I feared you caught my prying gaze,” I explained, and she blushed.

“You… found me attractive? A servant?”

“You know you’re much more to me than a servant to me. Your leadership and guidance have been indispensable.”

At this she nodded.

“You are right. This is my duty, and I should not lose sight of that fact.”

She seemed intent on maintaining some semblance of composure, and it arose in me a desire to break down that resistance, with extreme prejudice no less.

I advanced on her, and kissed her again, guiding her to the bed as I began my tentative assault.

She stumbled back, landing with a soft thud onto the padded bedding, and I climbed over her, with one leg positioned between her legs, and the other on the side of that thick, meaty thigh.

I’d long observed her shapely form, and I was eager to explore it.

I leaned down to kiss her again, and this time, I slipped a hand into the wide, loose sleeve of her toga-style robe, and gently cupped the outer swell of breast that I’d so often stolen glances at.

It was firm to the touch, and the skin invitingly smooth.

I felt an immediate longing to taste it, and Gisela gasped as I leaned down and kissed the exposed side of her breast.

Her hand, almost instinctively wrapped around my head, before she pulled away.

“Nathan-”

“Nate,” I corrected her, and she gulped.

“Nate… if you desire to be suckled, then please fill me. I fear my will wavers before the pleasures offered by your touch.”

“Good,” I said, and she studied me curiously. “Tonight, I wish to see your will submit in totality to your desire.”

Her eyes were wide, and her mouth slightly agape, and she studied me intently as I slipped the sleeves of her robes over her shoulders, and took a second to admire the sight of her naked breasts.

They were round and firm, and I quickly moved in to kiss them; sucking, hungry kisses that ran all along the fleshy mounds, occasionally teasing the perky nipple that stuck out, begging for attention.

She threw her head back, a moan finally escaping her lips as I took the other breast into my hand, and began to fondle and massage the orb.

Heat was radiating from her sex, which was pressed firmly against my knee, and I smiled mischievously as I began to imagine how she would react to being brought to orgasm at the mercy of my tongue.

She eyed me with a slightly panicked look as I slipped off of the bed, and crouched down at the side, before pulling her body closer to the edge.

“What is your plan?” she asked, her voice wavering a little, and I smiled.

“Just sit back, and enjoy the ride,” I said, as I spread her legs out in front of me, and drank in the sight before me.

Her lips were thin and glistening wet already, and that same olive-green color as the rest of her body, but her mound itself was smooth, and as I recalled Eradne’s clean-shaven appearance, I began to wonder if they grew any hair down there at all.

I reached out, and brushed her place with the back of my fingers, and she squirmed a little at the touch.

“Nathan-”

“Nate,” I corrected her again.

“Nate… you must fill me. I can no longer endure this.”

I snickered at her, as I let my fingers rest on either side of her clit, and as I applied a little pressure there, I leaned in and planted a little kiss against the slight protrusion of the bud.

It was so curious; with the green skin color, it appeared truly as the rosebud that would bloom into a flower, and I kissed the spot again, taking another moment to admire its beauty.

Gisela moaned with each kiss, and I shot her one more teasing look before withdrawing my fingers and leaning in to kiss her lower lips.

It was a wet, sloppy, smacking kiss, and she moaned, her legs clamping together instinctively, and I wrapped my arms around those delicious, thick thighs as I began to devour her.

Her moaning intensified into screams seemingly in an instant, and I lifted her body slightly off of the bedding as I began to tongue her slit, flicking several times against her clit with every probing exploration of her mound.

I even sank my tongue past the entrance of her tunnel, and probed there as deeply as I could, before returning to her clit for the climax.

She had been thoroughly teased, and pushed to the brink on an implosion; and I rewarded her patience with a proper tonguing.

I moved my tongue in swift, precise motions against the sensitive spot, spelling out her very name, and as if on cue, her hips began to buck and thrash just as I finished the final ‘A’, signing her name on what was possibly the first orgasm she’d ever experienced in her life.

When the screams died down, she went still, and even as she panted, I could see her studying me with a look that was equal parts confusion and amazement.

“Frau Gisela!” someone cried, bursting through the door, and I turned in time to spot one of the other servant-companions; not one to whom I’d been formally introduced, standing in the doorway with an expression of shock on her face.

“Forgive me!” she cried out, before hurriedly pulling the door shut, and I snickered a little at Gisela, whose hands were over her face as she furiously blushed.

“Before this cycle ends, I will be known as one who lusts for the Gods,” she said, and I chuckled in response.

“Is it ‘the Gods’, or just one in particular?” I asked, and she studied me.

“Only you,” she clarified. “Nate.”

I smiled, as the mere utterance of my name didn’t send seem to send her into a catatonic state for once.

“Did you enjoy that?” I asked, as I crawled up to her side, and pulled her on top of me.

“I did not realize such pleasures existed. It was indescribable… is this a custom of the Gods?”

I nodded.

“When a God is particularly fond of a prospective mate, it is our custom; to pleasure them with the mouth; the tongue.”

She smiled at me.

“So, it is something shared with one who is special to you? I think this custom is one that should be immediately adopted by every tongued folk in this realm.”

As she settled into place on top of me, her leg brushed against the firmness hidden with my pants, and she glanced down for a moment, before studying me with a desiring look.

“Nate; I have request, but I fear it may be found impertinent,” Gisela said, a little timidly, and I studied her with a curious look.

“What is it?” I asked, and she nodded, biting her lip.

“I wish to be the only companion-servant pleasured like that,” she confessed, and I chuckled a little at the request.

“I can do that,” I said, studying her. “Although… I have a request as well.”

She studied me carefully.

“I desire to taste you whenever it pleases me.”

“After the seeding?” she asked, slightly taken aback, and I nodded.

“Especially then,” I said, and her hand went to her mouth, as she considered the request.

“Such favor is not for one as me,” she countered, and I shrugged.

“I desire it. Will you deny me?” I asked, and she quickly shook her head, a teasing smile crossing her lips.

“No, but… it arouses in me curious desires,” she said, shifting over my stiffened part as she did.

I smiled, as she sat upright, but as she moved to remove her soft, little robe, I stopped her.

“Leave it,” I said, as I found the sight of the thing bunched up around her waist curiously arousing.

I reached under her, and her breathing intensified as I freed my cock from its confines, and as it stood upright, she stared at it with an almost hypnotic expression, her eyes following it as it swayed subtly under her gaze.

“It is beautiful,” she breathed, and I snickered a little at the reaction.

It wasn’t the kind of compliment that most men ever received.

I guided her hips down onto the part, and she gasped as it made contact with her inner thigh.

She made a few gyrating movements, letting the thing brush against her own sensitive place several times, and I positioned her, so that my rod pressed against her slit, and as I let her move back and forth along the length, she shuddered at the simulation.

“Is it the custom of the Gods to play teasing games?” she asked, an excited look on her face, and I shook my head.

“Teasing you is just for fun, because you make all those wonderful expressions with your face,” I said teasingly, and she smiled.

“Why does my excitement bring you pleasure?” she asked, and I shrugged.

“Who knows, really? All I can say is that you’ll find it makes the moment of your seeding all that much sweeter...” I added suggestively.

“Sweeter? As in, more pleasurable?” she asked, and I nodded.

She moved along my length again, this time pausing as my head slipped between the lips of her slit, and as she paused, then tried to angle me to press inside, I placed a hand on her hip, stopping her.

“Uh-uh,” I chided her, and she bit her lip, shooting me a pleading look.

“Please, Nate. I desire it strongly,” she begged, and I shot her a teasing smile before releasing the pressure of my grasp on her hips, and she gasped as my cockhead almost immediately slipped past her lips.

She shuddered pleasurably at the intrusion, and paused for a moment to collect herself before sinking slowly onto my length.

The movement was slow, but I slid in easily as she was dripping wet, until finally I came against that virginal barrier within her tunnel.

She pressed against it a bit, and winced, then decided to retreat a little, before descending with slightly greater force, and she cried out as I slipped past the thin membrane and into previously unexplored territory.

I held her for a bit until the discomfort subsided, and she nodded, quickly recovering from the momentary jolt, and I let out a low moan of my own as she began to move again, taking me into her tight virgin tunnel, and wrapping pleasurably around my shaft as she sank all the way down onto my length.

She glanced back as our bodies pressed together, and she ground herself against me a bit, before turning to me and shooting me a satisfied grin.

“The stalk is buried to the root; will you fill me now with seed?”

I shook my head, and as she pouted a little, I snickered at her.

“The earth must be properly ploughed before the seed is sown,” I said, and her eyes lit up excitedly.

She shifted against me, tentatively, then gasped as I shimmied a bit, moving her with me, until I swung my legs off the side of the bed, then placed my hands around her hips.

“What is your goal-?” she began, but the words gave way to a pleasurable yelp, as I lifted her up along the length of my shaft, until my cock head remained only just ensconced in her slit, and her eyes went wide, and another involuntary yelp escaped her lips as I impaled her along the length of my shaft.

I repeated the motions a few times, until she took two fingers into her own mouth, and bit down on them a little to stifle her pleasurable screams; but I wasn’t satisfied yet.

Holding her firmly, I stood up, and she cast a worried look down as I held her in my arms, supporting her weight as I moved across the room, and as I anchored her back against the wall, I guided one leg to the ground, while I kept the other raised and just under my arms.

Then I began to fuck her with much more steady rhythm.

The act seemed to drive Gisela wild, and she was panting and moaning continuously now, and as I leaned in to her neck, I began to kiss along the sensitive expanse of skin, much to her delight.

She wrapped her arms around my neck, and grasped onto me almost desperately, her screams melding together into a single, wavering wail.

Her orgasm seemed imminent, and I responded in kind; picking up the pace as I began to thrust into her with an almost frenzied pace.

Then it happened.

She let out a single extended scream as she came, and the feeling of her insides clamping down on me quickly pushed me over the edge, and I slowed my thrusting as I began to pour forth my seed into her womb.

The fact that I was impregnating this girl; a pretty girl, with an amazingly sexy body, and after I’d just deflowered her no less, drove me absolutely wild, and prompted me to fill her with serving after serving of creamy, white seed.

Her orgasm seemed to go on for forever, and I held her in my arms, but even as she panted, trying to recover from the heightened state of stimulation, cum continued to issue forth from my stalk, and when I finally withdrew, a sticky stream of seed leaked obscenely from her sex, and she crouched down, as her knees buckled, and gave way beneath her.

I guided her to the bed, and as we collapsed there in a satisfied but thoroughly exhausted heap, I shot her an admiring look.

“You were fantastic,” I said, and she blushed.

“I am not worthy of your praise,” she countered, but as I gently brushed my fingers against her cheek, she hugged my hand, and shuddered a little as she reveled in the feel of my hand against her skin.

“Are you needed elsewhere?” she asked, as I cast a tentative look at the door, and I nodded.

“I promised Cameron I would go to her,” I explained, and she nodded.

“I understand. You may wash, if needed,” she said, nodding to the attached bathroom, and I obliged, heading to the extension, and using the water which came from the bamboo like stalk to briefly cleanse myself of our combined juices.

I also washed off the sweat and soot that had accumulated from our firefighting escapade, before gathering up my armor, and heading off to Cameron’s room, but as I got to the entry hall of the grove tree, I paused, then tried to remember where Miriam was being tended to.

It was the tree besides ours, wasn’t it?

I stepped out of the entry hall tentatively, trying to get my bearings when an excited Bianca came barreling towards me.

“Natey! You came to check on me!”

She bounced around excitedly, and I rubbed the back of my head, chuckling nervously, as Molly moved cautiously to her side.

“Hey, do you remember where the princess’ room is, by chance?” I asked, and Bianca nodded.

“At least, I think I do. Evie’s there, I think. Do you want me to go find her?”

I nodded, and she smiled happily, before darting off.

“She’s in a good mood,” I said, and Molly chuckled a little.

“We’ve become best friends overnight, apparently,” she said, and I studied her.

“Really now… how come?”

She shrugged.

“I think it has something to do with how quickly I made you cum earlier,” she whispered, her tone secretive, and a little teasing. “She’s been pressing me for hints and tips all night.”

I chuckled a little.

“That’s interesting. She’d been going on about how skilled she was at that all week.”

Molly moved to my side, and linked my arm in hers.

“Well, you see; her high school nickname was ‘the blowjob queen’. Now, she seemed to think that it meant that she was really good at giving them, when really-”

“-it meant that she would blow anyone?” I asked, letting out a little sigh, and Molly nodded.

“A right bunch of losers they sent here, huh? This group of ours…”

We shared a quick smile, as I chuckled a little.

“Yet, I’d quicker spend my days with any of you, than anyone I’d left back on earth,” I said, and she quickly nodded in agreement.

“Well, ain’t that the truth,” she said. “I’d toast you if I had a drink.”

“They’ve got a kind of moonshine here that ain’t half bad,” I offered, and she smiled.

“Well, don’t go holdin’ out on your subjects when you get ‘royal’ access to their stash, ‘your highness’,” she said, bowing exaggeratedly to me, and I snickered in response.

“I won’t,” I promised, as I headed off after Bianca.

I got to the entry hall just as she came bursting out of the tree, and as she ran headfirst into me, she shot me a cheeky grin.

“Hey, Nate~. You know, there’s a lot of empty rooms in this tree,” she said suggestively, and I eyed her with a teasing smile.

“Yes, but you wouldn’t neglect your duties while on watch, would you? The punishment for dereliction of duty is exile, you know.”

She pouted, and I pinched her cheeks playfully, then ruffled her hair.

“You’ve done well; keep it up, and I just might let you try out those new tips Molly’s been giving you when you get your reward,” I hinted, and she grinned wickedly, before darting off excitedly to rejoin her watch-mate.

“Wha- hey, you didn’t tell me where the room was!” I called out.

“Nate?”

I turned and saw Evie heading towards me.

“Hey, I was just trying to find you,” I said, and she nodded, turning and gesturing to me to follow. “How is the princess?”

She bit her lip nervously.

“It’s… a bit worrying,” she said. “Her core still hasn’t shown any signs of recovery, and while the feedback is giving her enough energy to sustain her, it’s also what’s making her sick.”

“Has she woken up since?”

Evie shook her head, and I frowned.

“Casey told me about the Kobalt’s suggestion,” Evie said, and I eyed her.

“To save the princess?” I asked, and she nodded. “What do you think?”

She shook her head.

“Giving her a child sounds like such a massive step. I couldn’t even wrap my head around the idea of doing something like that, even to save someone’s life,” she explained, and I chuckled a little.

“They’re actually asking for quite a bit more than that,” I said, and as she shot me a questioning look, I relayed the request of the companion-servants to all be seeded along with their princess.

“Madness,” Evie breathed. “You already have a child on the way…”

 _Two,_ I thought _, if you count Eradne’s_.

Then again, perhaps Gisela would now be pregnant as well…

“Well, the children will likely be in the care of the servants, anyway. So, it’s only really an ideological dilemma,” I suggested, and Evie eyed me with interest.

“Well, that’s an interesting way to put it. I guess they expect you to have many wives as well, huh? As future King and all that?”

I nodded.

“It does seem so.”

She shifted uncomfortably, and a few times, seemed on the verge of saying something, but she didn’t, and soon enough we came to the room.

“Aren’t you coming in?” I asked, and she shook her head.

“Having lots of people close to her draws more of the feedback out of her,” she explained, and I nodded, but as I popped into the room, I quickly noted that she was out cold, and I decided not to linger there.

“Is Ryker asleep?” I asked, as I rejoined Evie, and she nodded. “Are you watching over her for the night, then?”

“I check on the others too. Myrinne, Jeannie.”

“How are they doing?” I asked.

“Myrinne’s recovery is slow, but Jeannie seems much better. Plus… she’s been spending some time with that Kobalt warrior; Elias, was it?”

I nodded, and she continued:

“It seems to be doing her a lot of good,” Evie said, smiling a little, and I nodded in agreement.

As we walked out of the grove tree, Evie let out a sigh, and I studied her.

“How long have we been here?” she asked. “Not even two weeks, is it?”

“This would be day ten, I think.”

“It’s scary to think of how quickly we’re all adjusting to this,” she said. “I mean, Bianca fought a monster today…”

“She did well. I didn’t really expect it, honestly.”

“You did vouch for her though, so maybe it should have been expected,” she said, and I turned to study her.

“What does that mean?” I asked.

“I dunno,” she said, shrugging. “You just… seem to have a fifth sense when it comes to these things.”

I laughed a little.

“I don’t know about that. I mean, I’d like to think I would have picked up on Emily, if I did.”

“You are human,” she replied. “Though your record isn’t that bad. I mean, Bianca, Raul… even Casey. You gave them a chance, when no-one else might have. And now some of them are a core part of the group.”

Evie saw me off, then headed away as I entered the grove tree and made my way over to Cameron’s room.

As I got there, however, I was greeted by a surprise, in the form of Lucia curled up in Cameron’s lap, fast asleep while she stroked the girl’s hair comfortingly.

“Did you bring her up, or did she find her way over here herself?”

“By herself,” Cameron said. “I think she was supposed to bunk with Ryker and Evie.”

I moved to the bed, then frowned.

“Not big enough for three, huh?”

“Was barely big enough for two,” she said, and I smiled.

“Maybe I should get a sleeping bag? Sleep on the floor?” I suggested, and she frowned.

“Grab two, will ya? I don’t wanna sleep by myself.”

“I’m spoiling you, aren’t I?” I said, and she smiled teasingly.

“Well, I _am_ the first wife, and I was promised privileges.”

I headed down to the supply cart, and retrieved the items, before making my way back up to Cameron’s room, but as I passed by one of the rooms on the way, I felt a subtle pull in the direction of the door, and I paused.

That was Casey, wasn’t it?

But as I studied the door, I quickly realized that this was the room that had been prepared for me.

Why would Casey sleep in my room again?

I poked my head in, and sure enough, she was sound asleep on the bed, and I frowned.

I returned to Cameron’s room, but as I set up the sleeping bags, she noted the look on my face.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

“Casey’s sleeping in my room,” I said.

She shot me a teasing smile, but it quickly faded as she noted the concerned expression that I wore.

“You’re worried about it?”

“She got stabbed the last time she did that,” I said. “And the person who organized that attack still probably wants me dead.”

“Well, do you know where her room is?” she asked, and I shook my head. “Well, why not just bring her here then?”

I stared at Cameron, and she shrugged.

“Lucia doesn’t need the bed, she’ll be fine with us on the floor,” she said, and I snickered a little.

 _Maybe this might be worth it just to see the look on Casey’s face when she wakes up next to the three of us_ , I thought, with some amusement.

I headed off to my room, and I scooped her up as gently as I could.

She didn’t stir, and Cameron helped me get her into the bed, but as I set her down, she mumbled sleepily.

“Kiss me, Nate,” she said, and I shot Cameron an awkward look, and she giggled.

“The lady requested a kiss,” she said, putting a hand on her hip, and I rolled my eyes, before leaning down, and kissing Casey on the forehead.

“Aww, I was expecting something raunchier. I mean, she’s not your grandmother,” she chided, and I swatted her playfully as we settled into our sleeping bags.

As she snuggled into my arm, and rested her head against my chest, she let out a wistful sigh.

“This feels so surreal,” she said, and I stroked her hair comfortingly, as I studied her.

“How so?”

“You’ve been in actual mortal peril at least twice today, and we’re just… lying here, and going off to sleep like it’s nothing,” she said.

“For the time being, this might be the new normal,” I said, and she made a dissatisfied sound in response.

“Makes you wonder, though; even if we deal with Palancar, and that monster out there that’s hunting us... what if another threat just pops up?”

“Then we deal with it,” I suggested, and she sighed.

“What if it just never stops?”

“Well, that would be a pain in the ass. And I really, _really_ , hope that that’s not gonna be the case, but… if I can get to end those days by coming back here, and going off to sleep with you in my arms? Then, maybe it’s not so bad.”

“Oh~? Guess you better make sure you never lose me, then,” she said.

I wiggled her nose affectionately and we said our goodnights, but as I drifted off to sleep that night, those words seemed to resound in my head.

***

Food, glorious food!

_~Gobble it all up, before it eats me~._

That last meal was barely a snack, but I can now digest an adult core in less than twenty minutes.

Beat that, Zera!

Wait… who’s Zera?

Never mind that, time to hunt the food!

There!

I see one, but is it a tasty?

Bah, a little one.

Barely worth the effort, but… master has suggestion?

Yes, snatch the little one, and let it squeal.

Then the tasty ones will come!

Swoop in, but watch the claws.

It’s so easy to slice up a little one when I can’t see the claws.

*Success*

Now squeal little piggy, squeal!

.

.

.

Huh?

That’s strange.

The tasty went quiet… both of them.

And there’s these strange creatures.

“Hey, you! What have you done to the tasty?”

They look like tasties, but smell like master… like me.

What are they saying?

“It’s a mindless fucking beast, man. What do we need it for?”

“Shut the fuck up, Caleb. You’re not in charge anymore.”

So rude… talking amongst themselves while claiming the tasty.

That was my tasty!

Mine!

Maybe I can snatch it from… uh-oh!

“Oh? You want this? Why don’t you come and get it?”

I eye the strange thing…

It looks like a tasty, but I can sense it.

A core like mine, and master’s.

Better to be careful.

I leap up to the tree, then swing but-

My hand!

What did it do?

My hand is stuck!

What is this… webbing?

Now I’m surrounded.

Ahhhh!

This is so frustrating.

Master would have swatted these puny things like flies!

But I am not strong enough yet.

“You want this, don’t you?”

It dangles the blue orb, and I feel my stomach growl.

“This core can be yours, and many others. But this is worthless. You need cores with some real strength. We’ll show you how… and much, much more. Just submit to me.”

Submit, huh?

Guess there is no choice, since I can’t beat them anyway… but, maybe this can be useful indeed.

***


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As things settle down, Casey forces Nate to make a tough call.

***

“Nathan! I need you to remember, it’s important, please…”

“Baba, don’t go. I don’t want you to go!”

“Please, baby. Remember. You are more than just a tool!”

***

“Ahh!”

I woke up with a jolt, and Cameron turned back to look at me, her brow wrinkled with concern.

She was sitting on the window frame, bathed in that pale silvery light, and I had a slight feeling of déjà vu as I caught the outline of her naked form; but this time there was one difference, and while it was only slightly noticeable still, the difference it made to me was astronomical.

“That must have been one hell of a nightmare,” she said, as she moved to my side and cradled my head into her bosom.

“I’m guessing Lucia left,” I said, nodding to her fully nude form, and she smiled timidly, then nodded.

I nuzzled her chest affectionately, and she giggled in response, but as I let out a sigh, and relaxed into her embrace, she furrowed her brow and studied me.

“What was the dream about?” she asked, as she moved to the bed, and gave me a little tug, urging me to follow.

I crept over to the edge of the bed, then rested my head against my arm, as I looked up at her.

“It was… strange. I dreamt my grandmother’s final moments of life, but… there was something different about it.”

“Different? How?”

“Like… she said something that I didn’t remember happening. Maybe it was just a dream, but… it felt so real. Like a memory, rather than a dream.”

Cameron ran her fingers through my hair, and massaged my scalp soothingly.

“What did she say, though?” she asked, and I bit my lip, as I thought about the words.

“That I was more than just a tool,” I said. “Actually, now that I think about it, that sounds a lot more like something my mother would have said.”

“Your mother?”

I nodded.

“She was a paranoid schizophrenic,” I explained, and she studied me. “She really broke down at the end. Was constantly afraid that someone was after her, and that they wanted to take me away from her.”

“You would have been little when that happened, right?”

I nodded.

“Did your family ever treat you like a tool?”

I thought about it for a bit, then shook my head.

“My siblings treated me like a nuisance, but my dad always treated me like he did the rest of the kids. He made sure I pursued my education, found a decent job. Even followed up on my life, right until the end. I mean, before I left earth, I was about to take on a job on his behalf. Wait…”

I shook my head, as something else came back to me; my final conversation with Julie.

“What is it?” Cameron asked, as she studied me worriedly.

“My adopted sister… before I was supposed to leave, she begged me not to go. It’s strange, now that I think about it. Like she was desperate to stop me, but she wouldn’t tell me why. At that time, I thought it was just her being manipulative as usual, but… now it seems strange.”

“And you think that has something to do with your grandmother?”

I shook my head.

“My grandmother died when I was eight. It seems unlikely that that’s connected; besides, I don’t remember my grandmother having any last words, and I was there when she died. My dad had just left the room, and- ah!”

A sharp pain suddenly shot up my head, and Cameron cupped my face with her hands.

“Nate, are you okay?”

She was caressing my face reassuringly, and I nodded in response.

 _This feels nice_ , I thought. _Why couldn’t Julie do things like this?_

Actually, fuck that idea.

Why didn’t I have a Cameron back then?

“You are everything I ever wanted back on earth,” I said, and Cameron’s eyes went wide, and she began to blush.

“What are you saying all of a sudden?” she asked, but as I lay back on the bed, she climbed on top of me, and studied me with a curious look.

“When you say things like that, you one hundred percent mean it, huh? Like, that wasn’t just meaningless sentiment. You just felt it, and said it as you did…”

I nodded, and she blushed again, before leaning down to kiss me.

“I think I’m starting to fall in love with your ‘psychopathic qualities’,” she said.

“Really, now?”

“Mhm. Hearing something like that from someone who was just trying to be romantic, or sweet… it’s just not the same as hearing it from someone who meant it from their very core.”

“My core, huh?” I teased, and she chuckled a little.

“I’m serious, though. Something that real, unfiltered. I don’t think I could be satisfied with any kind of love that isn’t like that ever again…”

Her fingers trailed along my chest, and I studied her with interest.

“You would probably feel differently if the compliments stopped coming, though… wouldn’t you?”

She shook her head.

“If the compliments kept coming and I didn’t deserve them; would that be love, even? I’d rather earn them, than hear things that meant nothing… can I take this off, by the way?”

She tapped my armor, and I nodded as she got up and helped me strip the thing off, and I quickly removed my shirt and arm guards as well.

“Much better,” she said contentedly, as she snuggled up against my naked chest.

I let out a soft purring sound, as I felt the soft fatty mounds of her breasts mash against my skin, and she kissed me again before settling down, and trailing her fingers along my arms and shoulders.

“You know, usually I really hate muscly guys, but I have to admit; this is nice,” she said.

“Hn~. And how do I know you aren’t just after me for my body?” I teased, and she grinned wickedly at me.

“If the body was all I was after, then I’d probably leave you for Jordan,” she said. “I mean this is nice, but have you seen him shirtless, recently? The man is looking like an Adonis…”

“Trust me, I have noticed,” I said, and she shot me a teasing smile. “Speaking of Jordan, though… things have been looking a little tense lately, between him and Nolan.”

She nodded.

“Yeah, I’m more or less avoiding Nolan completely now, but… I’ve actually started talking to Jordan a bit more. At first, I thought he’d be a little pissed at me, but I don’t think he holds me responsible for… whatever it is that Nolan’s going through.”

“What is Nolan going through?” I asked, and she shrugged.

“Maybe he had more feelings for me than he realized. Maybe he thought he’d have more time on earth with me to say that?”

“Maybe he needs to chill out before someone kicks his ass,” I finished, and Cameron giggled.

“Oh my. Is my feelings-less lover jealous?”

“It’s been annoying me recently,” I admitted, and she poked my cheeks playfully in response.

“You know, I did watch you get blown by two different girls yesterday,” she teased.

“Did that make you feel jealous?”

She shook her head.

“None of them are carrying your baby,” she said.

“What if someone is?” I asked, and she eyed me.

“Goddess, or Kobalt?”

“Kobalt,” I answered, and she waved a hand dismissively.

“Can’t be helped, then. You do have your duties as God-king.”

“What if it is one of the girls?”

“Oh, it will be. Sooner or later,” she said, and I eyed her.

“Would that make you jealous?” I asked.

“I’d still be your first. Although, I guess it depends… if you go all softie and start giving her special treatment that’s supposed to be reserved for your first wife only, then I’d probably be pissed.”

“Well, there is a solution for that,” I said, and Cameron eyed me.

“Yeah? What’s that?”

“Give me more babies,” I suggested, and she scoffed, before climbing back into my arms.

We kissed for a bit, and she let out a sigh.

“Let’s just see how we do with the first one, huh? What if we’re terrible parents?”

“For once, I actually don’t think that’ll be a problem. Unlike on earth; at least where we’re from; most of the kids born here are gonna have an entire community raising them.”

“That’s good. With the way you treat Lucia, I’d worry you’d wander off into the woods with them, then be like, ‘woops, think I lost it. Make another, will ya’?”

I snickered at the joke, then ruffled Cameron’s hair playfully.

There was some movement outside, and as I cast a tentative look towards the window, Cameron frowned.

“Your people are calling, huh?”

I sighed.

“We’re probably gonna be busy getting things set up here. Plus, I’m sure Palancar will be around to talk.”

I stretched, and Cameron reluctantly released me as I got up.

She helped me get dressed, then gave me a kiss on the lips.

“God, I feel like I’m sending my husband off to work, or something. Fuck, I hate that kind of stuff.”

“But it feels kinda nice, huh?”

“It does,” she conceded, cringing a little, but as I headed for the door, she pulled me back in for one more kiss.

“Break a leg… and two arms, if you have to,” she said, and I smirked.

I smiled as she saw me off, but as I walked down the corridor and came to my room, I felt that curious feeling again.

Casey?

Why was she in there again?

I focused on the image of her, and she was sitting on the bed, but as I paid attention to the image, I noted that she seemed to be shaking her leg, a little nervously.

_What’s going on with you, Casey?_

She stood up and began to make for the door, and I quickly, but silently, darted down the corridor and around the bend just as the door opened.

I checked on the image of her in my mind, and she only looked down the corridor for a second, before heading towards Cameron’s room.

I kept my eye on her, when suddenly, I spotted Bianca rounding the corner from the other end of the corridor.

Her eyes lit up, and I was sure she was about to yell my name, but I quickly signaled to her to stop.

She tilted her head at me, then nodded, and as I beckoned, she moved quickly to my side.

“What’s going on?” she mouthed.

“Recon,” I answered, and she nodded, a look of intense determination on her face.

“Fuck yeah, let’s get this scumbag!”

“What? What scumbag?”

“Whoever this ‘recon’ is,” she said, and I facepalmed, perhaps a little louder than I’d intended.

“Come on, we’re spying,” I clarified, and I focused on Casey’s image just as Cameron let her into the room.

“Do you know whose rooms these are?” I asked, gesturing to the ones on either side of Cameron’s, and Bianca shook her head.

“Mine is over there, though,” she said, indicating a room one door down.

“Let’s go.”

As soon as we were inside, I moved to the window, and smiled as I found the outer platform running alongside the rooms that I was looking for.

I climbed on, and Bianca followed, watching my back as I crept to the window outside of Cameron’s room.

From up here, I was visible from outside, but this side of the tree faced away from the cluster’s center and it was still dark out, so hopefully, I would escape being seen.

“You’re not here to ask about my baby, are you? What do you really want?”

As I crept closer to the room, I wondered if Bianca heard the part about the baby, but she didn’t seem to show any kind of reaction.

“I need you to talk to Nate about Leanna.”

“What about Leanna?” Cameron asked.

“She’s dangerous,” Casey said.

“Then tell Nate. He’ll deal with it.”

“I did, but he won’t. Which is the problem.”

Cameron let out a little laugh, and I focused my attention, trying my best not to miss a word.

“If he won’t do anything, then he probably doesn’t think she’s dangerous,” Cameron said.

“But she is. I mean, she went for a weapon yesterday…”

“As in, tried to steal one?”

“No.”

“Then give me some context.”

Casey relayed the scene with Francesca, and the training.

“So, she tried to pick up a weapon that fell on the floor? That doesn’t sound the way you’re making it sound…”

“Nate didn’t want her to even touch it. He even called me over to intervene.”

“So what? It just means he doesn’t want her to have a weapon right now. I mean, he felt the same way about Bianca for a few days, but she can handle a weapon now with no problem. And I don’t know if you realized but if it wasn’t for her, Nate and a lot of us might have died in that last fight.”

Casey seemed annoyed.

“Nate isn’t thinking straight, here,” she said.

“Huh? And what makes you think that?”

Casey went silent for a bit.

“Look, I don’t know okay? Maybe he likes playing dangerous games, or maybe he just wants…”

“What? To sleep with her?”

Cameron laughed out loud this time.

“Are you fucking kidding me? Nate could do that right now if that’s all he cared about. If he’s doing this, then I believe that he’s doing it for a reason. Maybe you should stop thinking with your little head, and just try to think clearly about it.”

“My what? Ugh, seriously. I thought you would understand,” Casey said.

“Why? Did you think we would just get along just because we’re both sleeping with him? Form a nice little fraternity as ‘Nate’s Lovers’?”

“No, I just thought you cared about him enough to take this seriously!”

“I do care about him. Enough to trust his judgement, unlike someone else,” Cameron said.

This was getting heated, but Bianca seemed to be almost cackling.

“So good,” she mouthed at me, and I shook my head at her in response.

“Look, this is probably difficult to deal with,” Cameron said, a little softer now. “You care about him a lot, and it’s tough seeing him with other girls. Now don’t get me wrong, he’s probably enjoying it; who wouldn’t? And I dunno what you know about his life on earth, but I think he kind of deserves this a little bit. But he’s not just doing it because he wants to. Nate is managing these relationships really carefully, and in a way that’s helping everyone cope with their own crap.”

“So, you don’t think he can make mistakes? Or do you not remember that Emily happened?” Casey asked.

“Is Emily Nate’s fault alone?”

“He put a weapon in her hand.”

“A mistake, sure, but one he made while panicking over you being stabbed.”

“That’s not the only thing he was doing that night,” Casey said, and I gulped, as I suddenly became aware of who was at my side.

Bianca was listening intently, though, and while I instinctively felt the need to get her away from what was coming next, I quickly figured out how I could use it to my advantage.

“What are you talking about?”

“When Emily killed Candace, he was off somewhere bedding the princess’ sister,” Casey said, and Cameron scoffed.

“You’re twisting things again. There were diplomatic reasons behind that decision.”

Interesting.

I never told Cameron about that, but I guess she’s learning to play the game.

Bianca was shooting me a dirty look, and I quickly stressed that she needed to keep quiet.

“Don’t you think it’s funny that all of Nate’s diplomatic decisions involve sleeping with women?” Casey asked.

“I dunno. Why don’t you ask yourself why every problem you have with Nate’s decisions revolve around who he might sleep with?”

“This was a mistake. Thanks for nothing,” Casey said, and as I heard the door slam, I ushered Bianca along, back to her room.

“You fucked the princess’ sister?” Bianca asked, incredulously. “Is there anyone but me that you won’t fuck? Sheesh-”

I put a finger to Bianca’s lips, silencing her, and as she saw the intense expression on my face, she went quiet.

“I can’t trust Casey anymore,” I said.

Bianca eyed me.

“Does that mean I get to be your advisor?”

I shook my head in response.

“You are smart, and you… I trust.”

“Then why not?”

“Because, there’s something more important that you can be to me.”

“Like what?”

“My ace,” I replied, and she studied me.

“Does that mean you’ll have sex with me?”

“No,” I replied, and she put her hands on her hips and pouted in response.

“Wha-? But, why?” she whined, and I smiled at her, and ruffled her hair affectionately as the response was quite cute, but that didn’t seem to please her.

“You said you wanted to be important to me, right?”

“Well, yeah, but-”

I placed a finger against her lips, cutting her off once more, then kissed her just as I let my fingers trail away.

“Right now, you can be the single most important person on this planet to me.”

She studied me; her breath caught in her throat a little.

“Nathan… you’re not just saying that, are you?”

I shook my head.

“How do I know that I can trust you?” she asked, a little uncertainly.

“Ask me anything; I’ll answer truthfully.”

She studied me for a bit.

“Do you want to have sex with me?”

“Yes.”

She grumbled, then shot me a wary look, that again, looked quite cute.

“Who was the most important person to you; before?”

“Casey,” I said.

“And before that?”

“Francesca, I guess?”

Bianca scowled.

“But you don’t want a new advisor?”

I shook my head.

“Or a fighter?”

I shook my head again.

“Then, what do you want?”

“An observer,” I said, and I snickered a little as her jaw dropped.

It was, after all, the initial role I’d suggested for her.

“Seriously? That again?”

“I need one now. More than anything else. Besides, you’ve already been observing things, haven’t you…?”

She blushed a little, then nodded, and I ruffled her hair playfully again.

“So, you want me to observe Casey?”

“Casey, and everyone else.”

“And if I do this for you; I’ll be the most important person to you?”

“Yes.”

“Like, for realsies?”

“Yes,” I said, chuckling a little. “This is what you wanted, right? More than the sex?”

She made a whining sound, and was biting her finger, a restless look on her face.

“Nate… what if I still want it?”

“Want what?”

“The sex,” she said, her voice muffled partially by the finger in her mouth.

“Then you know my terms,” I said, and she frowned.

“But, why? If I’m important, then-”

“Then all the more reason to do this right.”

“Don’t you wanna at least see what Molly taught me?” she whined, and I chuckled.

“Do I ever, but… not now. Sex actually drains my core, and expending energy this early in the day might put me in danger.”

Bianca eyed me with a cheeky look, but as I moved in and kissed her, she smiled.

“You owe me some naked cuddling,” she said, taking my hands and swaying girlishly as she leaned back, suspending her weight in my grasp.

I released her with a wicked grin, and she panicked for a moment before falling back onto her bed.

“Not funny,” she complained, but I cut her protest short by moving in for another kiss.

“My ‘trusty advisor’ might come calling soon, so I doubt we have the time to enjoy that cuddle time to its fullest right now, but… maybe I can make it up to you.”

I climbed onto the bed, straddling her, and she scooted back as I leaned in and kissed her again.

“How?” she asked, her breathing showing a little sign of irregularity, as she stared into my eyes.

“Let me put you to bed,” I said, and she cooed pleasurably as I kissed her neck this time.

I let my finger trail the outline of her scarring, frowning as I did.

“Why aren’t these fading?” I asked, as I kissed the spot again.

“I kind of like it,” she said. “I hated getting those ‘delicate flower’ looks anyway.”

I traced the bruising with my fingers.

“Beautiful scars tell better stories than beautiful faces anyway,” I said, before kissing her on the lips this time.

Bianca squirmed a little, her arms tentatively moving to my chest, and around my neck, and I noted with amusement that she seemed to give in to the kiss much more readily now.

She still wasn’t a confident kisser, but feeling her melt under me filled me with a sense of satisfaction.

“You know, those limits I placed on where we can kiss… they don’t apply to your body,” I said, trailing a finger down her neck to the space between her breasts.

She shifted a little in my arms.

I kissed her again on the neck, and she made a soft, cooing sound, but to my surprise, she pushed me away.

“Nate… I don’t want to,” she said softly, and I studied her.

“Are you sure? I kind of like kissing you,” I said, and she squirmed again, wiggling away from me, and I moved off of her as she turned to on her side, her back to me.

“Can you just lie here with me? Until I fall asleep?”

“Uh, sure,” I said, taken aback slightly.

I draped an arm around her as she got comfortable, snuggling up to me as she did.

“You know,” I began, “if this was the only thing you ever wanted from me, that’d be okay, right?”

She nodded.

“I know. I want more, Nate; just… not yet.”

“I have no idea how you can be so passionate about blowjobs, but be so afraid of kisses…”

She shuddered a little in my arms.

“I want you to tell you, but I need to know first.”

“Know what?”

“That you’ll tolerate me…” she said, her words trailing off, and her tone, despondent.

“How about we alter our deal a little bit, then,” I offered, and she turned to study me. “From now on, you can tell me how you want to be kissed, and exactly _where_ you want to be kissed; and I’ll do only that, and no more.”

“And you won’t break the rules?” she asked, wiggling a little as she shifted onto her back, while staying close to my side.

“Never,” I promised.

“But, what if I wanna kiss you?” she asked, and I gave it some thought.

“Well, how about this; whatever’s bothering you seems to be a pretty big deal, so when you feel up to talking about it, I’ll reward you for it.”

She perked up at this.

“How, exactly?”

I pinched her nose, and wiggled it a little.

“One night of unrestricted kisses. Wherever you want to kiss me, and however you want to kiss me.”

She pouted a little.

“I still haven’t even gotten my naked cuddling,” she complained, and I nodded.

“Fine,” I conceded. “Then, the deal starts when I fulfill that promise. Will that work?”

She studied me a little, then shook her head.

Instead she pointed to her neck, and I smiled.

“How do you want it?”

“Gentle,” she said, and I leaned in and kissed the spot gently.

She put a finger in her mouth, and bit down, making a cute expression.

She pointed to a spot a little lower, closer to her chest.

 _Softly,_ her voice said into my mind, and I nodded.

I planted the kiss, and she moaned a little into her hand.

 _Again_ , she said, and I obliged.

_Again._

_Again._

_Again._

Kisses followed each telepathic request, and the finger shifted further south with each kiss until she placed the finger just over the visible swell of breast, partially bared by the finger which pulled the cotton shirt slightly aside.

 _Harder_ , she said, and as I applied a little more pressure to the kiss, she cooed.

_Again._

_Again!_

Her legs clamped together, and as she moaned, she shot me an almost anguished look.

“That’s enough,” she said. “You can leave now.”

“Wha-?”

The request threw me off, but as I saw the pleading expression on her face, I nodded.

“Sleep well,” I called, as I got up and headed for the door, but as I stepped outside and pulled the door shut, leaning back against it, I summoned up Bianca’s image in my mind.

She was squirming on the bed, one hand stuffed inside of her pants, and the other fondling a breast as she moaned.

Then the thoughts started coming into my mind as she pleasured herself.

_Nate! Kiss me, kiss me everywhere! Touch me. Caress me! Make love to me! Ahh!_

Her desires came flooding into my mind as she worked herself to an orgasm, and I felt an intense heat radiating from her image as she came.

I continued to watch as it simmered and cooled, and she went still.

Then I heard a sob, and I saw the unmistakable movements of her shadowy form, wiping at her eyes, as she curled up into a ball.

For a moment, I wondered if going back in to comfort her might have been the right move, but she never called for me, and in the end, I figured it would be best to leave her be.

After all, if she wanted my comfort, I knew that her impulsive state would have sent for me with or without her intending it.

I took a deep breath, then tried to figure out what had just happened.

This was a situation for which I had no reference, and keeping Bianca happy was becoming a priority.

Maybe I could talk to Cameron?

I sighed.

Cameron was supposed to be my unspoiled solace from everything else, but after that last conversation between her and Casey, I was starting to think that maybe that was a waste of her potential…

The issue remained on my mind as I made my way from the grove-tree, when Casey’s voice reached out to me:

 _Nate? I can’t find you,_ she said. _Meet me by the supply carts if you can…_

I was on my way there anyway, but I took my time, as I needed to figure out a plan for the day.

Casey was worried about Leanna, and while I was too, my intention had been to actually spend some significant time with the girl, and get a better feel for what was going on with her.

I mean, she was definitely unstable, and I really didn’t want a weapon near her… but unstable didn’t always equal dangerous.

What was Casey’s plan anyway?

To lock her up?

With girls like Leanna, sometimes all it took was someone to properly ground them to reality, but locking her away would destroy any chance of forming a meaningful connection with her, even in the future.

What would Casey do?

Talking to Cameron was one thing, but would she talk to the others?

She’d done that kind of thing before, hadn’t she? Before we started our agreement.

And it’s not like anyone would really object to imprisoning Leanna anyway…

I shook my head.

I couldn’t let that happen.

I’d need to pre-empt whatever Casey had planned, while also managing everything else.

Ugh.

This was so inconvenient.

 _Why couldn’t you just do what I wanted you to?_ I thought.

“Hey,” she said.

“Hey. You left early this morning,” I replied, and she frowned.

“Yeah… how did I get there, by the way?”

“Well, you seem to think sleeping in my bed’s a good idea, even though; you know, stabbing? So, I brought you over to Cameron’s room. Why were you even there?”

“I wanted to talk to you about something, but you took so long getting there… I fell asleep.”

She shrugged, but I could hear something off in her tone.

_What the fuck is going on with you, Casey?_

“Well, I’m here now,” I said.

“Yeah, that can wait though. We had a visitor from Palancar just now.”

I raised an eyebrow at her.

“Just now? Why didn’t you call me?”

“No time to look, and Gisela would have handled it without me.”

“Hmm. What’d they have to say?”

“A lot. The matron, I think they said-?”

I nodded.

“She’s dead. A bit confusing to me, because it sounds like she was murdered, but they didn’t use that word, or say who.”

“Huh… Lucilla had that enhanced hearing skill too. I guess I’ll check with Gisela. Was there anything else?”

“Gisela, why?”

“She’s my other advisor,” I answered, a little matter-of-factly, and Casey shook her head.

“I thought I was gonna handle Palancar from now on,” she said.

“You will. But small steps. Is there anything else before I go find her?”

“Uh, yeah. Vanessa bailed on them.”

“Guess that whole thing really fell apart, huh?”

“Yeah… they think you’re the reincarnation of their ‘immortal savior’ or something.”

I snickered a little.

“Well, let’s treat them a little better than Hernan Cortez did the Aztecs, then.”

She shot me a wry look.

“I’m not sure if you’re doing much better. I mean, you’re already spreading half-god children amongst their kind. That’s bound to create some racial tensions…”

I shook my head.

“As long as the two empires remain separate, and we settle land that no-one has claim to, then I don’t see it becoming that kind of problem.”

Casey furrowed her brow at me, as I headed off to find Gisela.

She was chatting with Ryker, and to my surprise, Evie, when I found her.

“Uh, hey. Did you wake all night?” I asked, but the tired look on Evie’s face seemed to answer it all.

“The wounded Kobalt warrior, uh-”

“Zizek,” Ryker said, and she nodded.

“-his condition was critical. He, uh, passed away just a while ago.”

I clicked my tongue in annoyance, and Gisela shot me a worried look.

“Were any Kobalt of this grove wounded in the attack?” I asked.

“Herr Kahnwald, and two of his retinue,” Gisela answered.

“Will they permit our dead to be interred here?”

She nodded.

“But Astrid will not permit Herr Kahnwald’s interment,” she said.

“Why not?”

“She wishes him scattered to the winds, a penance for his actions against all of Eltari.”

“Will the Kobalt of Grenze find this troublesome?”

She shook her head.

“The death of our Matron eclipses all passing,” she said.

I studied Gisela, who didn’t seem much perturbed by Lucilla’s death, much unlike the way most other Kobalt had reacted to it.

“Can we talk alone?” I asked, and she nodded.

As she turned to lead me towards the nearby grove tree, however, I turned to Evie.

“Hey, you should get some sleep,” I said. “We might need your skills for worse things yet.”

She nodded, a worried look on her face, and she turned to speak with Ryker as I followed Gisela to the nearby hall.

We entered the meeting chamber off of the main hall, and as soon as the door closed shut, she was in my arms.

She shuddered a little, and I held her, smiling a little as I recalled our encounter the previous night.

“How did Lucilla die?” I asked finally, and she took a deep breath in, and grimaced slightly.

“She reaped the seeds of her planting. Danebe was her sapling, and she gave him the freedom to spread his branches much too freely.”

“Did he kill her?”

She shook her head.

“She tried to stop the avatar from leaving Palancar’s sacred vault… the one who controlled it slew her, though perhaps not intended.”

“Vanessa?”

She nodded.

“Casey said that she fled Palancar,” I said, and Gisela nodded again.

“With armor that rightfully belongs to you.”

“To me?”

She nodded again.

“You are as the one we revere, born anew. We will petition Palancar, as soon as our grove bears recognition. Then the items will be yours, as they should.”

That was quite the cache.

I stroked my chin at the prospect, and wondered if Casey knew about this as well.

“My advisor… was she notified of these developments?”

Gisela nodded, a slightly worried look on her face.

“She was present at the retelling. Was her presence not with your blessing?”

“It was,” I said, and Gisela relaxed.

My eyes however flicked momentarily in the direction of Gisela’s stomach, and as I instinctively peered into her energy network, I saw the smallest hint of a bump on the thread therein.

When I returned my attention to her, however, I caught her gaze, and I smiled, then kissed her again.

“Gisela… about the rest of the companions.”

Her face went a little pale.

“Yes, Nathan. They will come to you in time.”

“No, I meant- do they have to come to me, specifically?”

She eyed me.

“Wouldn’t they be able to secure mates, now? From this grove, or from Palancar?”

She frowned.

“The companions do not usually take mates before their princess is ascended,” she said. “It is not the custom.”

“Ascended… to matron?”

She nodded.

“What if I want the princess to be something else. Like Queen?”

Gisela’s eyes went wide.

“She would not accept it. The princess desires to be the matron who finds the perfect queen for your immortalization. Such a being must be one to accompany you for many lifetimes.”

I shook my head.

“I want her,” I said. “I won’t accept anyone else.”

Gisela’s hand went to her mouth.

“How do I make her my queen?” I asked.

“A-A ceremony. A call for her subjects, at which you announce the name you bestowed upon her.”

I nodded.

“Her subjects, meaning… those who came along with us?”

Gisela shook her head.

“When a queen is to be announced, all who desire a place in her queendom are free to come forth, and become as one people.”

I rubbed my chin.

“We could gather a lot of settlers that way, huh… how soon can this ceremony be arranged? To allow those who would be willing to join us from the nearby clusters, and Palancar to attend?”

“A seed is planted; one blessed by the essence of the king. It is but a common weed which grows without bearing fruit; but when touched by a God, it springs flowers of unparalleled radiance. The process requires ten day-cycles; no less.”

I nodded.

“Will I need to acquire the seed myself?”

She shook her head.

“The runners will be sent to gather; you need only apply the planting. But are you certain, Nathan? The princess has deemed herself insufficient…”

I nodded.

“I’m sure. Will companions still be required for her child?”

Gisela nodded.

“Yes, but many will flock… to seed the current companions will be necessary no more.”

There was a sad look in her eye, as she placed a hand over her own stomach and turned away, so I rested my hand on her shoulder, and gave her a reassuring squeeze.

“There is no regret,” I said, and she turned, studying me worriedly. “I desire that this child comes forth.”

She smiled, and I kissed her, holding her for a bit, before heading outside.

But we were barely out the door when I ran into Casey, who was shooting me a somewhat uncomfortable look.

“Uh, Nate. We might have a problem,” she said.

“What is it?”

“Leanna… she’s hanging around the supply carts. Where the weapons are?”

I gestured to Casey, who led me over there, and I frowned.

“Doesn’t seem to be looking over there or anything. Are you sure she’s not just staying around the central area of the camp?” I asked, looking around, and Casey shook her head.

“Why are you so intent on letting this girl roam free? You know she’s dangerous.”

“Do I? I hadn’t really made up my mind about that just yet.”

Casey glared at me.

“You won’t let her touch weapons, but she’s not dangerous?”

I shrugged.

“The weapons are dangerous. I mean, I won’t let Lucia carry one either, but it’s not like I’d lock her up. She’s just not ready.”

Casey scoffed.

“And you think Leanna will be ready for a weapon one day?”

I shrugged.

“Who knows? You never thought Bianca should have held one either.”

“I still don’t think Bianca should be left with one…”

I sighed.

“Look, we have hunters keeping watch, right? They know better than to let just any otherworlder take a weapon now, too.”

As I took a look at Leanna however, something occurred to me.

“Actually, I think I might have an idea.”

Casey studied me carefully.

“What?” she asked.

“Maybe I should take Leanna on a little excursion,” I suggested. “She’ll only talk openly if she thinks the Kobalt can’t hear her, and I’ll get a chance to better gauge how much of a threat she really is. Besides, we need to get some scouting done on Irileth’s domain.”

Casey shook her head.

“I don’t like it,” she said, and I tilted my head at her.

“Why not?”

“What if you run into a problem?”

“Then I ditch her and run. Two problems solved, right?”

Casey scoffed, but she didn’t seem to find anything to counter that point, so she went for a different approach.

“What if Palancar does something else while you’re gone?”

“Well, let’s find out about that, then,” I said, hailing Gisela as I did.

“Gisela. Those in Palancar who opposed the princess… is it possible that they may still act against us? Without Palancar’s blessing?”

She shook her head.

“The passing of the Matron initiates a mourning cycle. No Kobalt will commit an act of violence in this period.”

“How long does the mourning cycle last?” I asked.

“Until the seedling planted upon her resting place bears fruit. This requires no less than five day-cycles.”

I turned to Casey who frowned.

“What if Vanessa comes here?”

“Just her? Even in a suit, either Francesca or Raul could eat her for breakfast.”

Casey massaged her temples agitatedly.

“What about training? Am I supposed to handle that and Palancar while you’re gone?”

Gisela raised an eyebrow, but she didn’t say anything.

“Francesca should be able to handle it. Her arm seems healed enough to train, and she knows who needs to work on what. Just co-ordinate with her so she knows who needs to be awake for watch later tonight. Also, take Bianca off of watch duty.”

“Why?”

“She doesn’t pair well, and you know what her attention span is like.”

“Then why even train her?” Casey asked, and I raised an eyebrow at her.

“Didn’t you see her fight yesterday?” I asked. “We would have been in real trouble without her. It shouldn’t be a big deal, anyway, right? You never wanted her on watch to begin with.”

“Yeah, but Jeannie’s injured. We’re a little short staffed at the moment.”

“Then put Nolan back into the rotation. If we’re not making this cross-forest trek anymore, then he doesn’t need to spend as much time gathering info as before. Besides, he doesn’t have Myrinne to help with translations right now, anyway.”

Casey sighed, then nodded.

The sun was starting to come up, and I cracked my knuckles, then smiled.

“Guess I better get ready to head out, then.”

“How far into the domain are you going?”

“The guildhall… if I can find it.”

“Are you sure you can make the trip in a day?”

It would be difficult, assuming a lack of endurance on Leanna’s part.

“Not sure about anything, really. I don’t think I should spend more than a day out, though. Not while I’m with Leanna, at least.”

“Jeez, at least I can get you to do that much,” she said, and I chuckled a little.

“You really don’t like my methods, do you?”

“I just want you to be safe, Nate,” she said, moving closer to me, and moving for my hand.

I rested it against her cheek, then nodded.

“I would be much safer if my advisor spent more time helping me do what needs to be done, rather than questioning every single decision I make,” I said, and Casey’s mouth opened a little, and she withdrew her hand, turning away.

“I’m trying,” she said, and I turned to Astrid’s tree.

“Tell you what. This family… or branch, or whatever. They seem to know a bit about the powers that the princess has. Maybe you could talk to Astrid? See if there’s a way for us to break your hypnosis?”

Casey turned to me, an uncomfortable look on her face.

“What? Are you tired of my affections already?” she teased, and I shook my head.

“I’m tired of seeing you look so conflicted,” I answered, and she frowned, her right hand moving to meet the other at the elbow, and she hugged herself a little.

I moved to walk past her, then stopped, resting a hand against her cheek as I did.

“I’m still gonna look for that smile… I promise,” I said, and I kissed her on the cheek, before heading over to Leanna.

“Hey,” I said, and she took a quick look around, before awkwardly returning my greeting. “I organized for us to go on a mission together.”

“Just us?”

I nodded, and she perked up noticeably at this.

“Far away,” I added suggestively, and she smiled.

“What do I need to prepare?”

“A suit of armor,” I said.

I fetched the low-grade T-one set that we kept as a backup, basically, and took the dagger that I usually kept strapped to my boot.

The Kobalt had now also prepared some stashes of travel packs that the hunters could take at a moment’s notice before heading out for longer periods, so I grabbed two of those, then waved at Casey as we headed off.

“How did you get her to approve that?” she asked.

“You don’t wanna know,” I replied, letting out a pained sigh.

She shot me a worried look, and as soon as we were out of the campground, and some way down to road that wound to the south of Grenze, she linked my arm in hers.

“This feels nice,” I said, and smiled at me.

“I know it’s pretend; but it does. Like were going on a romantic walk, or something.”

As we got to the line of trees that led towards the grove, however, I disengaged from Leanna, then prompted her to pick up the pace.

We started out at a moderate jog, which Leanna seemed a little uncomfortable with at first, but she kept up with me nonetheless.

“I’m not really tiring,” she noted, a little worriedly, and I nodded.

“That’s the armor,” I explained.

“Is it safe, though?”

“Probably not, but we don’t have much choice. Most things will kill us easily without it.”

We decided to move a little more quickly, but Leanna quickly began to struggle to keep up.

It was interesting to observe, since she’d probably expended the least amount of core usage out of any of us.

We continued on for a little longer, until Leanna seemed unable to continue like that, and I pulled up to a stop, to let her catch her breath.

“Nate, do you think we’re being followed?” she suddenly asked.

“Followed?”

I looked around, then shook my head.

“Only one of us could keep up with that pace, I think.”

“I keep seeing a shadow, moving between the trees, following us.”

“Where did you last see it?”

She pointed off to our left, and I studied the area for a bit.

There was probably nothing there, I knew that, but I needed her to think that I was taking her seriously.

“Maybe we should keep moving,” I offered, and she nodded.

We headed off again, but this time at a bit slower pace, allowing us to talk.

“Are we running away from them?” she asked finally, and I shook my head.

“We wouldn’t get far without getting rid of the trackers.”

Her eyes flicked to the dagger on my boot, and the halberd on my back.

“What if we ditch the weapons?”

I shook my head.

“The thing that’s tracking us is in here,” I said, indicating to my left wrist, “and possibly somewhere else in our bodies.”

“How are you so sure?”

“Do you remember when I tracked you guys down? When you were with Vanessa?”

“Yeah…”

“The Kobalt led us there. To you, I mean.”

She frowned.

“Maybe we would have been better off staying with her,” she said, and I shook my head.

“She’d already worked out a deal to sell you all to them. As proper sex-slaves.”

Leanna grimaced.

“Guess I can’t trust anyone…” she said, a little despondently.

As we continued on, I noted that Leanna seemed to be casting furtive glances over her shoulder, in the same direction she’d indicated before, but as her attention continued to shift away from the path ahead, she made a few missteps, until eventually, she landed badly on a tree root, and tripped.

I’d been keeping an eye on where her feet were landing, and as I darted to her side, I caught her just as she left the ground, and prevented any serious damage.

“Ouch,” she groaned, as soon as she put pressure on her foot, and I steadied her, then eased her down to the floor.

“Does it hurt?” I asked, as I examined the foot.

She was wearing one of the leather sandals, rather than the heavier armor boots from the armor set.

I moved the ankle a bit, and she winced.

“Ouch!” she cried out again.

I opened up the supply pack, and fetched the waterskin, but before I could offer the thing to her, she cried out, and leapt into me.

“He’s there, Nathan!”

I quickly turned in the direction she’d indicated, and though there was a flutter of leaves, stirred perhaps by the passing of a gentle breeze, nothing else was in sight.

I turned to Leanna, and as I saw the panicked look in her eyes, my mind flashed to something else.

//

“He’s there! I swear, he’s there!”

“Anna, just put the knife down.”

“No! You don’t want to stop him. You’re going to give Nathan to him!”

I was cowering behind her, but even as she brandished the knife dangerously, I felt no fear.

My mama was a strong woman, and she would not let anything harm me.

“Anna, please. The only thing here is Julie,” my father pleaded.

“Julie would hide him. Julie would give Nate over in a heartbeat! STAY BACK!”

She swung the knife menacingly as he tried to approach, and my father shot me a pleading look.

“Mama, look. He jumped out of the window!”

“What?”

She turned to where I’d indicated, and my dad shot me a thankful look, before moving in and snatching the knife.

He wrestled mama to the ground, and I felt an urge to kick him, and tell him get off of her, but instead I snatched the knife up.

“I’ll protect you mama. In case her comes back!”

I stood protectively over her, at the doorway that led out of the kitchen, and as she stared at me, she gave up her resistance, and instead smiled.

“My son. My precious boy… don’t ever let them make you think that you’re just a tool! Don’t- ah!”

//

That’s right… it was my mother who’d said that, not my grandmother, but as I studied Leanna and her searching gaze, I wondered what it was that she saw…

For my mother, it was a boogeyman who sought to take away her son…

But was Leanna’s boogeyman after her?

I took her hand in mine, and looked into her eyes.

_If I stayed with you, would you feel safe?_

_Would my presence keep the shadows at bay?_

I often wondered if my mother would have met her own fate, had I somehow found a way to stay by her side.

She’d withered into an almost unrecognizable person by the end.

But her smile was no less beautiful.

Would Leanna’s be as well?

I studied her, suddenly realizing our faces were closer than I’d realized, and as she stared into my eyes, her lips quivered a little, and without warning, she kissed me.

It was a soft kiss and it lasted only a second, but as soon as she pulled back, a panicked look crossed her face.

“I-I’m sorry!” she exclaimed, but I cut off her protest as I leaned in and kissed her back; a slightly longer kiss, moving closer to her as I did, and as we broke apart, she studied me, a shell-shocked expression on her face.

“W-why? There’s no-one,” she began, and I shook my head.

“I’ve been reacting like an idiot every time we kiss,” I explained. “I need to get better at it so they won’t suspect anything, won’t I?”

She studied me for a bit, then nodded.

“You’re right. You need practice,” she said.

She licked her lips a little, but as she moved in to kiss me again, she winced, and my attention shifted to her ankle.

We weren’t so far from Grenze already that I couldn’t carry her back, but I really did want to get some scouting done.

I began to examine her foot, looking into her core as I did, and I immediately noted that there was a little bunch of threads forming around the foot.

I used energy manipulation to help them along, and she studied me as I did.

“What is that?” she asked finally.

“Accelerated healing,” I explained.

She bit her lip uncomfortably, a worried expression on her face, and I tried to convey reassurance to her as I did.

“You can do it too, you know. Just, focus on me… concentrate really hard, and you’ll see something like a pale blue light, and threads connecting the energy inside of me to everything else in my body.

She furrowed her brow, but as she did as I asked, and kept at it for a bit, her eyes suddenly went wide.

“I-I see it! It’s… so beautiful!” she exclaimed, and I smiled a little, rubbing the back of my head.

She placed a hand against my chest, then began to trace the pathway of some thread, eventually coming to the bump that represented a skill, perhaps, and she circled the spot, before continuing on.

As I continued to peer inside of her, however, examining the skills within her own network, I saw something interesting…

 _What is that?_ I thought.

There were the usual skills like speed, strength, and endurance that I was now able to identify at a glance, but this one…

I’d never seen anything like it before.

Even the aura itself seemed… dark, and much more like what I’d come to associate with monster’s cores.

It aroused my curiosity to say the least, but I quickly noted that the threads that had gathered at her ankle were now dissipating.

I tested the ankle, moving it about tentatively, and Leanna studied it.

“Does it still hurt?” I asked, and she shook her head.

“We heal quickly, huh? Makes me wonder if we’re even human anymore,” she said, suppressing a shudder as she did.

“You should be good to walk, but we’ll wait another twenty minutes. What do you wanna do, though? Head back?”

She pursed her lips, as she gave the question some thought.

“I feel so much safer away from them…” she said, her tone a little wistful.

“What about our stalker?”

“Do you think we can shake him?” she asked, and I shot a worried look at her ankle.

“I don’t want to aggravate your injury,” I said, and she nodded, then stood up, and tested her weight on the foot a little.

“I think I’m okay to walk now,” she said.

As she tried to walk, however, she stumbled, and as I caught her, she looked up at me, and I held my breath, as our faces were suddenly quite close again.

I steadied her, and she twirled the loose end of her long, braided hair, before casting a quick gaze around.

“How far would we have to go… to get away from them?” she asked.

“They could track us anywhere in this forest overnight, I think… besides, we have no maps, or anything to go by. We’d be lost, and at their mercy.”

She crouched down, and held herself a little.

“It feels just like back then…”

“What does?”

“Being cornered… afraid, alone.”

I rested a hand on her shoulder.

“You’re not alone,” I reassured her, and she turned to look up at me.

She placed a hand over mine, and gave it a squeeze as I crouched down beside her, and I caught her eyes flick to my lips once again, before she leaned in to kiss me.

It was a firm, pressing kiss, and her arms moved tentatively around my neck, as she shifted to face me, pressing her lips to me again, and this time, parting them a little.

I kissed her back, and eventually, she pushed me back against the nearby tree trunk, resting her weight against my chest as she kissed me intently.

We kissed for a while, until finally, her eyes opened, and she broke away just enough to speak.

“I’m sorry,” she said again, and I shook my head in response.

“I need the practice, remember?” I offered, but she shook her head slowly.

“No… that wasn’t acting,” she admitted, blushing a little. “I’ve always been alone, Nate… running from shadows. I’ve never had… anyone-”

Her words trailed off, as her voice got a little choked up.

“When you said just like back then. Did you mean earth?”

She nodded.

“I didn’t have friends, and everyone called me crazy… but I wasn’t wrong.”

“Wrong about what?”

“He was always watching… always. Then he…”

She got choked up again, and I took her hand into mine.

“Who was he?”

“My science teacher… I knew he was watching. Wanted to hurt me… but I didn’t realize how, until…”

I gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.

“Did you tell anyone?”

She nodded.

“Everyone found out. He went to jail, but… they still said I was crazy…”

She shook her head, as she continued:

“The thing is; I saw others watching me just like he did, and I know they wanted… what he wanted. But nobody listens. Everyone knew what happened. I didn’t understand. I was _right_. But they still wouldn’t listen. Then that… man, grabbed me, and I woke up here.”

“Leanna, were you on medication?” I asked, and she nodded.

“I was… and it made the nightmares stop; it really did! But the stares… they were real. You have to believe me!”

“I do,” I said, petting her lovingly, and seeing something of my mother’s image in my mind.

Back on earth, I’d developed a pretty good relationship with one of my therapists in my teen years, and at that time, he’d confided to me that there were two types of patients that were the most difficult to treat.

The first was high functioning psychopaths like myself.

According to him, most of us used therapy as a means through which to learn how to better imitate ‘acceptable forms of behavior’ which the more ill-intending amongst us would use to just better disguise their true motives, and more dangerous behaviors.

I had a hard time arguing against that, as I had indeed been doing that very thing, though, perhaps not with the same ill will that he was describing.

The second category, however, was that of paranoid schizophrenics who actually had someone out to get them.

In most cases, the someone wasn’t really as ill-meaning as Leanna’s school teacher, or wildly conspiratorial as they imagined… but nevertheless, it was difficult to persuade someone that most of the paranoia they experienced were delusions, when an identifiable, and provable example of someone being ‘out to get them’ existed in their lives.

As I studied her now, I began to consider how we could treat her problem.

Proper medication, even through the catalog, would probably be difficult to come by…

And even if I could miraculously remember anything about what medication my mother was on, we were probably at least two decades past that by now.

Then, there was the matter of the Kobalt, who I had noticed were quite interested in us; their fascination was quite innocent and not ill-intended, of course; but that was sure to trigger Leanna’s paranoid tendencies.

How do I fix this?

My mind almost instinctively went to Miriam.

Hypnotherapy was quite common in treating psychosis, wasn’t it?

Maybe it wouldn’t be bad if we could use it to help her.

Though, even that would have to wait until Miriam had recovered.

No, I would have to use a more straightforward approach.

Go through her paranoias one by one, and explain the ones that I could, while also redirecting her suspicions of the Kobalt to a more deserving source.

“Leanna. I think I need to tell you some things,” I began, and she looked up to study me.

“About what?”

“About who is really after us. It’s not the Kobalt,” I began, and she shook her head, withdrawing from me.

“But I swear-”

“I know, they probably stare at you a lot, but it’s not them that you have to worry about. It’s the people who sent us here,” I finished, and she studied me. “You’re probably right. Someone snatched you on earth, and brought you here. And they are tracking us, through their technology, which we need to survive anyway.”

She was still shaking her head.

“What if the Kobalt is working with them?”

“Not likely. They have almost no knowledge of technology, and to the people who brought us here, they’re nothing more than indigenous savages...”

“What if they’re lying? Acting?”

“Even the children?” I asked, and she paused at that. “And if they are acting, then why are there no bad actors?”

She thought about it for a moment, but I didn’t want to give her enough time to find an explanation to fit her world view.

“Leanna. I promise you, from this moment; there is no question that I will ever refuse to answer. If you feel as if you need reassurances, I’ll show you as much as you need to see to understand. That goes for everything, okay?”

She stared at me, a slightly lost expression on her face, as I continued:

“I’ll never let anyone hurt you; or threaten you. And anytime you feel threatened, just come right to me, and I’ll deal with whatever it is. I promise; any time, any situation. No matter how small an issue it might be.”

She nodded this time, a slow, singular nod, and I took her hands into mine, and brought them to my lips, not in a kiss, but just blowing gently onto them.

She tilted her head down, and as our foreheads met for a second, I felt something pulse out towards her, but before I could even ask, I saw a flash in her eyes, and I spun around instinctively just in time to see it…

A shadow.

I spotted it just as it darted in between the trees, and an involuntary gasp escaped my lips as saw how quickly it moved, leaving a trail of leaves in the wake of its passing.

 _Fuck_ , I thought. _Why couldn’t that have just been a delusion?_

I grabbed Leanna’s hand and led her off, heading in the direction which I believed would take us most quickly out of the grove, but every time I looked over my shoulder, the thing was there, stalking us, hunting us.

I followed its movement as it went from behind us, to somewhere off to the side, matching and surpassing our speed with effortless ease.

But why wasn’t it attacking?

I eyed the thing, then took a tentative glance at Leanna who was tracking its movements with her eyes.

Wait…

Didn’t it seem to be moving along with her gaze?

I pulled up to a stop around a large tree trunk, just as the thing slipped out of sight, and I got Leanna to face me, before burying her face into my shoulder.

“Close your eyes,” I said, and she did, trying to slow her breathing down as well.

She was panting, and up close like that I noted that she really was a striking girl.

I kept my eyes peeled however for the creature, and as it never came, I took a quick look into Leanna’s core.

Could I tell if the skill was being used?

Not unless she actually activated it, huh?

Although, her core capacity had fell quite significantly.

And there was no way that running or anything else that we did could have done that.

“Leanna, I think you might be in control of that creature,” I said, and she eyed me as I withdrew my halberd.

“What? How?”

“A skill,” I explained. “I want you to look out for the creature, okay? But try to think about controlling its movements when you see it.”

“What if I can’t?”

“Then I’ll protect you,” I said, indicating to the halberd, and offering her a reassuring smile.

She nodded.

“O-Okay.”

I readied myself, and she got into position behind me, resting a hand on my shoulder for support.

My eyes darted across the field of view, looking for signs of movement, until I saw another leaf trail, and followed it to our shadowy stalker.

“There!” she said, and I nodded. “It’s… I can’t stop it.”

I glanced over at her, and saw her eyes tracking the shadow’s movements in quick flutters.

“Slow your eyes down. Focus on the creature, and don’t let it lead your gaze.”

She wet her lips, nodding as she concentrated.

The creature made an approach to us, and as it slashed with a clawed hand, I gasped as I parried the blow.

 _Fuck!_ I thought. _There was some pretty solid power behind that slash!_

“I-”

“Just calm down; focus, concentrate. I’ll defend you for as long as you need.”

She nodded again.

The creature darted in again and again, and I repelled him each time, but he was too quick to counter attack.

As time went by, however, I noticed the creature slowing down, until eventually, it walked over to us, and just stood there.

“A-am I…? Am I really doing that?”

“You tell me,” I said, smiling, and as I stared into her core, I could clearly see the threads gathered around that skill with the dark aura.

The creature walked around a little, then began to look around as well.

“How much control do you have over him?” I asked.

“I dunno. How do I find out?”

“See if you can make him jump,” I offered, shrugging, and she nodded.

She focused for a bit, and sure enough, the creature leapt into the air.

“Holy crap,” she said.

“Holy crap indeed. Do you think you could make him slash this tree?” I asked.

She nodded, focusing on the task, when suddenly the creature stepped up to the tree and slashed-

*Whish!

-and nothing happened.

“Did he miss?” she asked, but as I stepped forward and raised a hand, touching the creature’s bladed arms, the hand went straight through.

“That’s odd… I felt some force when he attacked me earlier, but I think he might just be a shadow now,” I said, and as Leanna reached out, she shuddered as her hand also pushed through the creature’s shadowy body.

“What’s the point of it, then?”

I rubbed my chin.

“Misdirection? That’s actually a hell of a thing to have in a fight.”

“Really?”

She thought about it.

“But… I don’t like the idea of fighting. A sword, or spear in my hand just feels… wrong.”

“It’s okay. We don’t all have to be fighters,” I said. “But… maybe you could contribute to fights without even fighting?”

“With distractions?”

I nodded.

“Although… a skilled enemy may pick up what you’re doing, and go after you. If you can’t defend yourself, that could be bad.”

She frowned.

“I guess it can’t be helped… I have to learn a little fighting if I want to be useful.”

As she considered her options, I noted that she kept her hand in mine, until eventually, she pointed at my hand.

“Is that a skill? You’re using a skill, aren’t you?”

I shook my head.

“A skill like what?”

“To make me feel like that? Relaxed, protected… safe? I feel something from you. Like… energy.”

I concentrated on our hands, and as the threads came into view, I noted there was indeed a collection of threads around the spot.

What was this skill?

I had so many bumps, few of which I could identify, and this was the first time I’d even noticed the activation of this skill.

“I think you might be right,” I said. “Never noticed that before. Does that bother you?”

She quickly shook her head.

“No, I love it! I mean… it feels nice. I don’t feel that way, usually. Or… not ever, actually.”

“What do you wanna do?” I asked, and she looked around.

“What are our options?”

“We could head back, since I’m a little worried about your ankle. Or, if you don’t mind, we could do some scouting? Since-”

“Yes!”

“Hm?”

“Let’s uh… do the scouting,” she said.

I eyed her a little, as I took a look around.

We had entered Irileth’s domain, and were somewhere close to where we’d made camp the night before coming to Grenze.

But how far were we from the place where we’d made first camp?

That was my initial target, but that was some distance from Grenze.

Did I wanna chance that, with Leanna’s ankle?

“Let’s head this way,” I offered.

I figured it was best to walk until we knew for sure that Leanna could cope with moving around, and she nodded.

As we walked, however, I noted that she seemed to be looking around at her surroundings with a pretty interested look.

“Those trees are so tall. Were they always like that?”

I tilted my head at the question.

“Uh, yeah. This whole forest is kind of like that…”

I mean, we’d been here for more than a week now, hadn’t we?

Or had Leanna been so preoccupied with her worries that she’d barely even looked at her surroundings.

“It’s… beautiful,” she said eventually, and I smiled a little.

“If you think these are nice, wait till you see the ones we’re gonna be living in,” I said.

She frowned.

“Are we really gonna live in trees… like those things?”

“Things?”

“Kobalt, was it?”

“People,” I corrected her. “They’re people… sort of like us, but without access to these.”

I tapped the spot on my wrist where my implant was, and Leanna studied it.

“You said they tracked us with these… was that true?”

“Depends on who you mean by ‘they’?”

“The… Kobalt people.”

I shook my head.

“The only ones tracking us are probably the ones who put us here.”

She shuddered a little.

“What do they want with us?” she asked.

“That’s a very good question. How’s your ankle so far?”

“I think it’s fine,” she said, so I suggested that we jog for a bit, and she nodded.

She insisted on keeping her hand in mine as we did, however, but I did note that she spent a lot less time looking back over her shoulder as we continued on.

“How old were you?” I suddenly asked.

“Huh?”

“When the thing happened; with your teacher?”

“Oh… sixteen,” she answered.

“Were you on medication before that?”

She nodded.

“Did you tell your parents?”

She nodded again, and this time, she took a tense look over her shoulder, and stumbled a little, as I brought us to a pause.

“The forest floor is a little tricky to navigate,” I explained, showing her the root where she’d just almost stumbled. “If your foot gets caught on one of these, you can damage your feet pretty badly on the way down.”

She frowned, nodding.

“There were these woods, on the edge of the park near where we lived. I used to run there whenever I thought someone was after me. My mom always said, ‘why not run to where there’s people?’ But she didn’t get it. Most of the time when I was running, people were the reason why.”

“So, you felt safer when you were alone?”

She nodded.

“I always did. No-one to stare at me, calling me crazy in their heads, and saying it with their eyes.”

I put my arm around her, and hugged her a little.

“Maybe we can get you your own tree,” I joked, and she shook her head despondently.

“I still don’t know if I trust those things…”

“People,” I tried again, and she nodded.

“What if they really want us dead?”

“Well, I don’t think it’s likely that they do. They have a lot more to gain from keeping us alive and in their favor. But, even if they did mean badly, I could easily protect you from them.”

She tightened her grip on my hand.

“You know, if you learned to fight a little, you’d be able to protect yourself from smaller threats like that. Then you wouldn’t even need me anymore,” I joked, and she quickly shook her head.

“Don’t say that!” she exclaimed, and as I tilted my head at the outburst, she softened her gaze a little. “I- I’m sorry… it’s scary, Nathan. This world… the people who put us here. And all the monsters… I just- I don’t want to be alone again.”

“Again?”

“Back on earth. When I came here, and… after Emily…”

She shifted uncomfortably, and I studied her.

“Emily was the only one who spoke to you, huh?”

She nodded.

“No-one listened to my concerns, but she did,” Leanna said.

“Yeah, but she used your fears to manipulate you.”

Leanna studied me.

“You said that before. What did you mean?”

“Emily wanted to hurt you. So, she made you distrust the people who would have protected you,” I explained.

“Protected me? Like who?”

I held our hands up where they were linked for her to see, and she blushed.

“Emily didn’t want me to be closer to you. She tried to keep us apart, because she knew that she couldn’t control you if I was there to protect you.”

Leanna’s mouth fell open.

“Oh my God. She told me not to listen to you the night when Candace died.”

“The night when _she_ killed Candace,” I corrected her, and Leanna’s hand went to her mouth, as if the fact had only just registered. “And she would have killed you as well, if I didn’t stop her.”

Her eyes teared up a little.

“So, she wanted me to hate them? The- uh, Kobalt?”

I nodded.

This was good.

If I could rewire her general distrust from the things around her, and where we were settling down, to things that were at least vague enough, or related to real threats, then maybe she could live some semblance of a normal life.

“Nate… you told me that they could track me,” she said, frowning a little, and I nodded.

“I was afraid that you would run away, and I wouldn’t be able to find you.”

She studied me for a bit, then looked down.

“I was thinking of running,” she said finally, and I breathed a sigh of relief.

“But what about the weapons? Do they really track us?”

“They might,” I answered. “But maybe not by just touching them.”

She frowned.

“So why did you tell that lie?”

“Because, if you went for a weapon, Casey might have had you locked up.”

She frowned.

“Like Candace was when she was killed…”

I nodded.

Leanna walked in silence for a bit, then stopped, and I studied her.

“Nate… I don’t wanna be lied to anymore. You want to help me, right?”

I nodded.

“Then… tell me the truth. I want to trust you, but you I can’t believe that you’ll protect me if you’re lying to me.”

I studied her carefully.

This could get tricky later on.

Did Leanna desire intimacy?

And if she did, would she get jealous or fearful of my multiple relationships?

“I want to protect you,” I said. “But I think you know that sometimes you need to be protected from yourself, don’t you?”

Leanna thought about it for a bit.

“So, you’d lie to me if you thought it would protect me…?”

I shook my head.

“If I thought your life was in danger, or if there were no other way to stop you from hurting yourself. But for nothing less.”

She bit her lip, as she thought about my words for a while.

“If I… *inaudible*… what would you do?”

I tilted my head, as she spoke so softly, that I missed some of what she’d said.

“If you, what?”

“Hurt myself,” she said, her gaze averted, and I pulled to a stop.

I studied her for a bit.

“Did you?”

She seemed hesitant… and maybe, somewhat embarrassed.

Then she reached down, and rolled up the hem of her cotton pants, and I gasped as the fresh scars came into sight.

There were four horizontal cuts made across her lower leg, and from the black scars there, I could tell that they were deep.

When did she do this?

And with what weapon?

“How did you do it?” I asked.

She shifted uncomfortably, then lifted her shirt a little, as she reached back and withdrew a little dagger, and I stared at it with wide eyed surprise.

“Emily had a dagger,” she admitted.

She held the item out to me, and I took the thing, withdrawing the blade from its little sheath and examining it a little.

I shook my head in response.

“Why’d you keep it?”

She bit her lip, as she shifted uncomfortably.

“It made me feel safe,” she admitted.

Her eyes flicked to it, and I handed the weapon back to her.

“The others won’t like it if they find out, so you need to keep it hidden, okay?”

She nodded, but I kept my hand on hers as she tried to withdraw with the weapon, forcing her to meet my gaze.

“You need to promise me you won’t use it on yourself again, either.”

She nodded, but I wasn’t sure I believed her.

I let out a sigh, as I cast a look upwards to the canopy.

_Damn. Sighing dramatically was so much better when I had a sky to look up to._

I asked Leanna to sit, as I gestured to her leg to examine the damage.

The cuts had been deep.

Deeper than most self-harmers might have gone for a first-time cut; but that was the risk of using a weapon that could cut through anything for something like that.

I’d been sliced a few times already, and I knew that the cleanness of the cut often delayed the sensation of pain for a bit, as there was no tearing from friction with the blade to do the extra damage that really hurts.

The marks were quite dark, and the wounds probably deep.

No doubt, her self-healing helped her quite a bit, but how did she hide this?

Or was this just an indication of how little attention we paid to her…

I brought the foot to my lips, and I kissed each spot gently, and she studied me, blushing a little.

“Why’d you do it?” I asked.

She seemed a little embarrassed.

“I- I thought that maybe, this body was fake, or not mine… and maybe, if it didn’t hurt, I would know.”

“There were other ways we could have tested that,” I chided, and she nodded.

“Emily said it was a good idea,” she said, a little timidly, and I cursed the girl’s name silently.

She knew about this, and chose to exploit it, huh? Manipulate her into doing what she wanted?

I mean, fuck me if I wasn’t doing the same thing, but the difference was that I wanted to help her…

As I rolled down the pants to cover the scars, I thought about it a little.

The others probably wouldn’t care about the self-harm as much as her having a weapon, but we’d have to hide both from them.

Maybe it was the way schizophrenics were represented in movies, but most people seemed to believe they were violent, when in reality, the greatest danger they usually posed was to themselves.

And a dagger that could cut through anything is dangerous in anyone’s hands if they don’t know what they’re doing.

“Nate… do you think I’ve been making my own shadows all my life?”

She waved a hand, and the shadow creature danced between a pair of trees, disappearing with a gentle breeze.

“I’d wager you only developed that ability here. We didn’t have cores back on earth,” I said.

“But I always saw it. That same shadow.”

I thought about it for a bit.

“Did you spend a lot of time looking for it? Thinking about it? Since we got here, I mean.”

She nodded.

“Hmm. Maybe you developed that ability because of it,” I said.

I was about to suggest that we get back started on our journey, when Leanna’s hand went to her stomach, and I noticed a slight grimace on her face.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing,” she said, but I quickly noted that her hands were shaking, and this time I heard a growling sound as her hand went instinctively to her stomach.

“Are you hungry?”

“No!” she quickly replied, and I tilted my head at her.

“Have some water,” I offered her, and she again refused, but I could see her discomfort.

“You haven’t been eating, have you…” I said. “Are you afraid of being poisoned?”

She rubbed her hands uncomfortably, looking away from me.

“You’ve seen me drink from this, haven’t you?” I asked, holding up the waterskin. “And I filled it myself, from the stream by our last camp.”

She eyed the thing, as I held it out.

_Would she trust me?_

In the last days before my mother had been institutionalized, she would ask me to sneak out of the house, and bring her food from somewhere else.

Of course, I made do with tricking her, since actually doing that was quite difficult for me at that age.

“Do you want me to drink first?” I asked, and she shook her head.

She took the skin, then took a tentative sip, and as if deciding that it tasted alright, she took a proper drink, before draining almost the rest of it in a single go.

 _You were thirsty,_ I thought.

“When was the last time you ate properly?” I asked.

She seemed uncomfortable again, and I took her hand, and brought it to my lips.

“Please… let me help you? I can’t, if you hide these things…”

“Before… before Emily,” she began, and I nodded.

“Did she get food for you?”

Leanna nodded, as I retrieved the little gourd that we carried.

I withdrew one of the meat strips, and took a bite, before offering it to Leanna.

She studied it for a bit.

“No-one prepared these packs for us; I got them myself. And this one is mine,” I offered, as I recalled some of the reasonings we’d used to get my mother to eat.

She watched me closely, as I swallowed the bite I’d taken, before tentatively taking a strip and breaking off a piece, examining it a bit, before putting it, with some reluctance, into her mouth.

Her eyes teared up a little as she chewed, and she wiped away a tear, as she ate the rest of the piece, a bit hungrily.

I watched as she ate for a bit, and as she nodded, letting me know she was better, I gave her a hug.

“You did good,” I said, holding her in my arms for a bit.

We stayed there for a while, until I figured we should probably head back.

Leanna was in no condition to go as far as our original campground in the formerly blighted grove, and I figured I needed to explain to the others what was going on anyway.

I mean, maybe their own fears would be assuaged if they understood her situation as well, making things better for everyone.

As I suggested heading back, however, Leanna tensed up.

“You really don’t like it back there, huh?”

She shook her head.

“They don’t want me there. I know it.”

“Well, I want you there,” I said, taking her hand, and she smiled a little. “We’ll figure something out; I promise. I’ll talk to the others, get them to give you your space a little. And whatever else you need to feel comfortable. Remember, no matter what’s bothering you, come right to me, okay?”

She nodded, then fidgeted a little.

“Nate… can I stay with you? When we get back? I mean, like your room. And wherever you have to go?”

I bit my lip nervously.

“I, uh. I don’t mind, but… I sleep with Cameron most nights,” I explained.

“Oh… so, wait; do the Kobalt think you’re really mates?”

I nodded.

“And the pregnancy?”

I nodded again, and she blushed.

“Did they really force you to?”

I shook my head.

“My exaggeration,” I said, and she frowned a little.

“Wait, so you chose to have a baby?”

“Sort of… we really did do it to gain the Kobalt’s trust. They offered us sanctuary, which we really need by the way. But we had to convince them that we were really interested in settling down. Hence, kids.”

“Kids… wait, you’re married to their princess too-”

Her hand went to her mouth.

“-d-did you?”

I shook my head, chuckling a little as I did.

“No. Not yet, anyway.”

The notion seemed to leave her completely stunned, and I recalled Molly’s assertion about Leanna’s prejudices…

Maybe the girl wasn’t wrong, but if Leanna’s prejudices were rooted in her own struggle with fear of anything different or unknown, then maybe she could be helped.

“Does that bother you?” I asked, and she shook her head slowly.

“I- I just, can’t believe- you chose to do go along with that?”

I nodded.

“Why?” she asked.

“Because we really needed somewhere to live. The whole group, I mean.”

“F-for us? You did that… for everyone?”

Leanna seemed to have some trouble processing the whole thing, so I left her to herself for a while as we walked along.

“Wait, so what are you to them?” she asked finally. “Married to a princess… are you in line for the throne?”

“Well, it’s complicated. I would have been king, I think… but they also see us as Gods, so maybe even more? I’m not sure, really…”

“But… Cameron is your mate, and the princess? Y-you’re married to both of them?”

I nodded.

“A- and they’re fine with that?”

I nodded again, chuckling a little.

“Um… do you think they’d let you, uh… take another wife? Or mate?”

“I’m pretty sure they’d let me do whatever I wanted to,” I replied, and she seemed to go deep into thought.

“Would we have to… make a baby?”

“We?” I asked, and she suddenly blushed. “I’m sure I could keep you by my side without having to resort to that extreme a measure,” I explained, and she nodded.

“The others would come after me too, huh? If we got married…”

“The other girls?” I asked, and she nodded.

“They’re all in love with you, you know.”

“Are they?” I answered, a little distractedly. “Do you think you’re ready for some more running?”

She nodded, but just as we were about to set out, I saw some movement in the trees off to my right, and Leanna spun in the direction just then as well.

“Is that-?”

“Yup. Not in your head,” I said.

“What do we do? Run?”

I shook my head, smiling at her as I did.

“I wanna hunt it. Will you help me?”

“H-help? What could I-?”

“Use your ability. Help me distract it and get the kill.”

She bit her lip nervously, and I took her hands in mine as I brought us closer together.

“The company created those things… the same people who brought us here and left us for dead? The same people who stalked you, and made you think you were crazy.”

A slightly determined look appeared on her face.

“The bad men,” she said, and I nodded.

“Let’s kill this thing, and stop them from controlling our lives through fear.”

“O-Okay,” she said, nodding, and I turned in the direction of the branch.

He was a long way up, as usual… but how would I get him to strike?

I took a look around, then recalled the little ‘clearing’ we’d passed a while back.

I mean, it wasn’t _really_ a clearing, since canopy trees covered the entire forest, but there were little spots where smaller trees hadn’t grown under the main canopy, leading to spaces where there were only the trunks of the few larger trees that covered the sky for several hundred feet at a time.

Leanna ran with me, her hand still in mine, and as we got there, I looked around for signs of movement, or an indication that the creature had followed us.

“There,” she said, and I quickly noted that the movement she’d indicated was not from the same direction that we’d ran over here from.

“Fuck… there might be two of ‘em.”

“Can we win?”

“Sure, but I’m really gonna need your help,” I said, and she nodded.

“What do I do?”

I whispered the plan to her, and she nodded.

“Think you can do it?” I asked.

“I- I think so.”

“Good,” I said, turning my attention back to the branch in the distance where the creeper was hanging from, looking over at us.

Strange for him to stick out visibly like that.

I was still considering the reason for it, when he leapt from the tree and landed with a dull thud.

Guess he’s coming at us, then-

Thud*

Thud*

I turned my head slowly in the direction of the two sounds, and spotted two more aufhöcker landing on either side of the first one.

Fuck me.

None of them was the talking one, but still… three would be a tough fight.

Especially if they were coordinating their attack.

“Fuck. We need to run,” I said, as I grabbed Leanna’s hand and pulled her along.

As we ran, the creatures bound after us, but our retreat was cut short by a low, but familiar growl.

“Fuck me,” I muttered, as we spotted the geisterung up ahead.

We pulled up to a stop, and the creature let out another warning growl, pacing on the spot, but snarling at us as it did.

“Can you kill it?”

I studied the thing for a bit, then shook my head.

“It isn’t charging. Its behavior looks different from the ones who attacked us.”

I glanced over my shoulder, and saw that the aufhöcker had spread out now.

They were herding us over here, huh?

But maybe I could work with this.

“Follow me, stay at my left though.”

I turned towards the creature on the furthest to the left and charged, drawing my halberd as I did.

“Should I do the-?”

“Not yet,” I said.

The creature snarled as it spotted my approach, but as it turned and tried to leap for a nearby tree, I lifted my halberd up, and launched the pointed tip at the monster.

The strike caught him right on the shoulder, impaling him to the tree, and I withdrew my dagger as I charged, then jabbed the blade into the creature’s jaw and tore across his face.

Blood sprayed across the line of the cut, and I just barely evaded it, before pulling my halberd easily out of the tree.

The other two were charging, committed to the attack, and as they approached, I tapped Leanna on the shoulder.

“You’re up,” I said, and she nodded. “Remember, wait for the charge, okay?”

She nodded again, but we didn’t have long to wait as the two creatures never paused in their direct approach.

_Not so clever without your leader, are you?_

They closed in on us, and I nodded just as they were ten to fifteen feet away, and Leanna’s shadow puppet made a dash at the creatures from the left.

They both reacted to the approach, and I smiled as I darted in; as the creature’s expression revealed quite a bit of confusion as to which attack to evade.

I managed to cleave the leg off of one of the creatures as the shadow swept into them, and the other snarled, as he turned and leapt at me, just barely missing my neck with a swipe.

He skidded to the floor close to Leanna however, and a moment of panic flashed in my eyes, until she withdrew her own knife, and stabbed the monster.

“Ahhh, oh God!” she cried out, as she stabbed at it repeatedly, crying as she did.

I chuckled a little to myself, but she stabbed the creature until it stopped moving.

I turned then to the final monster, who was trying to hobble his way over to the nearest tree.

“Sorry beastie,” I said, as I rounded the bark, and cut him off.

The creature snarled one final time, and without hesitation, I swung my halberd at the creature’s neck, decapitating it in one blow.

Leanna shuddered a little, as she moved to my side, and observed the creature’s final moments of life.

We turned our attention then, to the geisterung, who was still snarling, but standing protectively in the same spot.

“Oh my God, is that a baby?” she asked I nodded, staring on as the creature observed us, snarling, and standing protectively in front of a smaller creature.

He kept at it for a bit, and I put away my weapon, and held my hands up, until eventually the creature turned, and guided its young away from us.

We watched them walk off into the woods, but as they left, a cry seemed to come from the very bushes that it was standing in front of.

“What is that?” Leanna asked, and I shrugged, as we approached the spot carefully.

There was no sign of any more monsters, but as we got to the bit of bush, I saw it.

“Oh my god,” Leanna breathed. “Is it a baby too?”

I examined the thing, then reached tentatively out, and scooped the creature up.

It was a baby aufhöcker, and as I held the thing in my arms, I felt a slight moment of disorientation.

Hadn’t Raul said that the Harbingers and Forebearers were the ones who spawned feeders?

Was he wrong?

Or did they spawn as young ones?

It was interesting to say the least, but if geisterung were capable of taking care of their young as that creature just had, then maybe they weren’t as much mindless beasts hellbent on consuming human flesh as we’d thought?

I was trying to figure out what to do with the creature in my hand, when Leanna started playing with his hands a little.

“He’s kind of cute, isn’t he?”

I studied it, and sure enough; the creature could pass for a monkey without those fangs and vicious claws.

“Cute or not, he’s got a mercy killing in his immediate future,” I said with a sigh, and Leanna’s eyes flashed at me.

“No, you can’t… he’s just a baby.”

“He wouldn’t live even if we left him,” I reasoned, then I saw that look on her face.

The age old ‘can I keep him?’ look that every parent must have seen at some point in their lives.

If he grew into a monster hellbent on killing humans, it would be problematic…

Although… having a mythological creature as a pet was sure to play up our already stellar record with the Kobalt.

“Let’s take him along for now,” I offered, and she quickly nodded in agreement.

I did still harvest the cores from the slain creatures, while Leanna kept the little one safely away from the scene, but it seemed to show very little interest in them.

It made me wonder who his parents were…

With my curiosity a little piqued, I examined the dead for some sign that a male or female version existed, but there were no outwardly visible differences in their anatomical make up.

I made a mental note to enquire after the Kobalt who had cut them up, if there were any differences that they noticed while doing so.

“We should definitely head back, now,” I said, and this time, Leanna didn’t protest.

We turned and started the journey back at a slow walk, and I noted that the young monster had quickly taken to Leanna.

“He really likes you,” I noted, and she nodded, smiling a little.

“He’s like a… puppy with arms,” she said.

“Did you ever have a puppy?”

She shook her head.

“My mom didn’t like animals,” she replied, and I noted a little inflection in her eyes.

I waited for a bit to make sure that the creature had gotten accustomed to being carried by Leanna, before picking up the pace a bit, but its arms were wrapped around her neck, and the creature seemed quite comfortable holding onto her like that.

We kept at that pace for a bit, but as we stopped for a rest, I decided to examine the creature with my sensory perception skill, and to my surprise, his energy pattern was the same light blue as ours.

Monsters usually had that darker, sinister aura, didn’t they?

It was curious to say the least.

I also did a quick time check, then we continued on, and soon enough, we broke through the thicket which led to the road, and not that far away, Grenze.

Leanna took my hand again, and I noted that she seemed quite tense as we approached the cluster, and I gave the hand a reassuring squeeze.

“You’ll be fine. I promise.”

As soon as we were within range of the grove trees where our group had settled down, however, a quite bothered looking Lucia ran up to me.

“Nay-tan! Frazika won’t train!” she exclaimed, and my mouth fell open.

“Holy shit, you can say my name?”

She put her hands on her hips, seemingly annoyed that that was all that I got from her message.

“Frazika! Make her _train_!”

I glanced past her to see Francesca coming over.

“Well, if it isn’t Frazika,” I teased.

She smiled, but I noted a quick flutter in her eyes as she noticed the way Leanna was holding onto my hand.

Leanna quickly let go of me, but Francesca shook her head as she now saw what was on the girl’s shoulder.

“Woah… is that an aufhöcker? What the fuck…?”

“We found it, alone,” Leanna explained, and Francesca moved instinctively to the thing, examining him.

“Holy crap… he’s cute,” she breathed.

“Nay-tan!” Lucia whined again, and Francesca turned to shoot her a disapproving look.

“She’s depleted her core three times today. I think that’s enough; don’t you?”

“No! Not enough…” she whined, and I stooped down, and picked her up.

I examined her energy pattern for a bit, then shrugged.

“She doesn’t seem to be getting feedback, and her core seems fine. What did Casey say? Is there any danger to depleting her that often?”

“Didn’t get a chance to ask yet. Casey’s, uh… busy with something.”

There was an odd tone to Francesca’s voice, and I tilted my head at her.

“Busy, huh…”

She seemed about to say something more when Bianca came bounding towards us, and Francesca moved away just as I set Lucia down, and noted that same strange look on her face.

“Nathan! I’ve missed you all day!” she exclaimed as she leapt into my arms, but I saw the look on her face, just as the messages came through my mind:

_We need to talk, something’s happening; everyone is gonna be there, she’s doing it, I know she is, but I only heard her talk to, who was it? Ugh, why does she always look so cool, and she’s watching him. Hey bitch, stop watching him so much, wait, Leanna’s watching him too and what the fuck is that on her-_

“Bianca!”

She shook her head.

“Right, let’s talk.”

“We’ll talk about your training in a bit,” I said to Lucia, and she stomped on the ground, before stalking off, and I chuckled a little as I followed Bianca a little way from the others.

Francesca was paying attention to the baby aufhöcker, but there was something else in her eyes, as they shifted between Leanna and the supply carts off to her right from time to time.

“Casey’s been chatting with everyone,” Bianca said. “I might have missed a few while I was asleep, but she spoke to Nolan and Jordan, Jeannie, Molly and Evie.”

 _Francesca too, based on how she was acting,_ I thought.

“Did you manage to overhear any of the conversations?”

“Yeah. She wants to call a vote. To imprison Leanna.”

“And how do the numbers look?”

“Molly and Jeannie are heavily in favor. Dunno about the rest. Here she comes,” Bianca whispered, and I nodded.

“Please take me next time!” Bianca suddenly whined. “I had nothing to do, I was so bored~.”

“Then why weren’t you training?” Casey asked, as soon as she was close enough.

“Because Nate doesn’t want me to train with anyone but him,” she said, a pouty look on her face as she folded her arms, and glared at me.

 _Fucking hell, that was some acting_.

I think I’m falling in love.

Casey rolled her eyes at Bianca, then turned to me.

“How was your scouting?” she asked.

“Productive,” I replied, tossing the three cores at her, one by one.

“Geisterung?”

“Aufhöcker,” I replied, and she raised an eyebrow, and gave an impressed ‘hm’. “Also, I think I worked out what’s wrong with our little question mark.”

She followed my gaze to Leanna, an intrigued look on her face.

“Really. How so?”

“She’s schizophrenic,” I replied. “Was in treatment and everything.”

“So, you’re saying she has no control over her delusions.”

“She can, with help. Emily obviously made it worse, but that was partially our faults, since no-one really took her seriously. She was lonely, and reaching out for anyone who would listen.”

“And now… that’s you?”

I shook my head.

“I made the first step with establishing a relationship with her, but I think over time, she might form bonds with everyone else.”

“And what if everyone else feels… differently,” she asked.

“Well then. You’ll just have to help me to convince them otherwise, right?”

“What if I don’t agree with you?” she asked, and I suddenly noted that members of the group were coming over towards us.

Nolan, Molly, Raul; even Jeannie, who seemed to be doing much better.

“Are we doing this now?” Nolan asked.

“Doing what?” I asked, scanning them, with my best impression of a searching look.

Casey moved from my side, over to the others.

“Some of us are a little uncomfortable with the freedom being afforded to… a threatening element within the group.”

Raul raised an eyebrow at this, and I began to wonder if Casey was going there as well.

“What element, specifically?” I asked.

“Leanna,” Nolan spat, but as I turned towards him, I now saw Cameron and Jordan hurrying over to join us as well.

There was a bit of a panicked look on Cameron’s face, and I noted that the Kobalt too seemed to be noticing the commotion, and were looking on with interest.

This wasn’t a good look for us.

“We’re wasting time. Let’s just grab her-” Nolan began, and I quickly intercepted him, and raised an arm protectively in front of Leanna.

“No-one touches her,” I said, the warning in my tone clear.

“Might wanna watch your step there, bud,” Raul said, as he shouldered past Nolan and moved to my side.

Bianca was also at my side, but I noted that Francesca had shrunk away a bit.

Leanna placed a hand on my shoulder as I backed up, closer to where she was, and I noticed that she was trembling a little.

The baby aufhöcker climbed down her body, and to my surprise, ran straight for Jordan, who picked up the creature, and studied it a little.

“Is this what I think this is?” he asked.

“We have more important things to discuss right now,” Nolan said, and Jordan frowned at him.

“Is this really how we’re handling this?” Cameron asked, as soon as she was close enough.

“What? We agreed we’d discuss it as a group, didn’t we?” Casey replied, and Cameron glared at her.

“Yeah; a discussion. Not ambushing Nate as soon as he comes back home,” Cameron said.

“Look, let’s just all calm down a bit, and talk this out,” Jeannie offered, trying to mediate between the two groups that were forming. “Nate, some of us think that Leanna might pose a danger; to us, and more importantly, to the Kobalt. I don’t want to see anything happen to them, especially after everything they’ve done for us, and I know you don’t want to either…”

“I don’t; but imprisoning people who’ve done nothing doesn’t work for me,” I replied.

“Are you just gonna wait until she does something, then? How did that work out with Emily?” Nolan asked.

“Emily had only been with us for a day,” Jordan reminded Nolan, who scowled.

“Yeah, but she harbored ill-will towards these people. Ill-will that _she_ shares,” Molly interjected, gesturing to Leanna. “Are we gonna wait until she kills one of them?”

“I-I wouldn’t-” she began, but-

“She’s not gonna kill anyone,” I replied. “You all need to calm down. Leanna isn’t a threat, she’s just… unwell, and in need of our support.”

“Unwell?” Molly asked.

“Schizophrenic,” I clarified, and she scowled.

“Great, so she’s mentally ill _and_ racist. That combination always works out great! Say, did you ever plan a school shooting? Torture an animal to death?”

“I- I would never do that,” she began, shaking her head, and tearing up a little.

“Not if we never give you the chance!” Molly spat.

“This feels more like a lynching than a discussion,” Jordan said. “We’re not hearing Nate out.”

“Lynching? Really?” Nolan asked, scoffing, which only annoyed Jordan even more.

Molly approached Jordan.

“You really don’t wanna be taking her side here, hun. Or do I have to tell everyone what word she called you. It starts with ‘N’,” she whispered sarcastically, and Jordan shook his head.

“She wouldn’t be the first white person to think it was okay to use that word in private, and she won’t be the last either.”

“Seriously?” Nolan asked. “You fucking hate it when people use that word casually, and you’re still _seriously_ taking his fucking side?”

“Just because something bothers me does not mean that we need to lock someone up over it. This was supposed to be a discussion over whether or not she’s dangerous,” he replied, and as he gestured to Leanna, who was holding onto me and shaking, he continued, “so, forgive me if I don’t see it.”

“Let’s just call a vote,” Cameron suggested. “It’s pretty clear that some of you have your minds made up, no matter what Nate has to say.”

“No, I wanna hear what he has to say,” Francesca finally cut in. “And Evie probably does too, or are we not waiting on everyone for this vote?”

Casey nodded.

“She’s on her way,” she said.

We waited for a bit until Evie came out to join us, but the expression on her face told me that the situation was definitely not what she had anticipated.

“I’m here, what’s going on?” she said, as soon as she arrived.

Her eyes flicked between me and Molly, as she tried to get a gauge on things.

“Nate,” Casey offered, and I nodded.

“Leanna is schizophrenic. She was on medication back on earth, but without access to it, she’s having a hard time differentiating between what’s actually a threat, and what’s just in her head. Emily made that worse by playing up her fears, but I think with the right kind of support, we can help her.”

“That sounds reasonable,” Evie offered.

“But can we, though?” Casey asked. “Without her meds, she can develop hallucinations… she won’t even have the right kind of therapy support. I know you want to help her, but can you really?”

I nodded.

“I’ve had some experience dealing with this,” I replied, and she eyed me.

“What kind of experience?”

“His mother was schizophrenic,” Cameron answered, and I noted with interest that she seemed quite happy to show Casey that she knew something about my life that she didn’t.

Casey scowled at Cameron a little.

“Oh? And did he help his mommy by lying to her too?” she asked, and I nodded, to her surprise.

“I did. There were days when she wouldn’t eat anything from inside the house for fear of being poisoned, and I had to pretend to get her some food from anywhere outside, or else she starved. Look, I did what I had to with Leanna; we had a few chaotic days, and I wasn’t able to spend the time with her needed to get a feel for what was going on until things settled down a little. We had time today, and I’ve already cleared up some of my lies with her,” I said.

“And she’s just magically fine with being lied to?” Casey asked, with a scoff.

“He was just trying to protect me,” Leanna said, her voice almost a whisper, and Casey scowled again.

“Protect you, right… funny how that’ll go hand in hand with you ending up in his bed in a few days.”

Leanna’s face went slightly white, and I massaged my temple agitatedly.

“Look, we’re getting off topic here,” Molly interjected. “I couldn’t care less about who Nathan fucks, but I don’t want to live my life worrying about whose gonna die when this crazy bitch snaps.”

“Molly,” Evie said, her tone gentle, and I studied her with interest. “We don’t know that she’s like him, okay? If Nate thinks that he knows how to handle this, then let’s just give him a chance…”

Molly was shaking with anger as she turned on Evie.

“How many people died because we didn’t say anything? Huh?” Molly asked.

“We were kids, Molly… we couldn’t have known. But this is different…”

“I don’t know that! I don’t! And you’ve heard the kinds of prejudiced things she’s said!” Molly spat.

“I know… I didn’t like hearing it either. But racist doesn’t equal murderer…”

Evie tried to take Molly’s hand, but Molly merely swatted it away, before moving to Casey’s other side, her arms folded as she fumed a little.

I noted that Molly’s accusations about Leanna’s tendencies seemed to bring Leanna some embarrassment, and as she didn’t respond, I figured there was probably some ring of truth to it.

“Can we take this vote now, or what?” Nolan asked, a little impatiently.

I let out a sigh, and Leanna tightened her grip on my shoulder.

“Nate…” she whimpered, and I placed my own hand reassuringly over hers.

“All in favor of imprisoning Leanna?” Casey asked, and the hands went up.

Molly, Nolan, Jeannie, Casey… and after a probing glare from Molly, Evie’s did as well, though with a bit of reluctance.

“Five votes,” Casey said. “All opposed?”

Cameron, Jordan, Bianca, Raul, me… and Francesca, after a little bit of thought.

“Hold on; you don’t get a vote, murderer,” Casey said, chastising Raul, who scoffed, then raised a hand in surrender, before moving away a little. “Not sure if you do either,” she said, eyeing Bianca, who made a whining sound in protest.

“Are you just gonna eliminate people until your side wins?” Cameron asked, and Casey shot her a sarcastic look.

“I promised Nate that I’d help him keep the group safe,” she said. “I’m fulfilling my promise, even if it means saying what he doesn’t wanna hear.”

“Well? What’s your play now,” Cameron asked. “Even if you don’t omit Bianca’s vote, the group is fairly divided.”

“And leaving me out is pretty dumb,” Bianca added defensively, and Casey rolled her eyes at her.

“If I want to hear the opinion of a ‘Nate-bot’, I’ll ask you, okay? But the grownups are talking right now,” she replied, and Bianca scoffed.

“How about a counter-proposal then?” Francesca cut in. “We let Leanna be for now, but just pay a bit more attention to her? I don’t know if anyone else has been talking to her, but I haven’t… and her problems, whatever they are, are bound to be much worse if she was dealing with… whatever it is, on her own.”

Hmm.

Using language to make her seem mostly neutral, while arguing in favor of my proposal...

I was impressed, and I shot her a look which said as much, and she almost blushed.

“So, babysit her? I dunno if anyone has the time to do that kind of thing anymore…” Casey said.

“I’ll stay with Nate! And- and not get in his way. I- I promise!” Leanna offered, and Casey scowled.

“Nate-bot number 2,” she muttered, and I eyed her.

“Let’s vote,” Francesca said. “We keep an eye on her, like a probation period… and try to talk to her a little.”

This time, Jeannie and Evie also raised their hands, leaving Nolan, Casey and Molly as the only ones opposing the suggestion.

Casey shot me an annoyed look.

“Fine, but she takes the pledge,” she said, and I shook my head.

“And subject her to the absolute will of another person? For someone with her problem, that would be worse than imprisoning her.”

“No, I’ll do it,” Leanna said. “It can be you, right?”

Casey nodded, and Bianca shot me a worried look.

Tears were streaming down Leanna’s face, but I could see that she was trying her best to be strong.

“Nate… I’m probably not a very good person, and maybe I deserve to be punished for it… but… I’m so scared. I- I don’t want to die. I don’t want to get hurt, or… I don’t know what else. I know; I don’t deserve your comfort, or even your protection, but if I have to entrust everything to you…”

“Shh, it’s fine. I understand. And I will protect you,” I promised.

Leanna’s tears were tugging at the heartstrings all around, and while I was more or less unaffected, I did wonder what Casey’s reaction was like.

Her hand shook as she took my hand, and placed it against her chest.

“Nathan. I pledge myself to you,” she said.

I bit my lip, as I looked at her, and I couldn’t help but see my mother’s face staring at me.

“Annabelle,” I whispered, but as the light pulsed out from me, completing the contract, I gasped, as a most disconcerting feeling pierced me through my heart.

It was as if I were a little speck in the midst of a sea of darkness and uncertainty, and I shuddered at the peculiarity of it.

This was how she felt, wasn’t it?

For a moment, I focused on transmitting that feeling to Casey, and as I glanced at her, I caught a frightful expression on her face.

She swallowed uncomfortably, but as I returned my gaze to Leanna, I saw a confused look there.

“Annabelle?” she whispered, searching my eyes for an explanation, and I blushed a little.

_Did I seriously say that out loud?_

_What the fuck is wrong with me…_

“Sorry; it was my mother’s name… I thought about it, then said it without thinking.”

She shook her head.

“Annabelle… it’s beautiful,” she said.

She buried her head into my chest, and I held her, marveling at how small she felt in my arms.

“I guess that’s that, then,” Molly said, as she turned to walk away.

Evie took off after her, but as Nolan turned and walked away as well, I noted that Jordan made no such move.

Cameron moved to my side, and placed an arm comfortingly around Leanna’s shoulder.

To my surprise, Bianca also offered her a little hand, though not without shooting me a playful look.

“I hope you don’t think that I’m condoning what she said, if she did say that…” I said to Jordan, and he just shook his head, and sighed.

“Most of the people who are like that are just ignorant… not necessarily evil. Maybe she just needs some of the right influence, and we can give her that, right? Or at least try…”

I nodded, and shot him a thankful look, as I rested a hand on his shoulder.

“What are we doing with this little guy?” he asked, gesturing to the baby aufhöcker.

“Keeping him, for now. Do you mind?”

He shook his head, then turned to follow Cameron and Bianca, who were leading Leanna away to the tree, and I turned around to face Casey, who was staring at me, with a slightly dazed expression.

“Walk with me?” I asked, and she nodded.

“Before you start; I really am taking the group’s best interests into consideration here, okay? For everyone, and for you too-”

“Stop. You don’t need to justify anything,” I said, and she let out a relieved kind of sigh.

We walked until we were a little way from where the gathering had been, and away from any nearby Kobalt as well.

“I never should have muddled things between us,” I said, and she studied me. “When you said you weren’t kind of girl to be on someone’s list, I really should have paid better attention… I guess, I just really wanted this, huh? I felt so comfortable with you, that I led myself into believing that it would just work out somehow, like all of the other relationships. But… you deserve better than this.”

She studied me.

“What are you saying?” she asked.

“That… I don’t wanna torture you anymore.”

She studied me carefully, swallowing uncomfortably as she did.

“What does that mean?”

I bit my lip, before speaking her contracted name.

“Cassandra.”

Her eyes went wide, and I saw that shadowy form of her body in my mind, and as I focused on her core, I began to see threads inside of that shadow form.

I focused on her brain, and as I delved deeper, I began to see the organ in the kind of detail that only a surgeon might find familiar.

I searched until I spotted it; a small cluster of threads, wiring a part of her brain to another.

It was strained, almost to the point of snapping, but still holding in place, and as I formed the idea of an energy knife in my head, I severed the threads, and Casey winced, as if something inside of her snapped.

“Wh-what did you just do?”

“I freed you of your hypnosis, I think.”

She shook her head at me.

“Why?”

“Because… I think that it may be best, going forward, if we discontinue the intimate aspect of our relationship.”

She was shaking her head at me, her mouth slightly open.

“What about my smile, Nate?”

I shook my head at her, and smiled.

“I’ll still look for it. I promise. But we don’t need to have sex for me to do that. In fact; maybe it might be easier for me to find it this way...”

There was a glassy look in her eyes, and she blinked several times, willing the tears not to fall.

“Nate…”

“If you need some time away from your duties, I’ll handle things for a bit,” I said. “And if you don’t want to advise me anymore, that’s fine as well. I’ll accept whatever you choose.”

“Nate…”

I waited for a bit, to see if there was anything that she needed to get off her chest, but no words ever came.

“For what it’s worth, I really enjoyed being loved by you. Even if it was never real… I’ll never forget it,” I said, and with that, I turned and left.

 _Be well_ , I thought, as I walked away.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group gets settled into their new temporary home.

***

As I walked away from Casey, I spotted Astrid, her eyes on me, and a knowing look on her face.

I hesitated for a moment, then walked over to her.

“You made a tough decision, Auslander. I commend you on your prudence.”

I shook my head.

“I’m not sure this is worthy of commendation. Part of me thinks I failed to manage this situation properly.”

Astrid shrugged.

“Such failures are inevitable for one in your position. It is the manner of handling it that defines the character. Take my life-bringer; he chose cowardice over accountability, and very nearly made everyone pay for his error.”

I sighed.

“Your ability; to predict the future? How does it work?”

She studied me for a bit.

“The energy required to use it is significant. Do you desire a reading?” she asked, and I bit my lip, as I considered it.

“Couldn’t hurt, I think.”

She smiled a little.

“Sometimes, it does.”

“What? If the future is unpleasant?” I asked, and she smiled.

“Yes. Knowing can be its own torment,” she explained, and I shook my head.

“But, can’t an unpleasant outcome be prevented? If it’s known of in advance?”

She scoffed.

“Prevented? What force of the gods can achieve such a thing?” she asked, and I tilted my head at her.

“If you tell me that I’m about to trip, can’t I prevent it from happening by making sure that I walk carefully?” I asked, and she laughed.

“You seem to think divination to be some cheap trick. If my ability saw you falling, then there is no certainty that you have tripped, Auslander. Nor will it be clear when such a fate comes to pass.”

I rubbed my chin thoughtfully.

“So, the things you see… they always come true eventually?”

She nodded, and I frowned a bit.

“What’s the matter, Auslander. Do you fear your destiny?”

“Well, not having control over it is a bit… disconcerting. Are you going to tell me that I should embrace what I cannot change?”

She shook her head.

“Image a windstorm, Auslander. A fierce spiral that will rip a fully grown birch from the root. Against such chaotic a force, even the deeply rooted canopy tree will bend and quiver; but to the singular leaf, cast from its branch and at the mercy of the sky, this force is but a current upon which it glides. Dancing in the wind, it is cast far from its source, and touches lands that it’s branches could never reach. But the leaf can never be a tree, and when the journey ends, so too does its life.”

I thought about her words.

“So, there are two ways to withstand the coming storms; to root myself so firmly to the ground that I cannot be uprooted, or to dance upon the winds, and detach myself from the things that ground me to this earth, then expire when my time is up.”

“Yes, Auslander.”

“And which path is better?” I asked, and she laughed.

“Better? They are simply two different paths. One, perhaps filled with more strife and suffering than the other, but is the absence of struggle truly better than a life lived for enjoyment, but which accomplishes nothing but the enjoyment of living?”

“Interesting,” I replied thoughtfully. “So, you’ll look into my future then?” I asked, and she nodded.

“I will need to rest and prepare, but I sense that you may better draw a premonition out of me than the many others who have tried,” she said, her eyes travelling the length of my body as she did.

She walked away, and I spotted Lucia casting furtive glances at me from behind a nearby tree.

“Come on,” I called, and the girl hesitated for a bit, before coming over, and I scooped her up.

“Naytan,” she said, and I pinched her little nose, but she didn’t giggle, and instead studied me with a worried look.

“What’s that about? Do you really wanna train that badly?” I asked, and she shook her head.

“Don’t be… sad,” she said, and I chuckled a little.

“I’m not sad, kiddo. Just tired.”

She wrapped her arms around my neck and held on, so I walked with her in my arms, over to Gisela, who also had that worried look on her face.

“Is everything alright… between the gods?”

I nodded.

“Did we upset everyone with that squabble?” I asked, and she shook her head.

“Most do not understand, but I worry… for you,” she admitted.

“I’m fine,” I reassured her, offering her a smile, and she nodded, though still appearing unconvinced. “Have the seeds been acquired for the ceremony?”

She nodded, gesturing to one of the supply carts, and she withdrew a sack from the cart which held several of the seeds.

“How do I do this?” I asked.

“Locate the core, then pour the energy from yourself into the seed. It can only absorb a little at a time, but when the core activates, the seed is planted, and beautiful flowers will spring forth.”

“Do we announce the planting?” I asked, and she nodded.

“Many will come to observe the progress.”

She led me to a spot, on the outer ring of the grove, closest to the roads which led between the cluster to the north and Palancar to the east.

As I got there, I sat down, then set Lucia down onto my lap, and she quickly curled up there as she often did when she was going to sleep.

 _Maybe you were tired after all,_ I thought, as I took the seed into my hand, and began to concentrate.

Gisela, I noted, had taken a seat beside me on the floor, and I wondered for a moment if I’d ever seen the girl sit on bare earth like that before.

She seemed a little uncomfortable, and I observed the reaction with some amusement.

Come to think of it, Gisela’s status within Palancar had probably afforded her luxuries all her life, hadn’t it?

Maybe this life of campgrounds and travel had been rougher on her than I’d imagined.

“Gisela. You mentioned that the princess wished to oversee the selection of my queen,” I began, and she nodded. “What did she wish for her people?”

She shifted a little, though I wasn’t sure if her discomfort came from her seat on the bare earth, or my question.

“The princess believed that we are a civilization in fade,” Gisela explained. “Many disagreed, and others believed that all things, no matter how grand, eventually fade anyway… but the power of the gods is one which shapes destiny itself. Perhaps, she believed, that you might shape our destiny into one that endures.”

“What do you believe?” I asked, and Gisela blinked, as she studied me.

“I do not understand,” she replied.

“You told me what the princess believes will happen; what about you?”

She shook her head.

“My eyes do penetrate the veil of uncertainty as one such as her,” she replied, and I shrugged.

“Even so. Did you see the same signs that she mentioned?”

She bit her lip, then considered it for a moment, before shaking her head.

“I did not,” she replied.

“Then, would you have sought us out. Us gods, I mean.”

“In the beginning?” Gisela asked, and I nodded.

She thought about it for a while, an uncomfortable look on her face.

“You can answer freely,” I offered. “There will be no consequence, no matter how you answer.”

She nodded.

“At that time; I would not have opted for such a measure,” she said. “But now… I see the wisdom in it.”

I motioned for her to continue, and she nodded.

“To do something so drastic, to cause an upheaval… one such as myself would never dare. But that is what makes the princess a special force. She dared to do what lesser beings would not. To take great risk, to secure a far distant future. And even if I see the wisdom now, I still cannot fathom having acted as such myself.”

That reminded me of Casey, didn’t it?

Anytime I suggested something which seemed to offer a probable reward at the cost of risk, she’d advise me against such actions.

Yet if we had acted with her cautious approach, there was no doubt in my mind that we might have perished several times over.

“Would you have advised the princess against seeking us out, if she sought your advice?”

She shook her head.

“My place is to advice the princess on how she may accomplish what she desires, as well as to manage the smaller things that would only occupy her time needlessly.”

_Fuck me._

_Everything I ever wanted from Casey, huh?_

Yet… Gisela was perfectly suited to being the princess’ advisor for that very reason.

Maybe Casey was more ideal an advisor than she imagined… she just needed to learn how to trust my judgement the way Gisela did the princess’.

But, could she?

She was definitely not a naturally trusting person.

And now, I didn’t exactly trust her anymore either.

“Gisela, if there is a matter of great significance that you think I need to be made aware of… let me know directly, okay? Even if Casey will relay the message to me.”

She nodded, studying me carefully.

“Is there a rift?” she asked, and I nodded.

“Treat Casey and the others as you ordinarily would, but in the meantime… just come to me directly.”

She nodded again.

I switched my focus to the little seed in my palm, which seemed to only absorb just a little bit of the energy I poured forth.

As I experimented by varying the amount of energy I poured into the seed, however, I realized that if I reduced the amount of energy I poured into it, none of the energy seemed to make it into the core, yet if I poured a lot more energy in, it only resulted in a fractional, barely noticeable increase in the energy absorbed, making the middle ground the most efficient method of activating it.

The drain on my own core, however, was noticeable enough to be worrying, and I began to wonder if I could even complete the task before running out of energy.

I moved my neck around, loosening up the muscles as I kept my focus on the seed.

How long had I been at it?

If I had to guess, I would say twenty minutes…

Originally, I’d feared that the lack of a timekeeping device would dull my sense of time’s passage, but my ability to estimate time seemed to have improved over the past few days.

We were adjusting to this world, weren’t we?

The long nights which seemed to stretch on for a day of its own, now seemed like the way things had always been.

Lucia shifted on my lap, then climbed up into a sitting position, allowing me to still hold her, with my arms wrapped around her front.

_So, you weren’t sleeping, huh?_

I suddenly remembered her frustrated pleas that I make Francesca continue her training.

She’d come to me to offer comfort, hadn’t she?

It was such a peculiar thing, being offered comfort by a child…

Suddenly, my mind went to Julie, and I wondered absently what a child of ours would have been like.

Would things have been any different between us?

From what I’d seen, people changed astronomically with the introduction of children into their lives.

Friends who spent long nights laughing and discussing the mysteries of the universe well into the night, suddenly said their goodbyes and left long before darkness ever fell.

Would I have desired that if I was like everyone else?

Julie didn’t seem to, and… for the most part, she was.

“Naytan,” Lucia suddenly called, tugging at my sleeve. “Get Byaka help.”

“Byaka? Bianca?” I asked, and she nodded. “You want to train with Bianca?”

She shook her head.

“Help. Help Naytan!” she said, tugging at me.

Help me with what?

Gisela spoke to the child, and as she responded in their tongue, Gisela furrowed her brow.

“She says… Bianca’s energy can help you,” Gisela said, and I tilted my head at her.

“You can see this energy?” I asked, holding up the seed, and she nodded.

“Too much,” she said, tapping my arm. “Get Byaka. Help.”

I turned to Gisela, who shrugged.

“Can you go fetch her, then?” I asked, and Lucia nodded, before taking off.

As I studied my progress on the seed, however, I noted that my own energy seemed to be flickering, and was now dangerously low.

Was that what Lucia was talking about?

But even so, how could Bianca help me with this?

And why her, specifically?

I turned to Gisela.

“If I can’t activate the seed now, what happens to it?”

She bit her lip nervously.

“The seed will die,” she answered. “The activation must be performed in one sitting.”

I frowned.

I did expel a bit of energy while out with Leanna, and as far as I could tell, sunset was maybe one segment away.

I continued with the task nonetheless, until a confused looking Bianca came towards me, with Lucia dragging her quite roughly along.

“Help Naytan!” she exclaimed.

“Help him with what?”

Bianca studied me, and I chuckled a little.

“I’m actually not sure myself,” I said. “I’m pouring energy into this thing though, and I’m almost out.”

She moved in front of me, then took a seat, and scooted forward so that she could place her own hands over mine.

“Help~,” Lucia whined, seeming quite frustrated that Bianca wasn’t listening to her.

“Help him how, you little runt?” she asked, shooting the girl a sharp glare.

“Enagy!”

She began to gesture something pouring forth from herself, and out to me, and Bianca raised an eyebrow at me.

“Aren’t I… not supposed to do that, or something?”

Lucia flicked Bianca’s nose, and Bianca gnashed her teeth at her.

“Hey, watch it, runt!” she snapped, but Lucia merely shook away her threat.

“Same,” Lucia said, gesturing to Bianca, and then me, but as she pointed to herself, she said, “different.”

“Of course, you’re different,” Bianca said, rolling her eyes. “We’re gods, and you’re a runt!”

Lucia let out a frustrated groan, and I studied her carefully.

“You’re saying we have the same energy?” I asked, and Lucia nodded emphatically.

“Yes! Naytan!”

I turned to Bianca, then nodded.

“Let’s just try it,” I offered, and Bianca frowned.

“Well, no sense being a Casey about it,” she said, I snickered a little as she focused on where our hands were now joined again.

It took a few minutes, but eventually, I could feel the energy pouring in, and as I studied the spot, I noted that it didn’t seem to produce feedback as I had expected.

Did Lucia know about that?

I relayed the question to Gisela, who seemed pretty stumped.

“My apologies Nathan; my understanding of the ways of the Gods is insufficient,” she answered.

I made a mental note to ask Ryker, or maybe Astrid about it later on, but Bianca, I now noted, was smiling gleefully.

“Hear that, Nate? Our energies align~,” she sang. “It’s like we were ‘meant to be’.”

She was grinning happily, and I chuckled at the reaction; but as I processed the information, my mind went back to Astrid’s assertions about the existence of destiny.

Destiny was one of those things that I just never really gave much thought to, but being able to see into the future made a solid case for the existence of such a thing, didn’t it?

What if there was a single girl for whom I was meant?

Someone who complimented me perfectly…

It was a romantic ideal, but not one I found unpleasant, conceptually at least.

I turned my attention to Bianca.

“Meant to be, huh? If we are, then how about a challenge?” I said, and Bianca studied me for a bit.

“What’s the challenge?” she finally asked.

“Make me fall in love with you,” I replied, and she stared at me, her mouth slightly open.

She didn’t say anything for the rest of the time, and eventually, I sensed the activation of the seed’s core in my hand.

Planting it was fairly simple, as I dug a shallow hole and placed the thing into the earth, but not before making a statement of my intention, at Gisela’s direction.

As I covered the seed with earth, Gisela placed her hand over mine, and I noted that she was shaking, the expression on her face revealing that this was quite a momentous occasion for her.

Then we headed back to the grove.

Gisela headed off to begin making preparations for the ceremony, and Raul approached me with a strange look on his face.

“Hey, can we- uh, talk a sec?”

I shot Bianca a quick look, then put Lucia down.

“Come on, runt. Let’s race to the stream,” she said, and the girl shot her a determined look, before taking off.

“Yeah, what’s up?” I said.

“Look, I don’t wanna get in the way of your plans or anything, but Alva mentioned something about a, uh- ceremony? Something like a selection?”

I nodded.

“Alva mentioned, you said?”

I shot him a teasing smile, and he looked away.

“Yeah… so, this selection. She said all of the, uh, companions was it-?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Yeah, that they have to, uh…”

“Have babies?” I suggested, and he let out a sigh.

“Yeah… your babies, specifically?”

I chuckled a little.

“Well, that was the plan, but things have since changed,” I said.

“Oh, it did? Because, she was uh… a little worried about that.”

“Well, you can tell her that she has nothing to worry about. I planned to make sure that everyone was on board before going through with that anyway,” I said, and he nodded.

“I figured you would, but… with the way they look up to you, I’m not sure she would have said anything even then.”

“Hmm. You’re right. I was kinda hoping that that would change over time, but it seems to be getting worse. Do you like Alva, by the way?”

“What? No. I mean, yeah; but…”

He ran his hands through his hair, and let out a sigh before continuing:

“I’ve been desperately trying to get back home since I came here. But knowing that that’s really not possible, or at least… not possible in the remotely near future. I’ve been thinking more about things. Things like settling down, having a life? I just- I don’t know if I even deserve it. I mean, I’m still sort of on a lease here, right?”

I chuckled a little.

“Well, I can’t speak for what you deserve, but you’ve come through for us a few times now, and I think of you as part of the group. So, if you want a life like that; family, girlfriend, whatever. I’m not going to stop you.”

He let out a relieved sigh, and I turned to look at the massive, burnt tree.

“Did you tell Alva about your past?” I asked, and he nodded. “Everything?”

“We’ve been talking… since that girl was killed.”

“Candace?”

He nodded.

“She’d come by to check on me, and we’d chat a little… then, before I knew it, we were staying up half the night, just talking.”

“How cute,” I teased, and Raul looked away.

“You know, I was… maybe four when I first came to the U.S.? My parents died… I don’t even know how, and my grandmother brought me there. She was the only family I had, and I was all that was left of hers. It was nice at first; I wasn’t illegal like so many others, but we lived amongst them. That was the only space for us. But I had opportunities that they didn’t, you know? Going to school and all that. I learned English and everything, but man… that never stopped the judgmental stares I got from everyone else. My grandmother asked me all the time why I never brought a girl home, but it was just never on the cards. There were a lot of guys like me, just barely scraping by, trying to keep things afloat, and with no time or energy for things like dating, or anything like that.”

“Jesus, why were you so desperate to get back to that?” I asked.

“My grandmother… she was sick at the end. Insurance wouldn’t cover it, and her meds cost me an arm and a leg, but I was making do. She was all I had.”

“She was still alive when they brought you here?”

He nodded.

“I was so desperate to go back. But I know at some point, the desperation gave way to this… anger. I was too bloodied to even look my grandmother in the face ever again, and part of me knew that she wasn’t gonna be waiting for me if I did get back home… but I couldn’t stop. There was just… nothing else to give my life meaning. Then I get my ass handed to me by some noob who tells me I was never going home anyway.”

I snickered a little.

“You forgot to mention how dashing he looked,” I chided, and Raul shook his head.

“I think Bianca might be rubbing off on you,” he replied. “Bianca… that was the last time I felt that anger course through me like that. Sometimes I still remember it when I look at her, and see those scars.”

“Bianca seems fond of those scars,” I said, and he shook his head.

“Good for her,” he replied. “Know what the saddest thing is? I spent all of my life seeing people looking at me with… outright disgust. I always worked with my hands, and they just never seemed to get clean enough for me to get anything but those ‘dirty Mexican’ looks from everyone who didn’t work like that. When I started hunting, those looks turned into fear, but they still didn’t see me… just what I was capable of. Then all of that changed with that girl.”

“Alva?”

He nodded.

“Someone who looked at me with… interest? Curiosity. I’d never been looked at like that before in my entire life, you know? It pissed me off a little, even, so I started telling her about the terrible things I did, and she just shrugged.”

“Did she say something all philosophical?”

He laughed, then nodded.

“I think it was, ‘you walk a path of despair, but the choice is yours; if you want to stay there, or seek a different path’,” he said, and I snickered at the comment.

“Not bad.”

He shook his head, then looked up into the canopy above.

“Not bad, huh? My grandmother would have loved her…”

“Well… for her sake, treat her right, then,” I said, and he turned away and sighed.

“Feels like the best thing I could do for her sake is leave her alone,” he said. “I’ve killed a lot of people. Karma isn’t exactly going to let me live peacefully without paying for that. Would be a pity if I made someone else share the sin.”

“Well, how about you leave your punishment to Karma then. No need to punish yourself as well. And let Alva make her own choices. She might be young, but she’s not exactly a naïve little girl.”

I waved as I turned to leave, but just as I started scanning the cluster for Bianca and Lucia, I spotted a familiar face beside a group of Kobalt workers, who seemed to be building something from the wood we’d brought along.

“Gunter! I thought you were dead!” I called, and the boy turned, and rubbed the back of his head.

“Apology, Herr Götze! Injured,” he said.

I shook my head as I examined him for some sign of injury, and he smiled nervously as he held up a finger, which had been bandaged.

 _Seriously?_ I thought.

“Broken,” he announced, and the Kobalt man beside us scoffed.

“There is no ‘injured’, Auslander. Lazy!” the man chided, and I laughed in response.

Just then, I spotted Lucia and Bianca heading toward the supply carts, and as I waved them over, an idea occurred to me.

“Gunter, you’re going to help Lucia with her training from now on,” I said, and the boy eyed Lucia with a bit of a smirk.

“Training?” Lucia asked, her interest piqued, and she sized Gunter up, with a look that said she wasn’t impressed.

“Yes. Whenever you feel like training, and Francesca is busy… you can chase Gunter here with your wooden dagger, and stab him thoroughly when you catch him.”

Lucia’s eyes lit up.

“Good training!” she exclaimed, and Gunter stepped backwards, a slightly panicked look on his face.

“Auslander, the part… is broken still.”

“That’s fine,” I replied in German. “You only need your feet to run anyway, right? How about we start right now?”

I turned to Lucia, and she smiled.

“Start!” she exclaimed, and Gunter backed away, but Lucia didn’t waste any time as she lunged at him and struck him square in the jaw.

“Owowow!” Gunter exclaimed.

He shot me a pleading look, and I grinned wickedly at him.

“Better run,” I said, as Lucia prepared to make another strike, and this time, Gunter turned and bolted, and Lucia took off after him with serious pace.

I stared after the two with an amused look.

“She’s quicker than I am,” Bianca said.

“Really?”

She nodded.

“I’m wearing speed one armor. Without it, I’m just my regular old self. But she was keeping up with me even so.”

I frowned.

Lucia wasn’t wearing any armor.

“That’s odd. She shouldn’t have learned that already… I mean, I think I’m barely to speed one myself, and I practically live in this set.”

“That’s not all. You know how she understands us?”

“A translation skill, I’m guessing?”

“Yeah, well at first I’d have to repeat things before she understood. Now she understands me all the time.”

My mind went back to her dagger skill which also seemed to be more advanced than Bianca’s.

It was interesting to say the least.

Was her drive merely motivating her to learn skills more quickly?

Or was she simply practicing her abilities way more than I’d realized.

I turned to Bianca and examined her core a bit; it was a bit low, but not exactly close to depletion yet.

“Hey, go deplete your core a bit,” I said. “Use Raul, but… don’t go so far as to pass out. Keep a little bit of energy for us to spend some time tonight.”

She stared at me.

“Is that a naked cuddling offer I hear?” she asked, and as I nodded, she practically leapt off her feet.

“Fuck yeah!” she exclaimed, as she bolted off after Raul.

“Meet up in your room, okay? I’m gonna go check on the others!”

I turned and made my way towards the grove tree where our rooms were, but I paused as I spotted Casey beside Gisela, over by the supply carts.

She didn’t look over, but Gisela caught my gaze, and shot me a worried look.

I gestured to her that everything was fine, and she nodded, as I turned and headed off.

When I got to Cameron’s room, I found Leanna and Jordan up there, along with the baby monster.

Leanna seemed to be quite distracted by the little thing, and Cameron came over to my side as soon as I entered the room.

“How is she?” I asked, and she smiled.

“Well, she’s feeling better after that whole debacle, that’s for sure. Although…” she dropped her voice down to a whisper, as she continued, “when I said I was coming to look for you, she had this panicked look on her face like, ‘please don’t leave me here with Jordan’ so I’m thinking Molly was right about a few things.”

I chuckled nervously.

“How is Jordan taking that?”

“Oh, he doesn’t mind. This might just be the ‘fix a broken white girl’ project he always wanted,” she joked.

“Well, a little bit of effort tends to go a long way. Besides, I don’t think she’s all that ill-natured, just maybe… taught some bad habits.”

Cameron nodded.

“Is she gonna be sleeping with us too, now?” she teased, and I bit my lip nervously.

“Actually, I kind of promised my night to Bianca,” I admitted, and Cameron frowned.

“Aww. I got so many nights in a row; I was starting to get a little spoilt.”

“Do you mind?” I asked, and she shook her head.

“Maybe we can spend the time focusing on her instead. You were right about a lot of things… she was really lonely.”

I sighed.

“Makes me wonder if we couldn’t have saved Emily and Candace too…”

“That might have been more difficult. I mean, a few less votes, and we wouldn’t even be able to save ourselves,” Cameron said.

“Democracy is a bitch sometimes,” I admitted, and Cameron laughed. “There’s something else I wanted to ask,” I began, looking around. “But she won’t let you leave right now, huh?”

“Actually, let’s just sneak out and see if she even notices,” Cameron said, and as she gestured for the door, we crept away.

She pulled the door slowly in, leaving it ajar, and as we listened for a moment, then heard the snippets of their conversation continuing, we headed down the hall toward my own room.

As soon as we were in the room, however, Cameron kissed me, and wrapped her arms around me in a comforting embrace.

“What was that for?” I asked, and she shrugged.

“Do you feel like if you lost Casey today?” she asked.

“Not sure… I lost my trust in her, for sure. But… maybe I’m still holding onto hope for her.”

“I think she’ll come around. She just needs to sort out her feelings.”

“Well, I’m not sure there’s still feelings. I relieved her of her hypnosis,” I explained, and Cameron studied me.

“How?”

“Combination of her pledge, and energy manipulation. I don’t think I can do it otherwise, though. Sorry…”

Cameron shook her head.

“Are you kidding me? I’m terrified of losing this,” she said, and I smiled as I pulled her in for another kiss.

“I hate to spoil the mood, but I actually need some help,” I began.

“With one of your girlfriends?”

I nodded sheepishly, and Cameron smiled.

“Which one? Bianca?”

I nodded again, then gave her a breakdown of what had happened that morning, though I didn’t mention the specifics of where or when it happened.

“Hmm… she doesn’t freeze up when you touch her, does she?”

I shook my head.

“We’ve only really kissed, though. Not much petting… but she has tried to get me to feel her up a few times.”

“Didn’t really shy away from blowing you either, huh? I kind of get the whole ‘getting off by herself’ thing though. A few times I was with guys that I kind of liked, but I just couldn’t really get into it with them. Like, the way they touched me, or maybe the way I instinctively reacted… I would tense up. So, sometimes I would get worked up, then… masturbate after they left, or something like that.”

“Hmm…” I replied, as I gave the matter some thought. “I do see how it’s easier to be comfortable with your own touch,” I conceded. “And Bianca did say something once, like, that she wasn’t as into sex as most people were, or something like that.”

“Oh~? But even when I wasn’t having sex, I kind of knew it was awesome anyway. But now I’m kind of offended. I mean, I had my own intimacy problems, but your touch is something that I spend days craving after I leave your arms. How is she not coming around to that?”

“I know, right? Danica even said it’s an actual skill,” I joked, and Cameron smiled.

“Maybe you just need to level it up a bit,” she suggested, pulling me in for another kiss.

I returned the kiss, slipping a hand under her shirt and glancing the little bump there, my eyes opening up a bit as I felt a significant increase in how pronounced it was.

“What?” she asked, as I paused to study her, and I shook my head as I summoned up the image of Leanna, then created a clause in her pledge to paralyze her indefinitely if she ever tried to hurt Cameron or my baby.

It wasn’t that I didn’t actually trust her, but something in me just felt extra protective of Cameron and my unborn child, and I also did the same for Raul and Casey, before leaning in to kiss Cameron again.

“It’s nothing,” I said, but there was still a searching look in her eyes.

“Were you worrying about this again?” she asked, gesturing to her stomach, and as I nodded, she smiled, then kissed me.

“Nate?”

Cameron looked over her shoulder, as Bianca’s voice called to me from outside.

“Looks like my time’s up,” Cameron joked, caressing my face, and stealing one more kiss before breaking away.

“Wish me luck?” I joked, and she smirked a little.

“Go get her,” she said suggestively, as she pushed me out the door.

“There you are,” Bianca said, but as her eyes moved past me, I bit my lip nervously. “Cameron?” she mouthed, and as I nodded, she smiled a little, then pulled me with her to her room.

She shoved me inside, shooting me a teasing smirk, before slamming the door shut just hard enough to alert Cameron.

I shook my head, as I took a step back, and waited until she returned.

“What was that about?” I asked, and she shrugged.

“Doing my job?” she answered nonchalantly, and I eyed her.

“Really now…”

She smiled proudly.

“Casey’s jealousy got in the way of your plans, didn’t it? I’m just trying to gauge whether or not Cameron will be a problem in the future.”

“Huh…” I answered, intrigued to say the least. “And what’s your assessment?”

“Well, she did look this way when she came out of your room, but she didn’t have that clearly bothered look that Casey always had whenever you headed in the direction of anything female. In my estimation, she’s more possessive of you than you might think, but not unwilling to make allowances to keep you by her side,” she said.

I ruffled her hair affectionately.

“I think you might be the best decision I made so far,” I said, and she smiled happily at the praise.

“Not that you’ll sleep with me even so,” Bianca replied, and I shook my head.

“Nope,” I replied, and she folded her arms, and turned her head away defiantly.

I began to strip off my armor, however, and I shot her a wry grin as she instinctively glanced in my direction.

“Oh… are we really doing that?” she asked, as if she had forgotten about the deal, and I nodded.

“Uh-huh. A promise is a promise,” I said, but my mind for some reason went to Casey, and my promise to make her smile, and Bianca caught the slight inflection in my eyes.

“We don’t have to, you know,” she said. “I’ll be happy just having you stay for the night.”

“Maybe this is just how I always sleep?” I suggested, and Bianca licked her lips.

“Can I keep my clothes on then?” she asked, and I shrugged.

“Suit yourself,” I answered, as I stripped down to my short cotton pants.

As I climbed onto the bed, Bianca took a seat beside me, and again, I noted that she seemed kind of nervous.

It was pretty uncharacteristic of her, and I studied her for a bit.

“What’s on your mind?” I finally asked, and she quickly shook her head.

“This is the first night I’m going to spend with someone who isn’t my husband,” she finally said.

“Hn~. I see,” I replied, as I scooted back to where I leaned against the wall, and as I patted my lap, Bianca crawled over and rested her head there.

“Do you remember the first night I lay down on your lap like this?” she asked, and I chuckled.

“It was, literally a week ago,” I replied, and she sighed.

“I feel like if it changed my whole world,” she said, and I caressed her hair soothingly. “I had no idea that I could actually be useful, you know?”

“There are a lot of people who go through their entire lives feeling useless… and sometimes, all it takes to change that is for one person to take the time to pay attention to them,” I replied.

Bianca turned and looked up at me.

“Would be stupid to fall in love with someone for something like that, huh…”

I shook my head.

“I think it’d be cute. Romantic, even.”

She sighed, then turned onto her side again.

“Doesn’t matter… I’ll never give you what she already has.”

“What’re you talking about?” I asked.

“Cameron,” she said, her voice low, and a little despondent. “She’s pregnant, isn’t she?”

I paused my stroking for a second, giving the situation some thought.

“What makes you think you’ll never give me that?” I asked finally, and she scoffed.

“Are you serious? I can’t have kids, remember?”

I laughed, and she turned to look up at me.

“What?”

“Did you ever have yourself checked out. At a fertility clinic, or whatnot?”

She shook her head, and I shrugged.

“See? The problem could have just as likely been him. Women tend to get the majority of the blame for infertility, but the statistics show that men are just as likely to be the problem when couples have difficulty conceiving.”

“It could have still been me,” she countered.

“Sure, but even if it was, I’d bet that your present body probably can even if your earth body couldn’t…”

She bit her lip uncertainly.

“You really think so?”

I nodded, and she squirmed a little bit.

“Have you thought about it?” she asked, and as I nodded, she sat upright to study me.

“With me?” she asked for clarification, and I smiled as I nodded again, and her mouth fell open. “But… why?”

I looked away for a bit, as I tried to find the words to express how I felt, but also the best way to convey that to Bianca.

Eventually, Bianca took my hand, then held my gaze.

“You said I could be the most important person to you, right?” she asked, and I nodded. “Then tell me… honestly. You love Cameron, right? You want the child that she’s having?”

“Yes.”

“But… you want me anyway? Why?”

“I wanna fall in love,” I answered, and she eyed me, the uncertainty plastered on her face.

“In love? With me?”

I nodded.

“Why?” she asked, her confusion visible, and I shrugged.

“Hard to say. That’s just what I’ve wanted since that night… since I first comforted you.”

“Is that why you saved me?” she asked, and I shook my head.

“When I saved you, I thought you were just another Candace,” I explained. “A threat we’d have to deal with eventually.”

“Then why did you save me?”

I shrugged.

“It was the human thing to do, wasn’t it?”

She shook her head, as she continued to study me.

“Then when did you decide that you wanted to fall in love with me?” she asked.

“When I first came into that room, and saw you curled up, crying, scared… alone. I thought… you need someone to love you, and I felt an instinctual desire to be that person.”

She shook her head at me.

“I didn’t need love. I needed safety.”

“Aren’t they essentially the same thing? I’d never been in love before Cameron, but when she holds me in her arms, I feel the world melting away from my mind,” I explained, and Bianca’s mouth fell open.

“That sounds perfect… but if you have that with her, then why do you want it with me?”

I bit my lip.

“I didn’t choose Cameron, and the feelings I have were created artificially…”

“Hypnosis?” Bianca asked, and I nodded.

“I’ve never fallen in love… but it feels nice. Kind of made me want to experience it for real. Besides… you’re very pretty,” I said, and Bianca blushed as I continued, “and there’s something about how difficult it is to see you smile that just makes me want to see it for real.”

She eyed me teasingly.

“I smile all the time,” she announced, putting her hands on her hips, and I shook my head.

“You haven’t… not once since I’ve met you,” I countered.

“I’m smiling right now!” she shot back, and I shifted a little, moving her off of me, and leading her down onto her back.

“This isn’t your real smile,” I explained, as I crawled on top of her, and pinched her nose between my forefinger and thumb, wiggling it teasingly.

She giggled a little, then studied me.

“What if I can’t smile?” she asked, and I shrugged.

“Maybe you can’t… maybe I can’t fall in love; who knows? I wanna try though. And if you wanna try with me, then… maybe this could be interesting.”

Her hand wandered to my chest, and as she trailed the now firmly developed muscles there, she licked her lips.

“Honestly… I don’t know what I want. I like this, though. And I like being important. I’m not sure if I’m comfortable about this love business, but… I don’t mind so much, if it means we keep doing this. And maybe a little bit more,” she said, her eyes flicking lower down my body a little suggestively.

I moved in to kiss her, but she placed her palms against my chest, stopping me.

“I paid for the full show,” she teased, and I frowned.

“I’ll show you mine, if you show me yours,” I countered, and as she frowned, I eyed her teasingly. “You know, you practically tore your clothes off in front of me the first few times we were together. Why so shy all of a sudden?”

She shrugged.

“It was easier when I could just assume you were gonna grope me… all of this ‘love’, and ‘tender kisses’. It just weirds me out.”

“Forgive me for treating you like a gentleman,” I replied, in a mock sarcastic tone, and she stuck her tongue out at me, before wiggling off her pants underneath me.

“I lost the pants, now you lose yours,” she said, grinning at me a little, and I rolled my eyes.

I tapped her cotton shirt, and she rolled her eyes, before nodding as I pulled the thing off, and dropped it off the side of the bed.

“Hey~, no fair!” she whined. “You got me naked, and I still didn’t get the pants~.”

“Fair’s fair,” I answered, as I lifted myself away from her, and shimmied the cotton shorts off, but-

“Wha-? Hey!” I protested, as she immediately lunged for my part.

She grabbed ahold of it, and giggled as I twisted, trying to get away from her, until eventually I grabbed her breasts and fondled them a little.

“Finally! Sheesh. Sometimes a girl just wants to be molested a little,” she pipped, and I shook my head disapprovingly as she giggled, then turned to study my part.

“You’re practically drooling,” I chided, and she smiled happily.

“He is too,” she said, gesturing to the tip which was glistening with the first drop of pre-cum at the tiny opening.

She pressed a finger against the hole, then brought it to her mouth, sucking on the digit suggestively.

“Behave,” I warned her, and she pouted.

“But it’s my reward~,” she whined, and I tutted her.

“Your reward was cuddling; if you want that, then you know my terms,” I chided, and she made a whining sound as she let go of my organ, and shot it a longing look, as if it were some treat that she’d been denied.

I wrapped my arms around her, and she let out a little squeak as I suddenly grasped both of her breasts, before kissing her sensually on the neck.

“I don’t remember giving you permission to kiss me there,” she teased, and I snickered, but as I retreated, she pulled my head back onto her neck, her hands snaking around me from the back, as she cooed. “Don’t stop, though.”

I obliged, devouring her neck with wet slobbery kisses as I caressed her breasts, and she wiggled her body closer to me, nestling herself snugly in my arms.

I felt her bottom pressing into my hardness, and I smiled.

“You know… we’ve got all the right parts in all the right places. It’d be pretty easy for a little ‘accident’ to happen right now,” she said suggestively, as she wiggled around, trying to trap my cock between her legs.

I released her breasts from my grasp, and shifted away from her, turning her over onto her back to her annoyance.

“Of all the things I want you to be, ‘fuck toy’ isn’t one of them,” I countered, and she pouted.

“I’d be a _really_ good fuck toy, though,” she teased, as she climbed on top of me, and I felt a pleasurable jolt as my cock brushed against something soft and wet.

She pursed her lips as she flexed her hips, letting her sex brush against me.

“Are you sure you can resist this?” she asked, eyeing me teasingly, and I snickered in response.

“I’m not the one who’s begging for a fucking like a sex-deprived kitten in heat.”

“Kitten, huh?”

I nodded.

“You’re playful… like a kitten. Plus, I know you’re just playing with your food right now,” I added, and she eyed me.

“Usually guys call me that other word,” she teased, “you know… bitch?”

I shrugged.

“You hate it, don’t you?” I asked, and she nodded.

“Didn’t think you would remember that, though.”

I chuckled.

“You don’t think I pay attention to you?” I asked, and she shook her head, but there was a slightly wistful look in her eyes as she looked away.

“My husband used to pay attention to me, but… not to see what I liked. Just… who I liked… or how I reacted to them,” she said, before shaking her head. “Sorry… I’m ruining the mood.”

I shook my head, then patted the bed beside me, indicating for her to settle down.

“There doesn’t have to be a mood. I’m spending time with you tonight,” I offered, and she bit her lip as she studied me.

“You are… but there’s bound to be a limit to your patience.”

I laughed, and she turned back to study me.

“What?” she asked.

“I already told you once. If this was all you ever wanted from me, that’d be fine.”

She shook her head.

“What happened to ‘wanting me to make you fall in love’?” she asked, and I shrugged.

“That was a statement of my intention, so that you’d know what I want from you. Whether I actually get that or not is entirely up to you,” I explained.

She lay down on my chest, turning her head to the side to study me with that same kitten-like curiosity.

“So… if someone came along, and I wanted to be with them. You’d let me go?”

I sighed.

“I would… albeit, with great reluctance.”

“What about you?” she asked. “What if someone came along who you thought could be more important than I am?”

“Even if that were to happen… the place by my side that I want for you is something that I’ll always need. As long as you don’t get sloppy.”

“Or stab you in the back?” she asked, and I nodded. “I froze up when that girl asked me to kill her, you know? Would you ever ask me to kill someone?”

I shook my head.

“I don’t definitively say never to anything, but I wouldn’t have put you on that battlefield in the first place if it were my choice. You did well, but you weren’t ready to make that kind of choice.”

She shook her head.

“I’m glad that I was there. You wouldn’t have trusted me like you did today if that hadn’t happened.”

I nodded.

“That’s true, but… don’t go thinking I need you to do extreme things like that to see your importance. I want you alive and by my side for a long time. And I’m willing to be patient… with everything.”

She shifted a little in my arms, and I planted a gentle kiss on her shoulder, as we settled in together.

“I never thought I’d have to kill someone,” I said. “But I did… and given our circumstances, I’d be naïve to think that’d be the last time.”

“Did you feel sad?” Bianca asked, and I shook my head.

“I felt as if I’d shed some part of myself that I’ll never get back. But nothing else.”

She was quiet for a while, before speaking.

“If Raul hadn’t gone after me, that might have been me in Candace’s place, huh? I might have died without even knowing you.”

“Now that would have been sad,” I said. “I mean, Candace wasn’t half as pretty as you are.”

Bianca looked over, then shot me a glum look as she caught the teasing expression on my face.

“Ugh… do you only like me because I’m pretty?” she asked, and I shook my head.

“I can’t stand pretty girls,” I admitted. “But a pretty girl with sad eyes… I just can’t resist.”

“Seriously?” she asked, and I nodded.

Though even the pretty part was debatable.

Truthfully, sadness just fascinated me like nothing else.

Bianca didn’t talk much after that, and as she finally drifted off to sleep, I continued to caress her comfortingly, admiring her as I did.

She was truly a beautiful girl… in every sense that I could think of, and I drifted off to sleep while trying to work out how best I could arrange more nights like this for us.

***

“No, no. No! You stupid mutt! Just because he has three skills, doesn’t mean you need to absorb the three skills! One of those was pruning for fuck’s sake! Ugh!”

_Stupid little one._

_Master has more skills than you could count._

_And master says eat them, so I eat them!_

Another of the stupids comes to talk:

“Here. You need to convert the skill points to add to the useful skills. Like speed. Don’t you want to be fast enough to make sure that you can make that idiot pay?”

_Huh?_

Master says it makes sense.

Either way, I’ll be eating still long after these morons are gone.

Hmmm.

I wonder what they would taste like?

***

*Shwish*

I woke up to the disconcerting sensation of being stared at intently, and I glanced at the window just as a shadowy presence seemed to melt into the night.

Bianca was sound asleep in my arms, but I felt alert and surprisingly aware of my surroundings.

I eased her onto her side, then planted a kiss on her cheek, before retrieving my clothes and quickly getting dressed, summoning up the image of Leanna in my mind.

She appeared to be sitting on the floor, and as I studied her shadowy form, I noted that she seemed a bit unsettled.

The subtle pull of her presence led me to Cameron’s room, and as I poked my head in, I spotted Cameron and Jordan asleep on the floor, while Leanna studied them from across the room.

At first, she seemed happy to see me, but that fidgety appearance quickly returned, and I quietly gestured her over.

“Was that you just now?” I asked, as soon as she was out of the room, and she began to rub her hands together nervously. “I’m not mad, I was just kind of spooked.”

She nodded slowly.

“I didn’t mean to. I just… thought about where you were, and before I knew it, I saw you…”

I gulped nervously.

If we could control it, her ability could be one hell of a tool.

“Why were you looking for me?” I asked, and she shifted uncomfortably.

“I- I couldn’t sleep with… uh,” she gestured to the others. “It’s not that I hate them or anything, but… until I get used to someone, I just can’t sleep when they’re…”

“It’s fine,” I replied, nodding my understanding at her predicament.

Though, it did make me wonder if she’d have the same problem if it came to sleeping with me.

I momentarily wondered where Lucia was, as she’d sought out Cameron for the past few nights…

Or was it me that she’d sought out?

“C-can I?” Leanna asked, gesturing to my hand, and I nodded, taking her hand as we walked down the hall, and toward the stairs that led down from our rooms.

As we emerged from the tree, however, I was greeted by a most startling sight.

“Auslander… mercy!” Gunter cried out.

He was crawling across the earth a little way from the tree, desperately reaching out to me, and I went on alert just as a something burst out of the shadow of a tree trunk, and Gunter cried out just as Lucia stabbed him viciously in the back.

“Ahhhh,” the boy wailed.

“Again!” the girl declared, an almost wicked look in her eyes, and I stared at the two in shock.

“Have you been chasing him all night?” I asked, and the girl shot me a slightly confused look, as if she didn’t understand the reason for my question.

“Please, Herr Götze! Mercy!” Gunter cried, crawling to my feet, and begging quite shamelessly.

“Again!” Lucia declared, poking him with the stick, as I helped Gunter to his feet.

“Lucia. Let him sleep at night, okay? You can train when the sun comes up.”

Lucia frowned, and Gunter prostrated himself before me, thanking me profusely in a mix of German and his own tongue.

Leanna stepped back a bit, and I noted she seemed quite nervous, as I sent Gunter off then turned to study my little sapling.

She looked past me towards Leanna, then nodded.

“Train?” she asked, making a little stabbing motion, and I turned to Leanna, who tensed up.

“Do you mind?” I asked. “Her core probably won’t take long to deplete.”

The girl seemed nervous, but nodded, despite a clear display of reservations about the development.

Nonetheless, she donned the breastplate, and though she cringed every time Lucia stabbed, it took no more time than one of my reinforced energy rounds worth of stabs before Lucia fell to the ground.

“Sorry,” I mumbled, as I scooped her up, and Leanna watched on with interest.

“Did she hurt herself?” the girl asked, and I examined the child, before shaking my head.

“She’s a tough one,” I explained, and Leanna continued to study her.

“Why are you caring for her?” she asked, and I tilted my head a little, surprised that Leanna hadn’t been aware of what had happened.

“Her father was killed, back when those monsters attacked,” I explained. “I felt badly, so I decided to take her in.”

She bit her lip, as she looked at the girl in my arms.

“So… you’re all that she has?” she asked.

“Well… me, and her desire for revenge against the monster that killed her father. Besides, everyone else has been pitching in, taking care of her I mean.”

“Everyone except me…” she said, a little wistfully, and I gestured for her to follow as I began to carry Lucia up to Cameron’s room.

“Does she sleep with you as well?”

“Lately, she has been. With me and Cameron, I mean.”

“So, she’s like your daughter?”

“It’s starting to feel like that, yeah,” I admitted, holding her a little affectionately as I did. “At first, it was sort of an experiment to see what the Kobalt were capable of with the right training from an early age… but if someone hurt her, I’d probably wipe out all life in existence.”

Leanna smiled at me, moving to my side as we climbed the stairs.

“I wonder if I would have been like this if I had someone like that in my life,” she said, and as I turned to study her, she covered her mouth, as if she’d only just realized that she’d said that out loud.

“S-sorry!” she began, and I shook my head, chuckling a little as I did.

“It’s fine. But schizophrenia isn’t really something that you choose,” I said, and she bit her lip.

“My mom didn’t think so. She thought I was doing this… to her, specifically,” she explained.

“Hn~. Maybe that’s just how it felt sometimes. Do you hold it against her?”

She shook her head.

“You said your mom was like this too, didn’t you? Did you ever feel like that?”

I shook my head.

“My mother was precious to me. When she was scared, I just wished I could protect her.”

“Wished?”

“She died when I was eight,” I explained, and Leanna shot me a sympathetic look.

“I’m sorry. You were so young, though. Wasn’t it difficult to deal with?”

I shrugged.

“It didn’t matter. She was precious to me, and I was to her too apparently.”

“What do you mean?”

“Her delusions were all based around a fear that people were trying to take me away from her,” I explained.

“Huh. Maybe she was right,” Leanna said, and I stopped dead in my tracks.

Fuck me.

Someone did take me away, didn’t they?

Was it just a co-incidence?

There was no way that this could have been planned from all the way back then, right?

Even if these people knew that I was a psychopath?

Leanna turned, studying me for a bit, before I gestured and we continued on towards Cameron’s room.

As she opened the door, Cameron stirred a little, and I placed Lucia down on the bed, then helped Cameron up there to sleep with her.

Cameron shot me a slightly pouty look, and I offered her an apologetic glance, before tucking her in.

“Do you want to go to your room?” I whispered to Leanna, and she shook her head.

“I-I’ll try to sleep here,” she said, “but… could you stay with me for a bit? Until I fall asleep?”

I nodded, and at Leanna’s direction, I dragged her sleeping bag over to the far wall, then leaned against it sitting down while she curled up beside me.

“This skill of yours,” she began, and I tilted my head at her.

“Which one?”

“Whatever it is that makes me feel like this… comforted? Safe? I could get addicted to it,” she said.

_Comforting presence?_

The thought made me laugh, but I had to admit, it was a useful skill for managing the group…

Even if it seemed to be luring more women into my bed than I could reasonably need.

My mind however flashed back to Julie, who in her teenage years often came to me when she felt particularly lonesome, just to sit in my arms for a while.

At that time, she’d expressed such a love for my touch… it was so curious, the way she began to despise that very thing later on.

I was about to ask Leanna about it when I suddenly noticed that she was already fast asleep.

_Guess you were really tired, huh?_

I quietly stole out from under her, and after making sure that she was still asleep, I headed over to Cameron and planted a gentle kiss on her neck.

“Mmm, don’t tease me if you’re not staying,” she warned, and I patted her apologetically, and she shot me a glum look as I turned to leave.

As soon as I got back to Bianca’s room, however, she turned to look at me, and frowned.

“You’re dressed,” she complained, and I nodded.

“Sorry. Duty called,” I explained.

“Leanna?” she asked, and I nodded.

I quickly stripped down, then climbed back into bed, and Bianca immediately cuddled up to me.

“This is the first time I’m sleeping with someone who isn’t my husband,” she said again.

“How is it?” I asked, and she frowned.

“It’s… nice,” she replied, and I eyed her.

“Nice?”

She leaned up to kiss me, and as I looked into her eyes, I saw her true feelings reflected there, and I wrapped my arms around her and kissed her back.

We lay there for a while, comfortably wrapped in each other’s arms and exchanging soft, but pressing kisses over and over again.

At first, I felt myself stir with excitement as my mind wandered, thinking of all the ways I could enjoy the ample bounties of her physical form, but eventually, as we continued to kiss, the feeling simmered into a kind of comfort and peacefulness that I found equally enthralling.

I couldn’t quite tell when the final kiss had ended and I finally drifted off, but my sleep that night was more restful than any night I could remember, and I woke up feeling refreshed, and more well rested than I’d been since first coming to that new world.

“Mmh. Morning,” Bianca crooned, waking up just as I did.

I leaned over and gave her a kiss, and she moaned into the kiss, before suddenly pulling away, and covering her mouth with her hand.

“Morphin phreath,” she mumbled, and as I chuckled at her, she shot me a dirty look.

“Even this is precious to me,” I countered, removing her hand and stealing one more smacking kiss, before getting out of bed and heading to the wooden table across the room.

On the table there was a wooden platter with several leaves; green, and minty when crushed, and I popped one into my mouth before bringing another to Bianca, and as we chewed the tangy, bitter tasting leaves, we shared a quick conspiratorial smile.

I headed to the bathroom to spit, and Bianca quickly followed.

“We slept together,” she announced, plopping back down onto the bed as I put on my pants.

“I really enjoyed it,” I admitted, and Bianca blushed.

“I didn’t know sleeping next to someone could be like that,” she said. “At first, sex was all I could think about, and I felt kind of frustrated, but the kissing… the closeness. That was really nice.”

I reached out and wiggled her nose again, and the time, she leaned in and kissed me.

“I never thought I’d say this, but thank you for not fucking me,” she said. “Thank you for seeing something more than that when you looked at me.”

I brushed her bangs out of her cute face, and smiled.

“I haven’t even started with you yet,” I said.

As I began to put on my armor, Bianca pouted a little.

“Couldn’t we stay in a little bit?” she asked, and I shook my head.

“I offered Casey a break from her duties yesterday. I need to find out what’s going on.”

Bianca got up and got dressed too, and as we got ready to leave the room, she took my hand, and just cradled it to her chest, taking a deep breath, as we opened up the door and headed out.

“I’m gonna check on Cameron,” I said, and Bianca nodded.

“I guess I’ll go find out what that not a girlfriend anymore of yours is up to,” she said, smirking a little, before heading off with that childish kind of skip that she often walked around with when we were outside, and in the view of others.

I watched as she left, before turning around to find Cameron standing just outside the door to her room, her eyes on me, studying me with interest.

“Do you look at me like that when I leave?” Cameron asked, a teasing look on her face, and I blushed a little, as I rubbed the back of my head.

“Oh, I’m much worse when it’s you. I shed a tear sometimes, even,” I replied, and she walked over and kissed me full on the lips.

She pressed into me several times, before finally breaking away.

I shot her a questioning look and she shrugged.

“Just reclaiming some territory,” she teased. “What’s on the agenda today?”

“Well, I offered Casey some time away from her duties,” I began, and Cameron gasped.

“Fuck. Do we need to put her on suicide watch?” she asked, and I snickered.

“She’ll be fine,” I replied. “I also removed her hypnosis, remember?”

“Right… ‘hypnosis’,” she said, using little air quotes to accentuate her sarcasm.

I rolled my eyes, and smiled at her, before continuing:

“If she takes me up on that offer to step away from her duties, though, can I count on you to take care of some of what she usually manages?”

Cameron smiled happily.

“You know I should have been doing that job a long time now, right? Instead, you’re always like, ‘you’re pregnant, Cameron. Just be pregnant’,” she teased, doing a ridiculously deep voiced impression of my voice.

“I sound nothing like that,” I countered, as Cameron followed me down the hall.

We made our way down the stairs and through the corridor to the main hall, where Gisela was waiting on me.

“Nathan. We’re about to send diplomats out to Palancar to spread word of the coronation.”

“Who’re we sending?” I asked.

“Alva,” she replied. “We will have a hunter accompany her for protection, though no threat is anticipated.”

“Hmm. Do you think we could send her with Raul?” I asked.

“Raul? Surely the Gods have better things to do than accompany a mere companion-servant…”

“How long will the task take?”

“It will be done this day cycle,” Gisela explained.

“Then it should be fine. Unless this would offend Palancar?” I asked.

Gisela thought about it for a bit, then shook her head.

“It would not… though, perhaps this may bolster our standing. Might we adorn Herr Raul with armor and ceremonial dress?”

“Oh, definitely a must,” I said, chuckling a bit as I pictured Raul’s reaction to such a showing.

“Is there anything I need to do right now?” Cameron asked, and I took a look around, then nodded.

“Stick with Gisela. If there’s anything that comes up, you can handle it at your discretion, and find me if you think I need to make a decision… or, you know, if you just miss me,” I finished, leaning in to whisper those final words to Cameron, and she smiled.

“I will~,” she sang, as she turned to leave with Gisela.

“Herr Auslander,” a voice called, and I turned around to see Astrid approaching me. “A word?”

I nodded, gesturing to the meeting room off of the great hall, and as I stepped inside, Astrid followed, pulling the door shut behind her.

“What is it?” I asked.

“I am told you have chosen a queen,” she said, her voice revealing a slight annoyance at the development.

“Yes. I always wanted it to be her,” I explained, and she sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose agitatedly.

“This is most unwise, Herr Auslander. Your queen must be one who completes you entirely.”

I shook my head, chuckling a little.

“Think of it as the ‘way of the gods’,” I replied. “I want her, and no-one else will do. That’s all.”

She studied me for a bit.

“Let me read your future, Nathan. Before you commit to this decision.”

I eyed her.

“Isn’t that future set in stone?” I asked. “I thought it could never be altered…”

“All things come to pass in time… but to die this day-cycle, or a hundred seasons from now. Would that not make some difference?”

I bit my lip, as I considered the proposition.

“How long will the reading take to prepare?”

“If I am able to rest, I will be ready by the falling of darkness,” she explained, and I nodded.

I got up to leave, when she stopped me.

“There’s one more thing… if your heart is set on this path, then there is a task which you should perform.”

“What is it?”

She took a deep breath, then nodded.

“Follow me, Nathan,” she said, and I obliged as she opened the door, and led me outside.

We moved over to the supply carts, to the cart which housed our armor and weapons, and I noted that a small chest had been reserved for the cores which we’d collected.

I stared in amazement at the sparkly glow of the luminescent blue orbs, but Astrid covered the chest, and moved it aside, retrieving a small sack with a posh looking gilded design, and from the vessel, she withdrew a core which I immediately noted bore a dark, intimidating presence.

“This core was retrieved from the one that our people call ‘Queen’,” she explained.

“The avatar who attacked us?” I asked, and Astrid nodded.

“Jacinda. Her reign was as splendid as it was lengthy, and she left our people with a system of elected rule that would last for hundreds upon hundreds of seasons.”

“The matron-princess cycle,” I noted, and she nodded.

“And the council,” she added. “If you are to make this… childish woman your queen. I think you must understand. What it means. What can result. How it can shape even your fate, beyond our kind though you may be.”

“How will this help me?” I asked, accepting the core from her.

“A core contains the life essence of the being to which it belonged; memories, feelings, a complete log of the physical make-up, and the unfulfilled desires which persist even in death.”

“Are you saying that I can access these things?”

She nodded.

“You already possess the skill, Nathan; energy manipulation. But you must be careful. To delve into a core is to step into a treasure trove where everything entices the desire; but nothing must be taken, else the desire to take will accumulate, and eventually, you too will lose yourself to the craving.”

“The craving?”

She nodded.

“The dark desire which transforms sentient beings into something monstrous.”

I bit my lip nervously, as I studied the thing in my hand.

“Touch only the memories, Nathan. The desires will seek to seduce, to offer you great powers in order to turn you towards its own dark will. Be vigilant; be the hand that leads, not the one that is led.”

As I accepted the core, I heard a familiar shrieking cry, and turned around to spot Gunter running madly towards me.

“Auslander-!” he began, but his cry was cut short by a yelp as Lucia toppled him over from behind, landing with a knee into his back, and jabbing him with her wooden dagger.

“Herr Götze. Please… have mercy!” the boy cried, tears streaming down his face, and I chuckled a little as I bent down to examine him.

Lucia probably waited until the first sight of light before attacking him, huh?

She seemed so eager to train…

I took a glance back at the supply cart, and an idea occurred to me.

“Let’s take a break,” I said, and Lucia shot me a sharp look.

“Again!” she countered, and I snickered at her.

“Just a short break,” I said, as I withdrew two pieces of armor from the supplies.

They were the low-grade t-one stuff that would hardly see much use anymore, and I helped Gunter to his feet, before offering to help him put on the armor.

He began to speak rapidly in the Kobalt tongue, until Astrid stepped forward and smacked him in the shoulder.

“Be less embarrassment to your kind!” she chided, before turning to me. “This one is no good, Nathan.”

“Maybe, but he could certainly help me out with training Lucia.”

Astrid eyed the child, licking her lips as she did.

“This one is touched by the gods,” she said, measuring the girl up, much to Lucia’s annoyance. “She will make a fine servant.”

I shook my head at her.

“She’ll be as my own sapling; nothing less,” I said, and Astrid turned to study me.

“As you will,” she said, bowing, then turning to the child. “Forgive me, little godling.”

Lucia smiled haughtily at the greeting, and Astrid shot me a wry look.

“This brings you pleasure, doesn’t it?” she asked.

“What?”

“Upsetting the manner of things.”

I chuckled a little, as I helped Gunter into the armor; a breastplate, and a pair of greaves.

“I would be lying if I didn’t admit it; but yes. Upturning the status quo pleases me greatly,” I admitted, and Astrid smiled.

“We will see if it still pleases you when your branch towers above all others,” she said, bowing, before heading off.

I offered her a little bow in return, before turning to Gunther.

“Okay. This should give you a fighting chance. Speed and Endurance one,” I said, though the boy seemed more interested in the way the armor had molded itself snugly around him, than he was in my words.

Lucia, however, seemed to be annoyed.

“Lucia’s armor?” the girl asked, and I shook my head.

“You can deplete your core with the dagger when Francesca’s ready to train you; but until then, work on your skills and techniques.”

She folded her arms, and shot me a grumpy look, before aiming her wooden dagger at Gunter.

“Again,” she said, and Gunter shot me a slightly panicked look.

“You’re on your own now,” I said, raising my hands in surrender, and as Lucia went after him, he took off, though now with a much quicker burst of speed than before.

 _Maybe that will tire her out a bit_ , I thought, as I turned around, and found myself under the most unexpected gaze…

“Hey,” I said, looking over at Casey, and she paused for a moment, as if she wasn’t sure how to react.

“Cameron’s taking over my duties?” she asked, and I nodded.

“Unless you want to-”

She shook her head, looking away.

“That’s fine. She’s more suited to what you require from an advisor anyway, but… you might wanna let Lucia use armor for training.”

I studied her for a bit.

“Why? If it’s just physical skills like speed and strength, won’t she learn it naturally just by training?”

Casey shook her head.

“If you ran every day, then you would get faster as your muscles develop to cope with the intensity of the running, but there are some people who run every morning religiously but still can’t finish a marathon, and will probably do a hundred-meter dash at the same speed no matter how much they run,” she explained, and I nodded.

“So, when you reach peak muscular development, the technique behind running is what improves your speed? And armor teaches that?”

Casey shook her head.

“When you wear armor, your body accesses that technique from the interaction between your core, and the skill contained in the armor. But as you use the technique, eventually you learn it yourself. Kind of like muscle memory.”

“How does that work for skills like Lucia’s translation skill?” I asked, and Casey frowned.

“I don’t think it’s a translation skill. I think Lucia might just be a hyperpolyglot, or something like that. I mean, her vocabulary might be limited more by her age than her ability to use English right now.”

“That’s interesting…”

I was giving the matter some thought, when I noticed Casey seemed suddenly a little fidgety.

“I’m gonna… check on something,” she muttered, turning quickly to leave, and as I turned around, I spotted Leanna and Jordan heading in our direction, with the baby aufhöcker perched on top of Jordan’s shoulder.

“He seems to really like you,” I said, and Jordan nodded, smiling as he patted the creature, which cooed in response.

“Nymphadora says he isn’t a monster anymore,” Jordan began, and I raised an eyebrow at him.

“She… what?”

“Hold on… I think she wants to talk,” he said, concentrating for a bit, and Leanna jumped to my side, and grasped onto my hand as the nymph took form beside Jordan.

“W-w-what is that?” she asked, and I chuckled a little.

“See that tree over there?” I asked, pointing to the burnt, partially felled tree on the edge of what had now become our own grove, and Leanna nodded. “She was the spirit of that tree.”

Leanna’s hand went to her mouth.

“Nathan, was it?” Nymphadora asked, and I nodded. “What will you do with my home now?”

I turned to the tree, then thought about it.

“There’s another tree like that… in Palancar. Do you know of it?”

Nymphadora shook her head, so I continued:

“The tree is used still… do you think that would be possible with your old home?”

She nodded.

“My skeleton hardens after the burning. It will endure, though grow no more… and the supplementary production will have to come from elsewhere.”

“The what?” I asked.

“The supplementary items,” she explained. “You sit, or sleep upon things made of my fiber.”

“Oh, like furniture. Wait, that comes from the grove trees?”

She nodded.

“There are rooms on the lower level dedicated to this production, close to my core… or where it was. Interaction with the core is used to instruct the design of the items,” she explained, and I rubbed my chin.

Suddenly, all of the modern looking furniture made sense.

I did find it strange that the chairs, tables, beds, and everything else seemed so very well crafted when the Kobalt possessed few tools capable of making precision cuts, but to think they were grown by the very trees that they lived in!

Being able to do this ourselves would be one hell of a boon, and I made a mental note to ask Gisela about it as soon possible.

I returned my attention to Nymphadora.

“Would it be possible to return to your tree someday?”

She shook her head.

“Life will never again flow in those limbs,” she said, a slightly melancholic look in her eyes.

I let out a sigh, then turned my attention to the creature on Jordan’s shoulder.

“You said he isn’t a monster?” I asked, and she nodded.

“I have felt the presence of the things you called monsters; things born out of beings with an insatiable hunger, that spread that hunger like a pestilence. But this one… it was born of another of its kind,” she explained. “A natural birth. And now, a thing of this world.”

“So, it won’t grow into a monster?” I asked, and she shook her head.

“No… but the survival of its kind is improbable,” she said, moving to the creature, and giving it a sympathetic look, before disappearing into a burst of light.

“Sorry,” Jordan said. “I don’t think I can maintain that for very long…”

“It’s fine. Was there anything else she wanted to tell us?”

Jordan shook his head.

“I asked her some stuff about medicinal properties of plants, since she knows a great deal about them, but I don’t know much about medicine, so it’s kind of difficult to make use of her knowledge.”

I rubbed my chin.

“Maybe Ryker and Evie can help with that,” I said, turning to study Leanna.

Getting medication for her would be a huge help, but I doubted that Ryker or any basic physician would be able to help with that.

But there had to be high level medicine users somewhere in this world, right?

It was definitely something we’d have to think about in the future.

“Nate?” Leanna tugged on my sleeve a little.

“What is it?” I asked.

I followed her gaze, and realized that she was glancing at Casey, who was over by the grove tree entrance hall, with Cameron and Gisela.

“She really doesn’t like me, does she?”

“Casey?” I asked, and she nodded. “It’s not that… just, she takes a while to trust anyone, and sometimes that distrust leads to, well, suspicions, I guess. It’s fine,” I added, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze. “She’ll come around eventually.”

She bit her lip, then nodded.

“I’ll be right back,” she said timidly, though I noted a slightly determined look on her face, and I watched closely as she walked over to where Casey was.

Casey seemed slightly panicked when she caught sight of her, but as Leanna spoke, she screwed her face up a little, shooting me a questioning glance.

Then Leanna withdrew her hidden dagger, and offered it to Casey.

Casey shook her head, an uncomfortable look on her face, but Leanna insisted, and Casey didn’t move for a while, until Cameron nudged her, and she reluctantly stepped forward, and took the dagger from Leanna.

Leanna then turned, and moved quickly towards me, tears starting to stream down her face as she made it the final few feet into my arms.

I wrapped myself around her, and comforted her as she cried.

“You’ll keep me safe, right Nate? You won’t let anything hurt me…?”

“I will,” I promised, as I wiped the tears from her eyes, and caressed her cheek affectionately. “You did really well.”

She smiled, then buried her head into my chest while I stroked her hair, calming her down.

As I looked across to the grove tree, however, I spotted Casey walking off just as Cameron turned and shot me a slightly worried look, before turning to follow her.

 _She just needs some time_ , I thought.

As Leanna calmed down, however, I noticed that Francesca had reined Lucia and Gunter in, and seemed to be getting started on one of her training sessions in the area where our campground was supposed to have been.

Lucia was shooting Gunter an angry look while he grinned, and I guessed that the armor had served him quite well.

I motioned to Leanna, and Jordan joined us in heading over to the group, and as we got there, I noted that Jeannie and Molly were also there, seemingly warming up.

Molly scowled as soon as she spotted Leanna, and I nodded to Jordan, who led her away to the other side of the ground.

“Are you sure you’re well enough to train?” I asked Jeannie as soon as I got there, and she smiled.

“Our new physician cleared me for physical activity this morning,” she announced, and I chuckled.

“Evie’s taking to the role, huh?” I asked.

“Just don’t expect her to work miracles with your new psycho-girlfriend,” Molly shot, and I frowned.

“Molly. We talked about this. Nate has done right by us, okay? Let’s return the favor with a little bit of faith,” Jeannie said, and Molly sighed.

“Fine. But don’t expect me to like her,” she said, and I nodded.

“That’s fair. Are you both gonna train today?”

The girls nodded in response.

“Have either on you decided on weapon specializations?”

Jeannie raised an eyebrow.

“Weapon specializations?”

I nodded.

“Our abilities vary depending on what weapons we use, so the more you use a particular type of weapon, the better you get at it.”

Jeannie rubbed her chin.

“Is that how Bianca managed to be so good at fighting all of a sudden?”

I nodded.

“She still sucks with a spear; trust me,” I joked, and Jeannie smiled.

“Hmm… so the little one is gonna specialize in daggers too, then?”

I nodded.

“I think we should limit how many dagger users we train, though. Even though we have a lot of daggers, they aren’t as useful as spears or swords in the kind of conflicts we’re bound to encounter.”

Jeannie nodded in agreement.

“I think I’m leaning towards being more of a spear person myself,” she said, before turning to Molly. “What about you?”

Molly frowned a little.

“Spears are so… unladylike,” she commented. “Is it okay if I give the sword a try?”

I shrugged.

“Suit yourself,” I replied, before moving over to Francesca’s side.

“You’ve got yourself a real following now, huh?”

She smiled proudly, then nodded.

“I was gonna run it by you, but I’m thinking a morning session… about a segment before midday? When Lucia depletes her core, she sleeps for about three to four hours, so we can also do an evening session in the segment before night.”

“That sounds good,” I replied. “I think Bianca also sleeps for about three hours after depleting her core, so maybe we should start doing that for the others too.”

“Jeannie and Molly?” she asked, but as I nodded, she frowned a little.

“What?”

“If everyone does core training, won’t they all pass me eventually?”

I scoffed.

“Core capacity, maybe… but there’s much more to fighting than that. Besides, there’s something I have in mind for you that might compensate for the core training.”

She eyed me, an interested smile on her face.

“Really? What is it?”

“We need to do some serious scouting in Irileth’s domain. I’m thinking you and I could probably go on an extended scouting mission.”

“Extended? How long are we talking?”

“For starters, I wanna get back to the guildhall we used back there and map out a clear path to it. But ideally… I wanna find that river running south through the domain.”

She smiled.

“That would take days, huh?”

I nodded.

“We can’t be away for too long, but I’m thinking maybe three or four days? We’ll try to accomplish what we can then head back.”

“When would we leave?” she asked, and I thought about it a bit, glancing off in the direction where Cameron and Casey headed off to.

“I’ll need to check with my advisors, but if everything here seems to be in order, tomorrow at first light.”

She nodded.

“Then, it’s a date,” she declared, shooting me a teasing smile, before returning her attention to her younger trainees.

As they got started on their training, however, I spotted Bianca, who appeared to be looking around for me, and I quickly moved towards her.

“Nate!” she called, as soon as she spotted me.

“Hey. Was just about to come get you for training.”

She frowned.

“Guess it can’t be helped, now that I’m the best fighter you’ve got!” she declared, and I rolled my eyes at her.

“What’s up?” I asked, and she pulled me aside, a more serious look on her face.

“Your not-a-girlfriend-anymore just had an emotional breakdown with Cameron,” she said. “She’s been sulking all morning, but not really doing much.”

I nodded.

If I knew Cameron, she would certainly offer Casey some comfort.

“I think you can ease up on surveilling her for now, but… before you go over for training, grab Cameron for me? After they’re done talking, I mean. I need to discuss something with her.”

“Gotcha,” Bianca said, but as she turned to leave, I stopped her.

“Have you seen Gisela?”

“Entry hall over there,” Bianca said, indicating to one of the grove trees. “Looks like they’re preparing Raul for something, and he did not look happy about it.”

I snickered a little, then thanked her as I headed over to the entry hall, but as I got there, I noted that Raul was alone with Alva, so I hung back to observe.

“I look stupid,” he complained, and Alva shook her head.

“You look beautiful,” Alva countered, resting a hand against his face.

He was wearing what I could only describe as a long, flowing ceremonial dress, his head adorned with a flowery wreath.

“Beautiful isn’t exactly a compliment to guys,” he countered, and she frowned.

“Why not?”

“It’s not very masculine,” he explained, and she shrugged.

“Does your beauty need to restrict itself to some inane concept? If so, then I despise this concept. You are beautiful, and I love it,” she said, and I suppressed a smirk, as she leaned in and kissed him.

Raul looked up, and as he caught sight of me, he went red.

“Get me out of this,” he complained, and Alva turned to study me, a frowning look on her face.

“Why? You look majestic!” I called teasingly, and Raul scowled.

“Fine, fine. Go ahead and have your fun,” he replied, but I shrugged.

“Surely a big, strong, manly man like yourself cares not for the opinions of others?” I continued mockingly, and he frowned, but Alva seemed quite pleased with my input.

“See? Your liege approves,” she said, and Raul shook his head.

“He’s making fun of me,” he said, and Alva studied me again.

“Nonsense! What sane man could jest about such beauty?”

Alva smiled.

“I see. Your words oppose your sentiment. It is amusing,” she conceded. “But please offer some conciliation. Your subject fears for his image.”

I chuckled at this.

“I know. Teasing him is my way of making light of his complaint. But you,” I said, turning to Raul, and resting a hand on his shoulder. “Never stop being such a beautiful man,” I continued, delivering the words as if moved to tears by his very visage, and he scowled.

“I really hate you sometimes,” he said, sighing, but as Alva shot him a more genuinely admiring look, he relented. “Did you set this up?” he asked, as soon as she moved away.

“The dress, or the trip?”

“The trip,” he clarified, and I nodded.

“I suggested you accompany her as a guard, but the idea to doll you up was all theirs,” I explained, and he sighed. “If it makes you feel any better, it’s only a matter of time before they put me in one of those.”

“It doesn’t make me feel better,” he said, and I chuckled.

“If only your grandmother could see you. She’d be so proud,” I continued, as if choking up a little, and he aimed a smack at my head, which set off his paralysis, much to my delight.

Alva shot us a questioning look as she returned with their supplies, and she quickly helped Raul to his feet, before turning to address me.

“Unless there is issue, we will depart forthwith,” she said, and I nodded.

“Bring him back in one piece,” I said, and Alva smiled, before turning and taking Raul’s hand, and leading him, with some prodding, from the entry hall.

He seemed nervous walking around in those clothes, but none of the otherworlders really paid attention to it, and the Kobalt merely regarded him with distinction.

He turned and shot me one more uncomfortable look, and I waved excitedly, much to his annoyance, as he turned and headed for the road that would take them to Palancar.

Cameron came up to the entry hall, looking off after the two as she did.

“Was that Raul in a dress?”

“You mean _ceremonial_ _robes_ ,” I corrected her, and she smiled.

“Oh, please tell me you have one too!”

I shook my head at her.

“How’s your advisory debut going?”

“The tasks are okay, but I’m not envying how much time you must put into managing everyone and their concerns.”

“Hn~. It’s not so bad if you enjoy that kind of thing.”

“Enjoy it? You must be a psychopath,” she teased, and I chuckled at the comment.

“Do you know if we have any scheduled engagements with Palancar? Or anyone else?”

“I think we might.”

“Anything that I can miss?” I asked, and she thought about it.

“Yeah. I think Gisela can handle most of it… you planning on heading out?”

I nodded.

“Was thinking to take Francesca and do a proper scouting run.”

“Oh, must be her fucking birthday, huh? How far do you wanna scout?”

“The river west of here if we can make it; the guildhall at the very least.”

Cameron nodded.

“I think the guildhall might be a good move. There’s something that you might need to get.”

“What is it?” I asked.

“Come on. Evie will tell you more,” she explained.

We headed into the grove tree, and to the rooms on the ground floor where Myrinne and the princess were being treated.

Ryker spotted us as we approached the corridor, and quickly headed off to fetch Evie.

“Hey,” she said, as soon as she popped out of one of the rooms.

“Nate’s planning a scouting trip,” Cameron began.

“To the guildhall?” Evie asked, and I nodded.

She pursed her lip, as she cast a tentative look back to the room she’d just come from.

“How is Myrinne?” I asked, and she frowned.

“She was getting better, but I think her wounds are infected,” she explained. “I’m focusing the healing when I can, and it’s keeping her alive, but I think I’m fighting an uphill battle here.”

“She’ll need antibiotics,” Cameron explained. “And I think generally, it might be best if we had some on hand for emergencies.”

“Hmm.”

It was one of those things that we used quite frequently, but which I had taken for granted for sure.

But were there any specific drugs listed in the catalog?

I hadn’t looked for specific items, but I didn’t remember seeing any particular drugs when searching for medical supplies.

“Might be useful for me to take someone along who knows a little about this stuff, huh?”

Cameron shook her head.

“That’s a bit of a long trip, and if you’re going with Francesca, you’ll be moving pretty quickly.”

I nodded in agreement.

“So, antibiotics. Is there anything else that we need urgently?”

“I think painkillers and anesthetics are at the top of the list. Maybe a blood thinner, or something to relieve inflammation,” Evie offered.

“Hmm. I just remembered something. On the first day here, when I went through the catalog, I found an extensive list of seeds that were available and pretty cheap to purchase. Ginger, cinnamon, aloe vera; things like that.”

“Holy shit. We could grow our own herbs!” Evie exclaimed, and I nodded in agreement.

“I just wish I knew a little more about what we’d need.”

“Do you think the knowledge will magically come to you if you wear the alchemy bracer?” Evie asked, and I frowned.

“It usually doesn’t come to me until I’m actually interacting with something, so whether or not that would activate through my interaction with the catalog is a little bit iffy… besides, Jordan’s new nymph buddy is a natural at alchemy. We might benefit more from him developing the skill while we’re away.”

Cameron thought about it for a while.

“Maybe we should see if he can develop the skill without the bracer? We could test it out today; see how it works,” she suggested, and I quickly nodded.

As we turned to leave, however, I felt that subtle pull that told me that Miriam was in the room to my left.

“How is the princess?” I asked, and Evie paused.

“She’s stable, but still not recovering.”

“Did she regain consciousness since-?”

Evie shook her head, and I frowned.

“How long will the feedback in her system last?” I asked.

“I’m not sure, but we can prolong it indefinitely I think; by pouring energy into her core.”

As Evie said that, I suddenly noted the slightly uncomfortable look on her face, and I quickly recognized the expression.

“You’re sick,” I said, and Cameron turned to study Evie.

“How?” Cameron asked.

“She’s afflicting herself to prolong the princess’ feedback effects,” I explained, and Evie shifted uncomfortably.

“Don’t overdo it, okay?” Cameron said. “We can get someone else to do it sometimes, so it doesn’t make you really sick.”

Evie nodded, and I shot Cameron an appreciative smile as we headed out of the hallway.

“Maybe I should have let Casey have the babies and let you advise me-” I began, but Cameron’s expression made me stop dead in my tracks, and I turned in slow motion to find an unimpressed looking Casey standing right in front of me.

“Gisela’s looking for you,” she said to Cameron, and before I could get a word in, she turned and left, and Cameron shot me a sympathetic smile.

“Fuck me,” I breathed. “I keep making things worse, huh?”

Cameron linked her arm in mine, as she guided me to the supply carts, a playful look on her face.

“She had her own part to play in the breakdown of that relationship… and trust me when I say, she knows it.”

I sighed, staring after Casey with a slightly wistful look.

Cameron was turning out to be a pretty efficient aide… but I really missed Casey.

“You don’t need to worry. She’s working things out,” Cameron offered, and I gave her a thankful nod.

As she moved to join Gisela, I headed off to find Jordan, who to my surprise, was still over by the training groups talking to Leanna.

I sneaked up to the two just as Leanna was speaking:

“So, he’s your… b-boyfriend?”

Jordan nodded, and she made a thoughtful sound.

“I didn’t know that you guys, uh… I mean…”

“That black guys could be gay?”

She bit her lip nervously, nodding timidly as she did.

“Anyone can be,” Jordan said, shrugging, and she shifted uncomfortably.

“I don’t think I hear about many,” she said, and he chuckled.

“Yeah… a lot of black communities tend to react badly to that kind of thing, so most of us keep it secret.”

She nodded at this.

“I don’t think I know anyone like that in my area… wait, so you’re saying that they’re there, but too afraid to say anything?”

Jordan nodded, and she seemed to go deep into thought, so I moved to join them.

“Getting in on the training?” I asked, as if I’d just gotten there, and Leanna shook her head sheepishly.

“I’m not sure I’d be any good,” she said, and I rubbed my chin.

“You were fairly comfortable with the dagger, weren’t you? Maybe you could start there? Learn how to execute a proper stab?” I suggested.

“I-I guess I could try,” she offered, albeit reluctantly, and I nodded as she moved over to where Bianca and Lucia were sparring.

“You were right,” Jordan said, as soon as she was out of earshot, “she’s not an ill-natured person. I think her parents might be responsible for her way of thinking way more so than her psychosis though.”

“That is usually the case,” I admitted with a sigh. “I mean, my momma raised a psychopath, but she didn’t raise no racist,” I joked, and Jordan laughed.

“All my life I’ve held onto the belief that everything would be a lot better if people just learned not to hate everything that was different from them,” he explained, and I nodded.

“You aren’t wrong. Although, I will admit that a proper fear of my kind is often the better part of valor,” I said, and Jordan laughed again.

Jordan suddenly went quiet, and as I took a tentative gaze over my shoulder, I spotted an annoyed looking Nolan walking over to the other grove tree.

“We’re not talking right now,” Jordan suddenly added, and I sighed.

“Accept my apologies. I feel somewhat responsible.”

“For what? Getting together with the woman that my boyfriend’s in love with? I don’t even know if that’s love. Cameron’s happier than I’ve ever seen her in my life… like ever. If I cared for someone, I wouldn’t be angry about that.”

Jordan shook his head in response, then let out a sigh.

“Hopefully he’ll come around,” I said, resting a hand on his shoulder and giving it a reassuring squeeze.

“I’m not holding my breath. I have more hope for her than I do for him right now,” he explained, nodding to Leanna. “She’s willing to listen, learn… to develop a new understanding of things based on our talks. But Nolan is still in denial about being bi-sexual.”

“Huh… wouldn’t have thought that’d be hard to admit,” I said, a little curious, and Jordan laughed.

“It’s harder than you’d think. It’s kinda like, if you’re gay, people will say, ‘oh, well you have no choice, I guess’; but if you’re bi, _and_ a guy, and you choose to be with a man, the very same people will kind of be like… ‘why, though?’ Like, why would you choose that?”

“Oh, I get it. Why choose to be deviant when you could just be ‘normal’,” I said, using air quotes, and Jordan nodded.

“Pretty much.”

We watched as Leanna made a clumsy attempt at hitting Lucia with a wooden dagger, then squealed and dropped it as the girl made to counter attack.

She shot me a slightly embarrassed look, but I offered her an encouraging shout nonetheless.

“You’re doing great!”

She smiled a little, then picked up the dagger, and got ready to try again.

“Hey, do you think your nymph buddy can locate things, like plants with antibiotic properties?” I asked.

Jordan nodded.

“I can offer her access to my memories by thinking about things and sending them to her, so I’ve been going through things like that, and she’s pretty sure that the equivalent of some of those things are findable in the forest. But it’s difficult to tell without actually going out and hunting down the plants, and she doesn’t even know what they look like.”

“Hmm. I guess trees don’t really have eyes, huh?”

He nodded.

“She knows them by how they feel, but it’s gonna take some time to work out how to transmit that information to me in a manner that I can use.”

“Might be best to just get you a team; whoever amongst the Kobalt is most knowledgeable about that kind of stuff, and let you go out and learn what you can.”

“I don’t mind doing that,” Jordan answered. “Maybe I could even take the little critter along.”

“Where is he?” I asked, looking around, and Jordan nodded to a nearby tree, where the creature was perched on one of the lower branches, and climbing about.

“Hnn~. He looks happy up there. Aren’t you worried that he’ll run off?”

Jordan shook his head.

“As soon as either me or Leanna starts to move, he runs right down to meet us.”

I chuckled a little at that.

“Maybe you two should decide on a name,” I added.

We chatted for a bit, and as I brought up the matter of the alchemy bracer, Jordan assured me that Nymphadora’s knowledge was at least as useful as what the item provided, so it would be no problem for me to take the item on our trip.

“How long do you think you’ll be gone?”

“Three days, maybe four tops? I wouldn’t wanna miss the princess’ coronation ceremony.”

 _Or the birth of my child_ , I thought.

“You being gone for that long terrifies the fuck out of me,” Jordan suddenly admitted, and I tilted my head at him.

“I think everyone has things under control now,” I said, and he laughed a bit.

“Sometimes I think ‘we’ve got this’, and sometimes it just feels like we’re on the brink of absolute chaos… but the latter is way more pronounced every time you step foot from our group. Your leadership makes more of a difference than I think you realize.”

I thought about it for a while.

“Do you think I need to officially deputize someone in my absence?”

“Depends on who the someone is. I know you like the way Casey handles things, but maybe you should consider Cameron instead; you know, someone whose loyalty to you is unquestionable.”

I sighed.

“I opted for Casey because I thought she’d keep me honest, but I guess I never really expected her to act that way against me.”

Jordan nodded, glancing over at Leanna.

“Honestly, I was afraid of her too… and she _was_ becoming a danger; but we were the ones who were isolating her, making her feel alone and threatened. Any of us could become dangerous if we felt like that. But look at her now. Just a little bit of conversation, attention; and I can’t see her hurting a fly.”

I nodded in agreement, as I studied Leanna in action.

“Don’t get me wrong,” he continued, “I still think maybe Casey had our best interests at heart; but I’d rather follow someone who would temper my worst instincts, than someone who would foster them.”

“So… Cameron, huh?”

Jordon nodded.

“She’s always been someone dependable to me, but lately, she’s been emulating you, and it’s really bringing out the best in her.”

I smiled a little at the comment, then nodded; but as I looked back towards the supply carts, I caught sight of Casey standing there, a slightly lost expression on her face as she stood off to herself.

_Maybe isolating her might be a pretty bad idea too._

I felt the urge to settle things with her before leaving on the trip, but… I knew that any such move would have to be initiated by her, as it would be far from productive for me to press her, especially after offering to give her the time and space needed to figure out her own things.

Maybe I could convince Cameron to spend some time with her whenever she could?

To keep her from falling into too much of a reclusive state?

I resolved to talk to her about it sometime before the day was over.

As the training session came to an end, I decided to help out as everyone who needed core training depleted their cores, but I quickly realized it was problematic getting them all to their respective rooms.

“We need a core-depleted nap zone somewhere on the ground floor,” I complained, after carrying Bianca up to her room, and Francesca giggled at me in response, as she took Lucia over to Cameron’s.

“Do you think we can risk depleting mine?” she asked, and I shook my head.

“I’d rather not risk anything right now. Especially not with Raul out of the cluster.”

She frowned.

“Guess I could probably spend some time working on my energy manipulation skill, until the next training session at least.”

I nodded, turning back to Bianca’s room as Francesca headed down.

As I stepped inside and made my way to the bed where she was lying, basically unconscious, I withdrew the core that Astrid had entrusted to me, and began to examine it.

_Touch the memories, wasn’t it?_

I held the thing up, then tried to gaze into it, and my mind reeled for a moment, as I immediately found myself thrust into a massive, seemingly never-ending ocean of raw, unfiltered energy.

 _Fuck me_ , I thought. _My core was nothing more than a dewdrop compared to this!_

To think that we’d killed this monstrosity… even with the princess’ skill.

Would we have even stood a modicum of a chance if this was being used by someone slightly more experienced than Vanessa?

_“Who are you?”_

I recognized the voice this time, though the Vanessa-ish quality to it was no longer there.

“My name is Nathan,” I answered.

I felt a moment of panic as the energy swirled through me, seemingly peering into me with unwelcome abandon.

_“You are one of them… an alien, was it?”_

I smirked internally at the thought of being called an alien, but she wasn’t exactly wrong.

_“Did Hans truly perish? Something irks me… the feeling that his presence still lingers, though not through his own willing.”_

“A monster spoke to me as he did. So perhaps?”

 _“Show me_ ,” the voice commanded, and I shrugged, as I tried to bring up the memory of the attack, then suddenly, an overwhelming feeling began to wash over me.

 _What the fuck is this?_ I thought.

It was… unpleasant, to say the least.

After some time, the feeling passed, and the voice spoke again.

_“Are you going to eat me?”_

“What?”

 _“Devour everything that I am,”_ she explained, and I shook my head.

“No,” I replied. “I’m merely trying to learn from your memories.”

 _“What do you wish to learn?”_ she asked.

“What it means to make a Kobalt princess into a queen.”

I felt something, like a laugh.

_“How nostalgic. You remind me of him, you know…”_

“Hans?”

_“I hated that name… especially after he explained its origin. But he forbade me ever using the other one…”_

“Did he name you?” I asked.

Another laugh.

_“His name for me will never be uttered by any lifeform but him. I was named by my seed-bearer. Jacinda.”_

“What can you tell me about being the Queen of the Kobalt?”

_“That would depend on the individual who would be queen… wait, that girl. Is it her?”_

An image flashed in my mind of Miriam, just as she used her hypnotic suggestion to counteract Vanessa’s mind control.

“Yes.”

_“Did she seek you out, that you would make her Queen?”_

I shook my head.

“Even now, she is to be made queen at my insistence. Her will was to find me another, more appropriate, in her eyes, for the job.”

_“But you’ll have no-one but her, would you?”_

“No,” I replied, and I felt a feeling of warmth wash over me.

_“Just like Hans…”_

The feeling of warmth continued to engulf me, but I felt a lurch in my stomach, as it began to shift into a coldness, slowly at first, until I could feel it chilling me to the very depths of my soul.

_“Hans could mantle you- oh, I see… he’s already seen it. He has planted his seed in another, to watch as you grow. Then I will do my part. Drink of my power, little Nathan. Every skill you could desire. Take it. Take it all, and you will rule over all things as he should have!”_

My eyes went wide as I saw a brilliant collection of threads, all wound and wrapped into an intricate network of skills; each bump so pronounced and clearly defined that I could gaze into them, and see every part that made up each thing.

Having even a fraction of this would be a massive boon.

Not even a harbinger would stand a chance against me!

I reached my hand out to touch one of the bumps, and I felt a lightness wash over me the closer I got until-

“Naytan!”

“Huh?”

“Naytan! Stop now!”

I could feel something shaking me back and forth, and my eyes shot open just as Cameron and Casey burst into the room, and a slightly spooked looking Bianca woke up at my side.

She shot an annoyed look at Lucia, who had probably shaken her awake while she had been trying to snap me out of my meditative state.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, casting a furtive glance around the room, and I noted that there was a heavily worried look in Cameron’s eyes.

“There were pulses coming from the room,” Cameron explained. “Then a voice in my head, telling me to stop you.”

Casey screwed up her face as she moved closer and saw the core in my hand.

“Fucking hell, Nate. Did you try to absorb it?” she asked, and I shook my head.

“Just to look at the memories,” I replied, and she shot me a questioning look.

“I’m not sure what that means,” Casey replied, “but core consumption is not something you wanna fuck with. People become addicted after a single session.”

I shook my head, still feeling somewhat dazed.

“I know. Astrid warned me not to take anything. But I didn’t expect her presence to be so…”

“Overwhelming?” Casey asked.

“Commanding,” I explained. “Maybe I’ll need someone to watch over me before I try that again,” I said, and Casey shot me an incredulous look.

“Try that again-?” Casey started, but she quickly shook her head, and moved away. “Just, don’t ever try to consume a core, okay? The effects are really bad.”

With that, she left the room, and Cameron came to sit beside me, smirking a little.

“She wanted to chew you out,” she teased, and I nodded.

“Well, I did do something a little careless.”

“You did,” she concurred.

“What time is it?” Bianca asked, as she climbed out of bed and crept to the window.

“About an hour away from the final segment of the evening,” Cameron replied, and I tilted my head at that.

“I was in there for that for that long?”

She studied me curiously.

“How long did it feel like?” she asked, and I shrugged.

“Maybe fifteen minutes? Twenty tops.”

Cameron moved towards me, then gazed into my core, and shrugged.

“Your capacity and energy levels are around where they should be, and I don’t see anything unusual. Do you feel tired?”

I shook my head.

“I felt a little woozy when I came out of it, but I feel fine now.”

“Well then, you should probably come down in a bit. Raul and Alva brought back a small contingent from Palancar,” Cameron said.

“Whoa, is that what’s going on down there?” Bianca asked.

She shot me a ‘can we go pleeeease?’ look, and I chuckled a little, then nodded.

Lucia held her arms out, and I picked her up, as we headed out of the room and down to the entry hall where Raul, still in his ceremonial robes, was waiting along with the princess’ companions.

Gisela moved to greet me as soon as she spotted me.

“What’s going on?” I asked.

“Many flocked to our envoy,” she explained. “Those who wish to join our migration.”

“How many?”

“Sixteen servant-applicants, twelve skilled workers, three children.”

“Any in Lucia’s age-group?” I asked.

“I am not certain,” Gisela answered, as Cameron shot me a teasing look. “The servants will need to be assigned,” Gisela continued, and I nodded.

“What’s the best way to go about it?”

“Assemble the life-bringers; and the god mate. The candidates can approach those whom they wish to serve.”

I turned to Cameron.

“Nolan, Jordan, Raul,” I said, and she nodded, but Bianca interjected.

“I’ll get them,” she said, before darting off, and Cameron shot me a smile.

“Remember when she could barely even do that? Our little girl is growing up so fast!” she teased, and I rolled my eyes at her.

“Are you sure you wanna talk about Bianca like that? I mean, you know what our relationship is like.”

She shrugged.

“Oh, I know. That’s what makes fucking with you so much more fun.”

She took my arm, and as Bianca returned with Nolan and Jordan, I noted that the two had been decked out in full armor, and Gisela ushered in the servant-candidates.

“All girls, huh?” Cameron asked, and I nodded.

“Gisela did say they would mostly be.”

Two of the girls almost immediately approached Nolan, and he shot me a tired look, but as his eyes moved to Cameron at my side, his expression changed, and to my surprise, he nodded, and the girls moved happily to his side.

I eyed Jordan, who merely shook his head.

One girl offered her service to him, while another two did to Raul, and five more came to Cameron.

Gisela nodded.

“You may assign the rest as it pleases,” she said, and I nodded.

“Are any of them skilled in alchemy?”

Gisela tilted her head at this.

“Alchemy? What is it?”

“Uh, harvesting plants for medicinal uses, things like that.”

“Ahh,” she nodded.

She spoke to the girls, and two of them raised their hands in response, and I nodded.

“Assign them to Jordan,” I said. “Are there any training to be physicians, or want to be?”

She relayed the question, and one more girl raised a hand.

“We’ll assign her to Evie, then,” I said, and Gisela nodded.

There were now three girls left.

“Do all of them have to be assigned now?” I asked, and Gisela considered the question.

“It is to your discretion, Nathan,” Gisela answered. “What would you have them do, instead?”

“They can decide who they want to serve while spending some time with us,” I suggested, and as Gisela relayed the suggestion to the girls, they nodded.

“It is done,” she said.

“Good, now can I get out of this thing?” Raul asked, and I chuckled a little.

“You did well, fraulin,” I teased, and Raul scowled as Alva led him and his new servant contingent from the entry hall to one of the rooms off of the main hallway.

“Soo… what do I do with these girls?” Cameron asked, and I turned to study them.

“I have no clue. Gisela, are rooms prepared for them?” I asked, and she shook her head.

“Temporary rooms will be prepared for sleeping until preparations can be made,” she replied, and I nodded.

One of the other servant-companions signaled to Gisela, and she nodded.

“A communal meal is prepared for the main hall,” she said. “Will the Gods attend?”

I nodded, then turned to Bianca, who quickly set off to gather everyone else up.

“Would it be okay if we officially announced the upcoming coronation before the meal commences?” I asked, and Gisela nodded.

Much like our first day at Palancar, tables were brought into the main hall, and as everything was set up, I spotted Astrid entering along with some others.

“New servants were chosen?” she asked, and I nodded.

As Cameron indicated to them, she moved over, and began to inspect the girls one by one, screwing up her face as she did.

“None of these are worthy of your lineage,” Astrid complained, and I glanced at the girls, wondering how such a comment would be received, but their faces revealed no reaction to it.

“How are the preparations for your reading coming along?” I asked, and she made that sucking sound through her teeth once again.

“The energies within this cluster are too chaotic; the vision will not come until balance returns to Grenze.”

I nodded.

More people seemed to be filing into the entry hall, until a girl rushed to Gisela’s side, and after speaking to her, a bit rapidly, Gisela turned to me.

“The former councilors of Grenze return, it seems,” Gisela explained, and Cameron moved to my side, an excited look on her face.

“Let’s go ‘welcome’ them,” she said, and I chuckled.

When we got to the outer ring of the cluster, we spotted a small caravan approaching, with something like forty or so Kobalt, though most appeared to be commoners, and few, if any, carried weapons.

They came to a halt as they stood across from us at the road which entered the cluster, and the two councilors stepped forward, an uncomfortable look on their faces.

“Glory to the gods,” the men greeted me, bowing slightly, and Cameron gloated a bit at the reception.

“You fled and left us to the mercy of Palancar’s monsters,” Cameron replied. “Is that the kind of glory you wish us?”

The men exchanged a quick glance, before kneeling.

“Our actions were just, but misguided,” the first man said.

“Surely, one so high as yourselves can forgive the trespass of ones so low as us,” the other added.

Cameron seemed about to say something, but I raised a hand to stop her.

“You acted in the interest of your people. I cannot fault you for that.”

The men bowed again, and I indicated for them to stand.

“High Götze, many Kobalt uprooted their saplings, and forsook their roots as they fled. Will you permit them to return, if for nothing but to reclaim their possessions.”

I turned to Gisela.

“Do we have claim to their groves right now?”

She nodded.

“By right, they have deferred their groves to you.”

“How many trees do we reasonably need to house everyone in our group?” I asked.

“Including those grafted from Gert’s branch?”

I nodded.

“Three, at most,” she replied, and I nodded.

“So, if we permit them to return and reclaim their groves, would that indebt them to us?”

She nodded.

“Greatly.”

Cameron eyed me.

“What’s your advice, ladies?”

“I dunno about you, but fifteen trees sound like a fantastic base for our operations,” Cameron said, and I bit my lip.

“We can’t stay here permanently; it’s comfortable and convenient for sure, but our development will be stifled.”

Gisela nodded in agreement.

“The five trees we control are more than sufficient; we may gather even more followers if we permit their return, and the cluster will thrive with more workers to maintain it,” she explained.

Cameron relented, and I nodded at the two, returning my attention to the men.

“We will not permit your Kobalt to return for their possessions,” I called out, and the men shot each other a worried look. “We insist, instead, that they return to their homes, and their lives here in Grenze.”

The Kobalt spoke amongst themselves, then nodded.

“And what of us? Will you permit the council of Grenze to convene once more?”

I turned, searching for Astrid, and at my urging, she stepped forward.

“Will you represent your branch?” I asked, and she studied me.

“I intend to serve your god-mate, Nathan. Are you certain that you do not wish another to govern the branch of Kahnwald in my stead?”

I shook my head.

“Even if you serve her, you know the people here better than anyone I can count on,” I said, and she turned to Cameron, who nodded her approval.

“So be it,” she answered, and I raised my hands.

“To the new council of Grenze!” I declared, and the Kobalt gathered around us let loose a cheer.

“Will our provisions be enough to entertain all who have gathered?” I asked Gisela, and she nodded.

“The stocks within Grenze are bountiful, and we have brought much food ourselves.”

Cameron pursed her lips as she took a look around.

“Nate, why don’t we move the festivities outside?” Cameron asked, “the entry hall can hardly fit everyone gathered up.”

I turned to Gisela, as I gave the suggestion some thought.

“Would it be acceptable?” I asked, and she quickly nodded, heading off to make the arrangements needed.

Cameron, however, sauntered over to me, then wrapped her arms around me.

“Tell me I’m doing a good job,” she said.

“You’re doing a fantastic job,” I replied, kissing her, much to the delight of those around us.

I spotted Bianca shooting me an annoyed look, and I bit my lip, before releasing Cameron from my arms, and letting her get back to her duties.

“You’re also doing a fantastic job,” I said, and Bianca folded her arms angrily in response.

“She’s still getting to show you off to everyone,” Bianca complained, and I ruffled her hair, then without warning, I lifted her up by the hips and she squealed as I threw her into the air, catching her as she came back down in a fit of giggles.

I tugged on her nose, then gave her a kiss as I brought her back down to her feet, and she smiled, as she caught the gazes on her.

“Happy now?” I asked, and she nodded, but as she darted off, I caught Francesca watching me with a playful smile.

“Is there a line, or do I have to take a number?” she asked, and I snickered at the comment.

I opened my arms up to receive her, but she shook her head, moving instead to take my hand.

“It’s fine. I know I’m getting my due soon anyway,” she said suggestively, before releasing my hand and wandering off.

As I looked around at the gathering, I caught sight of Raul, Jordan, and Nolan, all standing with their newly appointed companions, and with crowds gathered around them, talking excitedly to their charges.

Jeannie was with that Kobalt man, Elias, I think his name was, and Bianca and Lucia were arguing over something.

I noticed, however, that Molly was standing off to herself, a dissatisfied look on her face as she looked over to Leanna, who was happily entertaining the little monster, who was himself drawing some serious attention.

I made my way over to Molly, who sighed as soon as she saw me.

“What do you want?” she asked.

“A truce?” I asked, and she frowned.

“What kind of truce?” she asked, and I thought about it.

“I dunno. Everyone seems to be enjoying themselves… I want you to be able to as well, you know?”

She let out a sigh.

“I don’t even know why I’m still mad. Clearly, she’s not a problem,” Molly said, gesturing to Leanna. “But I still feel so… angry.”

“Maybe it’s because you’re stuck here in this hellhole,” I offered, and she frowned.

“It’s not just that,” she said, shaking her head. “I took a look around today and realized that everyone else is getting used to this world. I mean, look at her! She’s fucking crazy, and now even she has more of a place here than I do. I mean, what the fuck is that about?”

“You think we’re crazy for getting used to it so quickly,” I offered, and she nodded.

“It’s not that I care for the world I left, my life was a fucking mess… but I’m not cut out to be a warrior like Francesca, or even… whatever it is Evie is turning into.”

I chuckled a little, as she let out a frustrated sigh, but a small smile crept onto her face as she eyed me.

She grabbed my hand, then pulled me with her into the grove tree behind us, and to the meeting room off of the main hall, and as soon as the door was shut, she was on me.

Her lips mashed hungrily against mine, and she kissed me with an almost vengeful intent.

I tried to match her passion, but it was a losing battle, and I found myself backing up until we came to the table at the center of the room, and she swept the thing clear, before pushing me up onto it.

She impatiently tugged at my armor, and as I helped her remove it, she continued to kiss me roughly, sucking on my lips, and tugging on them from time to time with her teeth.

As soon as the armor was off, she dragged her nails down my chest, and I shuddered, as she tossed my belt-plate aside, and fished my cock out, only to swallow it whole.

“Ohhh, my,” I groaned.

I was still stirring, and she pressed her face to me, swirling her tongue, and coaxing me to life while keeping me inside of her mouth.

I could feel the head of my cock snaking its way down into her throat, and as the tight space contracted around the tip, I cooed appreciatively.

She held me for as long as she could, before releasing me with an obscene pop, and gasping for breath, as drool and slobber dripped down onto my meaty length.

She stood up long enough to strip away her clothes, and as she climbed on top of me, she took no more than a second before positioning herself along my shaft, and sinking me into her pleasurable depths.

“Ahhh, that’s the fucking stuff,” she said, taking a second to appreciate the feeling of being filled with my meaty rod. “Permission to vent?” she asked, and I shrugged.

“I doubt I could stop you if I tried,” I replied, as she leaned in to cradle my head to her bosom, and I began to devour her breasts as she began rocking back and forth on my shaft.

“Stop playing with me, Nate. Bite them; maul my fucking tits!”

I obliged, and she let out a low growl, as she climbed onto her heels, and began to ride me with that same rough intent.

I took a nipple into my mouth and sucked on it, but as Molly grabbed a handful of hair and grasped me roughly, I really bit down on the stiff nub, and Molly let out a scream, before reaffirming her grip, and slamming onto my rod now with abandon.

Her moans quickly escalated into an orgasmic wail, and as she came, she went still for a bit, then continued to ride me a bit slowly, as she worked herself through the waves of pleasure.

Then the door across the room burst open, and Evie looked in at us for a moment, before pulling the door shut.

“Fuck, did she look mad?” Molly asked.

“I don’t even know if you look mad right now,” I commented, panting a little, and she smiled happily.

“I was, but this calmed me right down,” she said. “And you didn’t even cum yet.”

I tutted at her.

“I’m having enough children as it is,” I replied, and she smirked as she climbed off of me.

She eyed my cock, but I quickly tucked myself back into my pants.

“Are you and Evie having a fight?” I asked, and she shrugged.

“I haven’t spoken to her since yesterday. It’s not that I’m mad I was just…”

I nodded, offering her a sympathetic look.

“I think she needs you. She’s been accumulating feedback to treat the princess,” I explained, and she sighed.

“You want me to ‘wife’ her?” she asked, laughing a bit, and I shook my head.

“I’m letting everyone do what they want a bit, because I know that it’s tough dealing with everything. But if Evie needs support and you can’t offer it, then I’ll probably-”

“Oh, shush it, will ya? I’ll go take care of her; I promise. I was just being… a little insolent,” she explained, letting out a sigh. “Where the fuck is a smoke when I need one?”

As she got her clothes off of the floor, I studied her for a bit.

“You know… there’s three unclaimed Kobalt girls looking for a god… or maybe goddess, to serve,” I began, and she eyed me.

“What would I do with a servant?” she asked, and I smiled.

“I dunno if you’ve noticed, but the Kobalt have… let’s say, dated ideologies, when it comes to sex.”

She shot me a teasing look.

“Oh~; how so?”

“Like, thinking that sex only serves the purpose of reproduction,” I explained. “I mean, I went down on one of them, and it blew her mind. I wonder how she would react to a girl doing that to her?”

“Are you suggesting that I take a sex slave?” she asked, and I shook my head.

“Not exactly… but maybe they could learn from an experienced Goddess? The beauty of the female orgasm…” I suggested, and Molly smiled.

“A real service to their kind, huh?”

“It has more value than they could possible imagine,” I answered, and Molly moved over to kiss me.

“You know, Evie and I were kind of pissed at you. She told me about Cameron’s pregnancy, and I was like, ‘what the fuck is his problem?’ because Francesca’s a doll, and she deserves better. But yesterday, when we were discussing Leanna, she said, ‘Nate’s thinking about all of us all of the time.’ I thought maybe she was getting sweet on you or something, but now I think I get it.”

I chuckled at Molly, and she kissed me again.

“Trust me, I’m enjoying the hell out of all of the sex,” I said, and Molly shrugged.

“You’d be a fool not to… it’s just, maybe your intentions are still kinder than I first thought.”

She kissed me, and this time I noted that she closed her eyes as our lips mashed together, and as we broke apart, her face seemed a little flushed.

“Guess I better go check on Evie,” she said, and I nodded.

We headed for the door, but before we stepped outside, she turned and kissed me again.

“Introduce me to these servant girls some time, will ya?”

I nodded, and as she turned and headed down the corridor, I stared after her, a feeling of tiredness suddenly washing over me.

 _Maybe I need some time away from here too,_ I thought, but as I turned to the entry hall, I found myself staring right at Casey, and she studied me, a knowing look in her eyes.

I just stared, an awkwardness forming between us as there was nowhere for me to go, and she wasn’t moving.

“Can we talk?” she finally asked, and I nodded. “Somewhere more private.”

She looked at me expectantly, and I quickly shook off my stupor, moving to her side.

We walked to the entry hall of the grove tree where our rooms were, but she led me to my room rather than hers, much to my surprise, and as we stepped into the room and I closed the door, Casey looked away, and I sensed an awkwardness forming between us again.

“Cameron said you’re going out tomorrow?” she asked, and I nodded.

“Are you gonna advise against it?” I asked, and she shook her head.

“There’s a wide-spectrum medicinal cocktail that you can get at the guildhall. It has several different types of painkillers, muscle relaxants, anti-biotics, immunosuppressants, anti-viral, and anti-inflammatory drugs. Jordan’s nymph buddy might be able to pick up on how we can replicate them if she has access to the batch.”

“How much is it?”

“Five hundred credits,” she replied, and I nodded.

“Definitely sounds worth it,” I replied, and she nodded in agreement.

“Well… thanks for letting me know,” I offered, but even as the conversation seemed to come unceremoniously to an end, she stood there by the window, staring off into space and unmoving.

“I was wrong,” she finally said. “And I lied to you.”

I bit my lip, as I processed her words.

“What were you wrong about, specifically?”

“Leanna,” she explained. “You were right; imprisoning her would have been the same as sentencing her to death.”

She still didn’t meet my eyes, and I licked my lips, a little uncomfortably.

“And what did you lie about?” I asked, and Casey sighed, looking out the window, as she let the question hang in the air.

“I know something about your unique skill that I didn’t tell you about.”

I moved to the bed and sat down, thinking about it for a while.

“And you still won’t tell me?”

She cracked a wry smile, then shook her head.

“Can you at least tell me why?” I asked, and she let out another sigh.

“It’s a problem with no solution… and I’m afraid of what your solution might look like.”

I thought about it for a while.

Casey had always viewed my solutions as risky, hadn’t she?

But her solutions were usually too timid to get us through the really tough times.

Was this something like that?

“Help me to understand this, then,” I said, and she turned to me, a nervous look on her face.

“Back when you first rescued me… and you found out about the bounty on my head. If you found out that the tracker was in my heart, what would you have done?”

I bit my lip.

Removing it was out of the question.

And bringing her back to the group would have put everyone in danger.

I thought about it for a while, then nodded.

“So… you’re saying I have to die?” I asked, and her eyes went wide.

“W-what? No, don’t even think about-!”

“Hey, relax! I’m not gonna do anything without knowing the full story,” I said, raising my hands in surrender.

Casey moved towards me for a moment, then stopped, holding her own hand awkwardly at the point where it’d been severed.

“I really fucked things up, huh…?” she asked, turning and moving to the window again, looking outside with a wistful expression.

“You know… if you wanted to be my advisor again, I’d be glad to have you,” I offered, and she laughed, then shook her head.

“Cameron deserves the position. I know I boasted a lot about my abilities, but it was really hard for me to manage everyone… I’m just not cut out for it. Not the way you two are, anyway.”

I bit my lip, as I studied her.

“You still have a lot to offer me, you know. Maybe not in managing things, but in-”

“I know,” she replied. “I know… but I still don’t know what I want yet.”

She laughed, then shook her head before continuing:

“I blamed this hypnosis for so long, but I was wrong. I still want your arms around me,” she said, hugging herself a little, “and I still spent all day thinking about you no matter what I tried to do, and it scares me. I mean, I almost condemned a girl to death because I was afraid that you’d fuck her.”

I studied Casey as she spoke.

“So, what do you want, then?”

She sighed.

“I want to earn your trust again,” she said. “I want to be able to offer you advice without you having to wonder if I’m advising you based on the best course of action, or my own feelings for you.”

She turned to study me, and I smiled.

“I’d like that,” I said, and she nodded, a determined look now on her face.

“I’m gonna figure this out,” she said. “And I don’t just mean my feelings. This… thing, that I don’t wanna tell you about yet. I’m gonna think about it, and work out a way to deal with it,” she affirmed, but I shot her a worried look.

“This isn’t something that puts everyone in danger or anything like that, is it?” I asked, and she shook her head.

“It’s not something that’s gonna affect anything in the immediate future,” she assured me, and I nodded.

“Okay. I trust you,” I said, and she teared up a little, as she smiled.

 _That’s a first step,_ I thought.

She turned and headed for the door, but as she got there, she hesitated just a little, and I moved over, and wrapped my arms around her, pulling her into a hug, and she relaxed in my arms, letting out a satisfied sigh, before turning and heading out the door.

As I came out of the room, however, I found Cameron there waiting for me further down the corridor, just at the entrance to her room, and I walked over to join her as she went in.

“How’d it go?” she asked, and I smiled.

“Good. I think.”

“Good would have been me coming upstairs to screams of, ‘fuck me harder, Nate!’ or something like that,” Cameron teased, and I shook my head at her.

“Well, by your definition, I guess it just went alright,” I replied, and she smiled.

“Talking about screams, though… Lucia seems to be coming up here every night, huh?” Cameron said, as she shot me a suggestive look. “Do you think we could get some alone time in now?”

“Well, I am going to be away for a few days,” I replied, and Cameron smiled.

She quickly moved in and began to strip away my armor, before stripping off her own pants.

“Remind me to make sure someone invents locks before you get back here,” she said.

I thought about the key that Garbung had used to lock the door to his room back when we’d spoken on that first day, but that was the last time I’d seen anything like that.

As Cameron lifted off her shirt, and her breasts came into view, along with that telling sign of a bump in her stomach, my mind immediately focused on what was in front of me.

She led me to the bed then climbed on top of me, and she kissed me only once before positioning me, and easing herself down onto my cock.

Her hand trailed one of the fresh bruises that Molly had left across my chest, and she eyed me teasingly.

“Somebody’s been a naughty boy tonight,” she teased. “Who was it?”

“Molly,” I replied, and she smiled.

“Jeez. Did you two fuck, or fight?”

“A little bit of both,” I answered, letting out a satisfied moan as I felt myself slip deeper inside of her.

She leaned down to kiss me, and kiss the spot where I’d been bruised, before focusing a bit on moving against me.

“Mmh. I missed you last night,” she said, and I leaned back, enjoying the familiar sensation of her insides wrapped around me pleasurably.

“Well, just so you know, by your definition of ‘good’, last night was just okay,” I said, and she smiled.

“Wait, I’m not sure if that pisses me off or not,” she said, pausing in her riding to shoot me a teasing look, but as she leaned down to kiss me, she continued to move once more.

“Do you like it rough? Like what Molly did?” she asked, and I shrugged.

“That can be fun sometimes, but mostly it just reminds me of Julie,” I said. “And this is way better than Julie,” I continued, placing a hand on her hip, and caressing her curves appreciatively.

She cooed, increasing the pace of her riding a bit, but as she let out a louder moan, the sound of footsteps padding toward the door drew my eye, and I froze as the door burst open, and the little package we’d been trying to avoid stood staring right at us, frozen as we were, in the doorway.

“Lucia-” I began, but the child took no more than one look, before she charged at us.

“Stop fighting!” she yelled, shoving Cameron off of me and flailing at her a bit, and in the commotion, I quickly located my clothes and pulled them on, before turning to restrain Lucia.

“Hey, calm down. No-one’s fighting,” I said, as Cameron quickly pulled a shirt on, and moved off of the bed to our side.

“Look, see? Everything’s fine,” she reassured the child, taking my hand in hers, but Lucia was staring daggers at the two of us, and shaking a little bit.

“What do we do?” Cameron asked, and I chuckled a little.

“We might have to give her the talk,” I replied, and she stared at me with shock.

“Is she old enough?”

“Still fighting!” Lucia said exasperatedly, and I quickly shook my head.

“We aren’t, I promise,” I said, as I sat Lucia down on the bed. “Lucia. Cameron and I love each other very much, and what we were doing just now is something that people do sometimes when they want to express that affection for each other in a physical way.”

Lucia stared at me.

“Why screaming?” she asked, pointing at Cameron, who went red.

“Was I really that loud?” she asked, and I snickered a little.

“Well, sometimes when something feels really good, Cameron might… make sounds like that,” I explained. “And that’s normal, although… usually we do it in private, because expressing affection like this is something… very personal, very special, and not something that other people are meant to see. Or hear.”

Cameron shot me a wry look, and as Lucia looked at me worriedly, I nudged her.

“Nathan is right,” Cameron said, clearing her throat a little. “What we were doing feels… good, and that’s why I was, uh- making those sounds,” she concurred, and Lucia stared at us.

“Lucia doesn’t like it,” she declared defiantly, and I chuckled a little.

“I know this is probably difficult to understand. But what we were doing is something… perfectly natural, between adults, or… mature people? Like Cameron and me,” I explained, and she studied me. “I’m sorry that you saw it, because we shouldn’t have let that happen, but it’s something that we do because we love each other very much, and we’ll probably want to express that love for each other like that from time to time.”

Lucia frowned, but her curiosity at the very least seemed to be appeased, and as she clung to me, Cameron shot me a teasing look, before slipping back on her pants.

“You in dad-mode is major sexy,” she said, and I smiled, but Lucia made a whining sound in protest, and Cameron rolled her eyes, before climbing into bed.

Lucia quickly curled up onto my lap as soon as I joined Cameron on the bed, and we studied her for a bit, as she lay there quietly.

She was going to have a little sister or brother soon, wasn’t she?

I began to wonder if we’d need to give her the ‘where do babies come from?’ talk as well, as Cameron’s pregnancy progressed and became more noticeable.

“What do you prefer?” Cameron asked, as she leaned against my shoulder, caressing Lucia soothingly. “This, or being the God-king that everyone’s throwing themselves at?”

“This. Not even a contest, really,” I said, kissing Cameron, and she cooed happily, as she leaned on me again.

“Would be nice to have just this, huh? With no monsters and fighting to worry about…”

I nodded in agreement.

“We could always elope,” I suggested, and Cameron swatted the suggestion away.

“I don’t think you could do that. And I don’t think I could let you, either,” she said. “Everyone’s depending on you.”

“On us,” I corrected her, and she smiled, kissing me again, and prompting Lucia to let out another whine in protest.

We settled in together on that little bed, and while there was barely any room to even move, I felt quite content and happy with the company around me, and as I slept, my dreams were filled with images of babies, and having a regular life with Cameron and Lucia.

I woke up with a groan, and Cameron let loose a similar complaint as she got up.

“That was a happy sleep,” she said, “but my poor old back does not agree.”

I shot her a quick look, wondering if her back pain had come from our cramped sleeping arrangement, or from the progress of her pregnancy, and she caught my look, and brought my face to hers for a kiss.

Lucia stirred beside us, and Cameron frowned.

“Kids. The original c-blockers,” Cameron whispered conspiratorially, and I snickered a little in response.

It wasn’t light outside yet, but I felt well rested, and as Cameron joined me, we quickly washed ourselves, then headed down to the entry hall.

As I got there, however, I was surprised to find Francesca already there, while Gisela oversaw as our supplies were prepared.

“You’re up early,” I said, and she rubbed the back of her head nervously.

“I was a little bit excited,” she admitted, and I shook my head at her.

“Got enough sleep though, I hope?” I asked, and she nodded.

“My core is at full capacity,” she assured me, and I ruffled her hair, before looking over the supplies.

We were carrying enough food to last us a week, easily, as well as enough supply packs to carry any other miscellaneous things that we might need to bring back from our trip away from the grove.

“Do I need to wake everyone up to see you off?” Cameron asked, but as I spotted Casey coming down from the rooms above, I shook my head.

“Was there anything else you thought I’d need?” I asked Casey, and she shook her head.

“Wait, are you taking Jacinda’s core with you?” she asked, and I nodded.

“I was thinking to get it appraised, just to see how much she’s worth,” I explained, and she nodded.

“Just… don’t try that thing again out there, okay?”

“Will do,” I said.

“And be careful,” she said, and I nodded again.

“You know, if we both kiss him on the cheek at the same time, I think he’ll definitely make sure to come back,” Cameron teased, and Casey blushed a little.

She shook her head, and Cameron shrugged, before moving in to kiss me openly.

“Get your ass back home in one piece,” she said, and Francesca pouted.

“Hey, I dunno if anyone noticed, but I’m going on this trip too,” she said, and Cameron eyed her, smiling.

“Oh please. Your reward is going on this trip with you,” Cameron said, nodding towards me, and Francesca smiled, but to my surprise, Cameron came over, and gave the girl a hug.

She seemed to whisper something to her, and Francesca went a little red, nodding, before turning to set off.

“Are you ready?” she asked.

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” I said. “Oh, make sure Bianca and Lucia deplete their cores as much as possible!” I called out.

“I’ve got it,” Cameron said, rolling her eyes a little, and I waved as we turned to leave.

Francesca shot me a smiling look as we stepped onto the road that led from the grove, an excited expression on her face, and I nodded.

“Let’s go,” I said, and with that, we took off at a sprint.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A scouting mission and an unexpected encounter.

***

We left Grenze heading south along the road, but as we passed the spot near the blighted grove where we’d cut our way out of that place, Francesca shot me a questioning look.

“Aren’t we going into the blighted grove?” she asked, and I shook my head.

“If Palancar no longer opposes us, then they shouldn’t have a problem with us moving through their territory anymore.”

“Are you testing them?” she asked, and I smiled.

“Sort of. But I really wanna see what the progress has been with this grove tree of theirs,” I replied, and she nodded.

We kept up a pretty rapid pace, since I wanted to use the cover of darkness as much as possible to keep Palancar from noticing our activities despite the foray through their territory.

Both of us now had access to speed three, with Francesca wearing the boots we’d acquired from Vanessa’s avatar, while I’d swapped out my regular shin guards for the equivalent piece, but I noted that even so, our speed seemed to pale in comparison to what I remembered of Danica’s.

 _Was she the fastest human in this world?_ I wondered.

And if she was, just how fast was she?

She’d certainly been holding back when leading me to her lair, but in her fight with Hans, I did see flashes of what she was capable of, and Hans certainly seemed to be quickly overwhelmed by her sheer athletic prowess.

We ran for what felt like an hour when the first signs of light began to appear, but there was no sign of any activity along the road even then.

It took another hour before we encountered anyone, and when we did, it was a small caravan with about twenty travelers.

I signaled to Francesca to slow our approach a bit, so as to not spook them, but as we neared the group, I noted that they seemed to be carrying belongings, rather than items for trade, and there were several children, some in Lucia’s age group, in addition to ten young girls who reminded me of those who had offered their service to us the day before.

As we came upon the group, an elderly Kobalt hailed us:

“Bei den Göttern – _By the Gods!_ That armor… you could only be our immortal reborn! Götze, the high one!”

“Well met, traveler. To whom do I owe the honor?” I replied.

The man bowed, and everyone from their wagons quickly dismounted and knelt before us.

“My humble name is not worthy of one so distinguished,” the man replied, and I shook my head, placing a hand on his shoulder, and helping him to his feet.

“Nonsense. I’d sooner renounce my own name than live without learning yours.”

The man shook his head, smiling as he did.

“Linus of branch Krämer,” the man replied.

“Linus. This is my companion-”

“The little lion of Kleiner Hein; Francesca,” the man replied, shaking his head. “They say you cleaved four hunters asunder with one swipe of your spear. The children of the Varsung branch will quake at the very mention of your name for seasons to come.”

Francesca blushed at the comment, but merely bowed to the man in response.

“The Varsung branch?” I asked, and the man nodded.

“Rest assured that branch Krämer never believed the treachery spread by Danebe and his cronies,” the man said, and mumbles of agreement sounded behind him. “It is why we decided to make the trek to Grenze this day. Our support should be one of action, rather than sentiment.”

I smiled in response.

“How is Palancar handling Danebe?” I asked, and the man frowned.

“There is much discussion. The council has been in deliberation for more than a day, but I fear nothing will be finalized while our people mourn the death of our matron. The loss of a matron and a princess is not something even these old eyes have lived to see.”

“Well, here’s to hoping that you live to see the rise of a queen,” I offered, and the man’s eyes lit up.

“Then the rumor is true? The seed has been sown?” the man asked, and as I nodded, cheers erupted from around the caravan. “Then perhaps my branch might be grafted onto that of a new growth this day,” he continued, and I nodded again.

At the group’s insistence, we were treated to a small serving of dried fruit, which I noted had been caramelized, and tasted quite sweet, but we quickly thanked the group for their hospitality, then continued on our way.

“I’m kind of jealous of how easily you talk to people like that,” Francesca admitted, and I chuckled a little, as we walked along the road.

“Maybe it’s my line of work, but I had to maintain diplomatic relations with clients all the time. So, I guess I do have some experience.”

“Investment banker to god-king: the rise of Nathan Van Dyke,” Francesca declared, and I snickered in response.

“That would make a terrible story,” I replied teasingly, and Francesca shook her head at me.

“One day, people will sing songs of you.”

“Of us, my little lioness,” I replied, ruffling her hair playfully, and she smiled happily as we resumed our journey at a slightly quicker jog.

We didn’t encounter any more travelers along the way, but as the time wound on and we never came to the grove tree, I began to worry a little.

“What’s wrong?” Francesca asked, as we came to a stop along the road.

“I feel like if we should have come to that grove tree by now,” I explained, as I turned to my right, and caught sight of the cluster of hills off in the distance.

We continued on for a bit, until we came to the place along the road where I was certain now that we’d encountered Palancar’s contingent at that time.

“Did we miss something?” Francesca asked, as she recognized the spot as well, and I shook my head.

“No. Fucking bastards were just screwing with us,” I replied, shaking my head. “Anyway, let’s head into the blighted grove.”

As we made our way over to the stream which we’d crossed that day, I noted that the other side of the grove looked completely different from how it did back then, as the menacing shadows that seemed to loom over us were long gone, and the atmosphere seemed so tranquil that the memory itself seemed like nothing more than the figment of my imagination.

“Where are we going from here?”

I thought about it for a bit.

“Originally, I’d planned on stopping by our old campgrounds, but the guildhall should be closer from here. Maybe we can stop by on the way back?”

Francesca nodded in agreement, so we turned our journey westward, but as we moved along for about an hour, I realized that we were probably a bit further south than I was on that night when I’d made the trip with Raul.

“Do you recognize anything?” Francesca asked, as we came to a pause, and I chuckled nervously, shaking my head.

“Everything just looks like trees.”

Francesca giggled at the comment, but as I relayed my suggestion that we head north a bit, before turning westwards again, she agreed without complaint, but after another hour or so of running, I was beginning to fear that I wouldn’t be able to find even the hall.

“Fuck me! I just remembered we found the hall that night because of Raul’s mapping implement.”

“Didn’t you take that off of him?” she asked, and I shook my head.

“No; the map module I took is the one that helps us get back home. He had an internal map module which showed where the guildhall was, once we got within a five-mile radius of it.”

“You mean like this?” she asked, bringing up a module which resembled his, and my mouth fell open as I stared at it.

“What? When did you get that?” I asked.

“Around when we entered Kleiner Hein. Everyone did, I think; Molly, Evie.”

I shook my head at her.

“Am I the only person who didn’t get that?”

I bit my lip, as I thought about the implications of the development.

“Why didn’t you mention it?” I asked, and Francesca shrugged.

“When it came up, it was blank… for the others too, so I thought it was pretty much useless. We thought maybe it was something that would only be of any use much later on. I guess I kind of assumed that everyone got it at that time too.”

I frowned.

“Is there anything else like that? That activated automatically?”

Francesca shook her head.

“Not that I’m aware of,” she said, and I nodded.

“Alright, well you keep an eye out for the guildhall, but we’ll move a little slower for now.”

She nodded, and we set off again, but as we continued on for another hour, I began to fear that we’d already missed the place completely.

“Do you think we missed it?” Francesca asked, as we came to a stop, and I thought about it for a bit.

“I think so,” I replied. “We’ve definitely been running for longer than I remember it being, and we should have been closer too.”

“What do we do?”

“Let’s just move north about ten miles, then sweep back.”

We made the trek north at as close to our top speed as we would dare run through the woods, then turned east, and began to move through the forest with Francesca keeping an eye out for the hall, but after another few hours, we came to a stop again.

“Maybe it’s much further north than I remember,” I said, wiping some sweat from my brow. “Wanna stop for a break?”

Francesca nodded, and we settled down on a fairly open section of ground, sharing a few pieces of roasted meat and a drink of water.

“What’re you thinking?” Francesca asked, shaking me from my thoughts.

“The Kobalt are pretty skilled at navigating these woods,” I said, and she nodded. “Back at Kleiner Hein, I’d picked up a movement skill related to navigating the forest, but maybe I should spend some time with the hunters when they go out scavenging to see if there’s anything else I can pick up from them.”

“Is that your skill learning thing?”

I nodded.

“Skill mirroring, I think it’s called,” I said, and she frowned.

“It sounds pretty awesome,” she replied, and I smiled.

“Can’t say I hate having it.”

“I’m not even sure if I have any unique skills,” Francesca said, and I studied her.

“Did you ever check anyone else for comparison?”

She nodded.

“Evie, Molly. Bianca, and Lucia.”

“You’ve never looked at my skills?” I asked, and she shook her head timidly.

I nodded, then focused on her, and peered into her core.

There were the usual physical abilities which I was accustomed to seeing, but also the agility and acrobatics skills which I was able to match to the armor she was wearing.

Then there was the spear fighting skill, and another two that I’d never seen before.

I focused on it a bit, then noted that the bump on one of them was almost at level one already, and I smiled.

“You do have something here,” I said. “Never seen this skill before.”

“Which one?” she asked, and as I described it to her, she frowned.

“How can I figure out what it does?” she asked, and I shrugged.

“No clue, but if you’re leveling it up that quickly, you must be using it. Maybe it’s something that enhances your combat ability, considering how good you are in a fight.”

She shook her head at me.

“I’m not that good, Nate. You beat me without breaking a sweat, remember?”

I scoffed at the statement.

“Maybe you’ve never watched yourself fight, but Raul has been terrified just watching you spar.”

Francesca blushed a little, but as soon as were done eating, we resumed our search for the hall.

We decided to move another ten or so miles north, before sweeping our way back across the forest, but as we came up empty after another two hours of heading west, I let out a frustrated sigh.

“What are you thinking?” Francesca asked.

“There’s no way it was this far north. Maybe we’re moving back and forth over the wrong bit of forest.”

“Should we try to head back to the stream and retrace our steps to the camp from there?” she asked, and I frowned.

“By the time we get back to the camp, it might be too late in the day to keep up with the running. I mean, my core is already below half capacity.”

Francesca nodded in agreement, as I pondered the situation.

“Maybe we should keep heading west until we get to the river? Then at least we can count this day as something other than completely wasted,” I suggested, and Francesca shrugged.

“I’ll be honest with you, I’m completely out of my depth here with the scouting,” she replied, and I snickered at her.

“I’m starting to feel the same way,” I said, and we shared a smile, before setting off again headed west.

We moved at a much slower pace this time, in an effort to preserve our energy as much as possible, but after a few hours, I found myself growing tired, and as we came to a stop, I noted Francesca was showing some signs of exhaustion as well.

“If I don’t learn speed one after all this, I’m asking for a fucking refund,” Francesca said, and I snickered at the comment.

We drank some water, and after a short rest, we resumed the journey west, but after another hour, I began to worry.

“How long do you think it would take a caravan to travel this far?” I asked, and Francesca thought about it a bit.

“Three days?”

I nodded in agreement.

“Three days isn’t bad, but if it stretches past a week, then I’m not sure we’ll be doing ourselves any favors.”

“How close do we need to be to the river?” Francesca asked.

“Close enough to fetch water daily, I think. Although, maybe that depends on how long it takes our grove trees to grow deep enough roots to start getting our own water.”

Then again, even during the growing period, maybe we could dispatch a smaller team to manage the trees as they grow, then move the rest of the population over slowly as soon as they were large enough to house them.

Now that we had a stable base, our options were much more open.

“Nolan is our planning guy for setting all of this up, isn’t he?” Francesca asked, and I nodded.

“He is,” I replied, and she frowned.

“Aren’t you worried? He seems to be going off the rails these days,” she replied, and I swallowed uncomfortably.

Truthfully, I’d been ignoring him, more or less, since thinking about his actions just… annoyed me, really.

But Francesca had a point.

Given how important he would be, maybe I needed to start thinking about how to get on his good side.

“I have no idea how to manage that. The only thing he wants is-”

“Cameron?”

I nodded sheepishly.

We continued on for another hour before stopping to rest again, and this time, we decided to have another bit of the meat.

“If you asked Cameron to spend time with him, do you think he’d be satisfied with that?”

I shook my head.

“He won’t be satisfied until she isn’t spending time with me anymore, think.”

“I guess Jordan wouldn’t be too pleased with that either, huh?”

I nodded in agreement.

As we ate, I studied Francesca, and I suddenly remembered the interaction between her and Cameron that morning.

“What did Cameron say to you?”

“Huh?”

“This morning,” I clarified, and Francesca blushed a little.

She swallowed her bite, then fidgeted a little as she replied.

“She uh… she told me to try not to get pregnant,” Francesca admitted, and I coughed, as the bite of food seemed to suddenly slip down my throat.

“Fucking hell,” I said, wiping tears from my eyes as I coughed.

As I settled down, I looked over to Francesca then sighed, but she quickly shook her head.

“I- I don’t expect anything like that to happen or anything,” she quickly clarified, and I chuckled a little at the response.

“Over me already, huh?” I teased, and she quickly shook her head.

“No- I mean, it’s not _that_ , I just… I’ve been observing things, and I guess I’ve kind of noticed that everyone just expects you to meet their needs. Whether it’s emotional or physical,” she clarified, and I studied her with an admiring smile.

“Really now?” I asked, and she nodded.

“I think Bianca really woke me up to the realization that I was kind of being like that. Like, begging for your attention, basically.”

I shook my head at her.

“You of all people would never have to beg,” I replied seriously, and she nodded.

“I know. I just… don’t want to be a burden.”

“You never have been,” I said, ruffling her hair playfully, and as she blushed cutely, I suddenly felt the urge to lean in and kiss her, but as I moved to do that, I stopped myself.

“I’m sorry. This is one of those situations that I have no reference for. Do you want me to not kiss you anymore?”

She shook her head, then lifted her face to meet mine, and planted a quick kiss on my lips.

“I’ll always want to kiss you,” she said. “I’m just letting you know that you don’t need to feel obligated to do it.”

I shook my head, as I studied her admiringly.

“I feel as if I blinked, and you went from being some kid I was afraid of hurting, to a woman who I could depend on to stand firmly at my side.”

I kissed her again, this time a firmer pressing kiss, and as we broke apart, she blushed.

“I worked hard to earn that place,” she said, and I nodded.

“You really did. I feel a little badly now, because I’ve definitely been neglecting you,” I said, but Francesca quickly shook her head.

“I didn’t work hard to get into your bed; I worked hard so that I could be the one you chose to depend on when it matters most.”

I ruffled her hair again, and gave her another proper kiss, before cleaning up and getting ready to head off again.

As we ran, however, I felt a kind of lightness in my heart, and as I studied Francesca, I noted that she seemed to be glowing in the same way.

The next few hours seemed to fly by, and our fortunes finally turned, it seems, as we came to the massive river that we sought.

“Whoa. Is this it?” Francesca asked, as we stood on the bank of the waterway, and I nodded.

“Yeah, definitely,” I replied, as I studied the scene.

The river was quite a bit wider here than the northern section we’d encountered, but no less turbulent, as the water rushed quite swiftly by.

“What do you think? Maybe four or five days for a trade caravan?” she asked.

“Probably. Maybe even less when the trail turns into a proper road.”

As she studied the river, however, she frowned.

“I thought this was supposed to be like Amazon big, though.”

“The main course, maybe. This is just a tributary,” I explained, and she nodded, stretching tiredly as she did and sitting down on a nearby rock.

“Are we calling it a day, then?” she asked, and I shook my head.

“The night is going to be really long, and we won’t be able to do much. I wanna utilize the light for as long as possible. Do you mind?”

Francesca shook her head, then climbed to her feet.

“What’s the plan?” she asked.

“I wanna follow the river south; Gisela mentioned that the river flows into the lands south of here, that Saker Keep is a part of. I’m kinda curious as to how far we’ll be from the nearest human towns.”

“I thought we were steering clear of those,” she asked, and I smirked a little.

“We were; when we sucked. I’m pretty sure either of us could take on someone of Raul’s caliber now… or at least, the level he was at when we first encountered him.”

She smiled mischievously.

“You wanna hunt hunters?” she asked, and I shook my head.

“I’m thinking we could explore the towns; get a feel for it, and maybe eventually even trade with them. Plus, if Saker is within reach, that’s still a starter hall. And according to Casey, there are a few others.”

“You want to intercept newbies?” she asked, and I nodded. “For what?”

“Recruitment, eventually. We could train them, strengthen our team. Maybe even save some lives?”

Francesca chuckled a little, then shook her head.

“When you plan for the long term, you really plan for the long-long term,” she noted, with some amusement, and I rubbed the back of my head nervously.

“Occupational habit,” I mused. “Shall we?”

Francesca nodded, and we headed off again, moving south, and following the river’s course.

As we moved, however, I tried as best as I could to note places along the river’s banks that allowed for easy access to the channel, and other places which looked to be decent enough places to settle.

We continued on our journey for about another hour or so, heading south along the river’s bank, but as we continued on, I suddenly heard a voice calling out from somewhere ahead of us, and I froze, as it was one of the last things I expected to hear at that moment:

“Julie!”

_The fuck-?_

Was it merely my imagination?

I turned to Francesca, but the look on her face told me that she’d heard it too.

“That was your sister’s name, wasn’t it?”

“ _Adopted_ sister; but yeah…”

I shook my head disbelievingly.

Even here, you haunt me in the strangest ways, huh?

“Do you wanna check it out?” she asked, and I nodded nervously.

“Yeah. People shouldn’t be in here, and this could really put a dent in our plans to settle down.”

“Sounds like they’re in trouble though,” she said, and I nodded again.

“Let’s get a little closer and see what’s up,” I suggested, and Francesca nodded, following me as I headed carefully for a thick bit of brush, then made my way around it.

There were a lot of leaves on the floor, and we’d need to be careful if we were to move without being heard.

“Julie!” someone called again, and as we settled into our vantage point, a group of what appeared to be ordinary humans came into view, making their way along the river’s edge heading north.

“Their clothes,” Francesca whispered, and I nodded in response, as I noted that they were wearing the same plain cotton clothes that we were wearing when we first came into this world.

The clothes, however, were quite ragged, and the group too looked fairly miserable.

I counted seven guys and four girls, and as they came nearer, snippets of their conversation began to come to us.

“She’s gone, man. You need to let this go before you get us all killed.”

“We don’t know that, okay?”

“Fucking hell, can one of you girls just touch his penis so he can let this go?”

One of the girls laughed, and the man snapped at them.

“Fuck all of you!” he yelled.

One of the boys shoved another, and as the two began to tussle, the others quickly separated them.

“If one of you went missing, you’d want us to come looking!” he yelled, but the boy who he’d attacked, Wilt, apparently, merely shook his head.

“You heard what that man said. This place is meant to kill us all. We can’t afford to waste time playing hero when we don’t even know how to protect ourselves!”

“They look like noobs,” Francesca said. “Should we go help them?”

I shook my head.

“I dunno,” I replied. “I was hoping to stay out of trouble.”

“Doesn’t seem like if they’re armed though,” Francesca said, and I frowned.

“I’m still getting a bad feeling,” I replied; then just like that, as if on cue, that curious sensation coursed through me, and Francesca’s eyes went wide as she felt it too.

Danger sense.

We immediately went on alert, our backs to each other, as we kept an eye on our surroundings looking for signs of some intruder.

“Do you think they’re being hunted?” she asked.

“Maybe. But whoever that was probably just got a bit of a shock.”

I took one more glance at the group, who continued on northwards, occasionally calling out for ‘Julie’ again before slipping out of sight.

“What do we do?” Francesca asked, and I thought about it.

“Let’s stay put for now. They would have sensed us, and if they were hunting those guys, then they would have been spooked by us too.”

What would they have done?

My instinct told me that they would have gone still as well, waiting for some sign of us… unless they had some ability that allowed them to detect where we were.

What were their other options?

The danger sense radius was a mile according to Casey, so they could move a mile east of us, and get past us like that.

Nevertheless, we kept still for what felt like twenty minutes, when I sensed that Francesca was getting impatient.

“What if they continued after those people?” she asked, and I frowned.

“I don’t want to leave them to die if they really are newbies, but we’re at a serious disadvantage here.”

As I placed a hand over Francesca’s, she settled down a little, and not a second too soon as we spotted a flash of movement east of our location.

Francesca caught my eye, and in that moment, we darted out towards it.

My mind had just a second to process it all; but it appeared to be a man in full armor, and his eyes went wide as he spotted us, but he was too slow to react, and my halberd caught him in the ribs as I slashed at him, knocking him off his feet, and sending him skidding across the forest floor.

He sprang to his feet, but I was on him again, and just as he lifted an axe to strike, I stabbed him through the unarmored spot on his shoulder, then slashed at the axe, and the thing went flying from his grasp.

“Stay down,” I warned, but as I kept an eye on him, another flash of movement drew my eye from the side, and Francesca moved to chase.

“Fuck,” I cursed, as the clanging of steel against steel sounded from beyond the trees.

Could she handle it?

I took one look at the man in front of me, then made a judgement call; stabbing through his leg and twisting my halberd wickedly before darting after the sound, and I got there just as an armored man came charging at Francesca from the east while she engaged with yet another man just south of me.

I made a slash, and the man parried the attack, before turning to jab at me, but his attack was sloppy, and I deflected it with my arm guard, before stabbing through his leg, then dragging the point of my halberd out of his leg, and cutting through the extended hand that held the sword.

The man cried out in pain, and I turned just in time to see Francesca yanking her spear point out of the third man, who lying still and lifeless on the floor.

Was that it?

I turned to the man that I’d wounded.

“Do you have any heals?” I asked, but the man was wailing, and seemed unable to comprehend me at all as blood burst gruesomely from his stump of a hand, and the spot on his leg where I’d ripped through him.

I grabbed onto the man, and slapped him.

“Heals?” I called out more urgently, and he shook his head… but as he began to cough up blood, and his body began to spasm, I quickly released him, and he went still as his body slumped to the floor.

“What about the third-?” Francesca began, but her question was cut short as a figure darted out from behind the tree where I’d left the man, and we immediately turned to give chase.

But the pursuit turned out to be a short one, as we spotted another man up ahead, and as our quarry turned and spotted him, the other man raised a sword and slashed across him, and Francesca and I pulled up to a stop as the headless body fell to the ground at the man’s feet.

“Fucking hell; how many of you bastards are there?” the man began.

He advanced on us, but as he moved to attack, he paused in his approach.

“Wait… you aren’t with them?” the man asked, and I shook my head, even as I kept my muscles tensed, and ready to react at any time.

He shook his head disbelievingly.

“I spend a week crawling through these woods and finding absolutely no-one, and now suddenly I can’t seem to stop running into people. Does anyone wanna tell me what’s going on?”

“You first,” I replied, and the man readied his sword.

“Not the kind of way you talk to someone while refusing to display any emblem of your affiliation. What are you, hunters or something?”

“Just people trying to survive,” I replied, and he scoffed.

“I find that hard to believe when you’re holding a custom-made weapon.”

His eyes flicked between me and Francesca, full of suspicion, though as his eyes rested on Francesca, I noted that his expression seemed to soften a little.

“Now her, I’d believe; you’re not accustomed to killing,” the man said, and Francesca eyed me, not responding, and the man sighed, then planted his sword into the ground.

“Look, we’re not gonna get anywhere unless someone starts talking. I’m fairly certain I could take you both, so maybe try giving me something to work with before I need to resort to something less… diplomatic.”

I bit my lip, as I thought about his words, then nodded.

“We’re fairly new. The armor came from someone else, but we’re only just getting settled in here,” I explained, and he arched an eyebrow at me.

“Inside of the forest? How’d you even get in here?” he asked.

“Natives are guiding us,” I replied, and he let out a laugh.

“You’re serious, aren’t you? What kind of natives would have anything to do with us?”

I shook my head.

“I gave you something, and if I’m going to die, I’d rather not reveal something that puts them in danger,” I replied, and the man cracked a smile at this.

“Loyalty even in the face of death?” the man asked. “Well, color me impressed. The name’s Ethan; and this here thing,” he continued, indicating to an emblem that hung on his belt, “this is the emblem of Davion’s knights, although I’m guessing that name means nothing to you, huh?”

“Someone I met mentioned them,” I said, and at this, his eyes lit up.

“Met? Wait, in here? Please tell me it was Danica!”

I nodded slowly, and he practically leapt into the air with joy.

“She really did it, then! God, I’m sorry, you must not understand any of this; but that’s probably the best news I’ve heard in my entire life!”

As he spoke, I tried to peer into his core as subtly as I could, but while I could make out a lot of skills, I noted with interest that there was no implant in his wrist…

I studied his wrist for some indication of why that might be, when he suddenly shot me a cheeky smile.

“It’s not polite to do that without asking someone’s permission,” he said, and I shook my head.

“Sorry, but- your wrist… where’s your implant?” I asked, and the man grinned.

“Don’t have one; I’m technically not like you two,” he explained. “My parents were, but I was born here.”

I stared at him, my mind suddenly going to Cameron and our baby.

Could it one day grow up to be as strong as he was?

I was worried that lacking an implant would seriously hinder my child’s development, so knowing that this was possible was a huge relief.

As I studied the man, however, I noted that there seemed to be an interesting smile on his face…

“You… seem pretty happy to see us,” I offered, a little uncertainly, and he shook his head.

“Sorry, it’s just so nostalgic; seeing two otherworlders like this. So young and innocent to this world. I was born pretty soon after my parents came here, and well, I guess I don’t need to tell you that with core acceleration I grew up pretty quickly… but you two kind of remind me of them. Before they started to lose their innocence to all of the brutality that comes with surviving in here, at least.”

“I understand,” I replied. “I’m Nathan, by the way. And this is Francesca.”

Francesca bowed a little, and the man returned the gesture, smiling at her.

“That’s a beautiful name,” he offered.

He studied her for a second, before quickly shaking his head.

“I’m sorry, I’m getting a little caught up in the moment here. There’s a group of new recruits that I was tracking; I think they went up the river that way, and they really need some help. Tell you what, I don’t really care for all of the armor on these guys, so you can have what this one was wearing, but… if you don’t mind, I’d really like if you’d come meet up with us when you’re done looting them over here. Maybe we could chat a little?”

I nodded in response.

“Will do. How do you collect credits without an implant, if you don’t mind me asking?” I replied, and he chuckled nervously in response.

“Can’t collect them at all, really; although… given what we know about the people that’re sending you all over here, there’s some of us who prefer to have nothing to do with their credits. Don’t let me put you off though, you probably need the stuff just to survive right now, huh?”

I nodded, and he sighed.

“Well; have at it. We’re following the river up this way, and we’ll probably camp along its bank somewhere for the night… somewhere we can access the water easily. Just follow the way up and you’ll find us, okay?”

“Sure thing,” I replied.

The man nodded, and he bowed again to Francesca before turning to leave.

“Impressions?” I asked finally, as the man disappeared from our field of view, and Francesca crouched down beside me.

“That was unnerving as fuck,” she breathed. “Nate, he’s like… your twin. I swear. Everything about him screamed danger, but I could feel myself relaxing despite it. As if the comfort and safety he exuded just… eclipsed my own intuition.”

I bit my lip, as I listened to her.

“Logic is telling me we could learn a lot from talking to him, but my instincts are telling me to just run right now,” I admitted, and Francesca sighed.

“What do we do?” she asked, and I crouched down to look at her.

“If his intentions aren’t bad, then I guess we can learn a lot just from talking to him.”

“And if they are?”

“Then we’re fucked, because he’ll follow us and we’d end up leading him to the others even if we left right this instant.”

Francesca breathed nervously into her hands.

“What do we do?” she asked, and I sighed.

“The single only way we protect the group right now is to lead him far away from them, and just… let him murder us,” I explained, and Francesca furrowed her brow.

“Maybe we can fight him together with everyone else?” she suggested, and I sighed.

“Then we risk getting everyone killed.”

Francesca put her hand over mine, and I looked into her eyes.

“Nate; I’m pretty sure everyone is willing to die for the sake of keeping each other alive. And they aren’t going to make it without you… none of us are.”

I sighed.

“Let’s meet up with him then. Maybe we can work out exactly how strong he is, and what we’re up against.”

She quickly nodded in agreement, but as I stood up, I took a look at the decapitated corpse ahead of us.

I walked over it and placed the man’s implant against my own, transferring two thousand credits over to me, but as I began to strip off the armor from his body, Francesca moved to join me.

“Fuck. I feel sick, doing this. Like we’re… grave robbing, or something,” she said, and I nodded.

Maybe hunters back on earth would be more used to this sort of thing, although… butchering an animal carcass had to be different from taking armor off of a human corpse.

“Tier two; low-grade,” I said, and Francesca nodded.

“They were newbie hunters like Raul then, huh…”

I picked up his axe, then ran my finger along the handle, and watched as the weapon folded away into a small bit of handle, making it easier to stow, but as I examined his leg where I’d wounded him, I noted that his wound seemed to have been healed, and after a quick examination of his body, we found a belt-pack tucked under his shirt, filled with some little metal nuggets and a couple more mid-tier healing vials.

“What’re those?” Francesca asked, examining one of the nuggets.

“Native-human currency,” I explained.

“Just… bits of metal?” she asked, and I nodded.

“According to Casey, there are very few naturally occurring metals on this planet, and they’re all structurally different to the ones used to make our armor and weapons. So, they melt down our stuff and make these. Apparently, it’s the primary form of currency in most of the civilizations that interact significantly with us.”

“Huh. Is that what all of the blacksmiths back in Saker were about?”

I nodded.

“Apparently the process to melt them down takes a long time for regular smiths, even if the equipment is low-grade t-one.”

“The grade affects the time?”

“And tier, apparently. Our weapons function as they do from being super dense; so, the denser the metal, the higher the grade. And the higher the quality of skill it can store. To be honest, I don’t really understand all of the physics behind this stuff,” I admitted, and Francesca chuckled a little.

“Well, I never paid that much attention in physics classes, but I think I get it; mostly because it follows video game logic,” she explained.

“Hn~. Maybe I should have played some in my life, then,” I said, and Francesca shot me a surprised look.

“You never played anything? Not even the classics?”

“What, like… ‘Super Mario’?” I asked, and she nodded in response. “Sure, but not much more than that.”

“What about board games? Or tabletop games.”

“Tabletop? Like dungeons and dragons?”

Francesca nodded, and I snickered a little.

“I actually did, but… let’s just say in a much more formal way than most people would consider ‘playing’,” I explained, and she studied me.

“Formal? What, like official games? Adventurer’s league, I think it’s called?”

I shook my head.

“My father made us play; me and my siblings, I mean. It was sort of like… a training exercise to him. To help us to bond, learn how to work together; that sort of thing.”

“Jesus. Training to be an investment banker?” she asked, and I chuckled a little.

“You’d be surprised by how often his unusual life lessons ended up helping me throughout my life.”

Francesca studied me, smiling a little.

“You really liked your dad, huh?”

I shrugged.

“He wasn’t exactly what one would describe as a doting father, but he was an efficient man, and I appreciated his efforts,” I said. “But try telling that to Julie, and all you get is an hour-long rant about how he doesn’t love us, and how he’s never pleased with anything that we do.”

“Now that sounds like my dad,” Francesca said, and I studied her, as we moved on from the headless corpse to the other two.

“Was he the overly critical type?” I asked, and she shook her head.

“Just the… perpetually unimpressed type, I think. But overly critical was definitely my mom. She gave me the ‘girls who make something of their lives don’t play video games all day’ speech like twice a week.”

I snickered in response.

“How good were you?” I asked, and she shrugged.

“Wouldn’t know. To be competitive you need to play a lot. And I mean, a lot. More than you can with parents who berate you constantly about it, even though my grades were never bad.”

I ruffled her hair playfully, and she smiled.

“I think my dad would’ve liked you,” I said. “He had a special love for people with natural talent.”

Francesca scoffed.

“What natural talents do I have?” she asked, and I shot her a disbelieving look.

“You kick ass like no human I know,” I replied. “If you ask me, that Ethan seemed pretty interested in you too.”

“Ugh,” she replied, as she suppressed a shudder, and I chuckled in response.

In total, we got forty-five hundred credits from the three men, as well as three suits of low-grade tier-two armor, plus two swords, two daggers, a knife and an axe.

“What do we do with the bodies?” Francesca asked, and I sighed.

“Would be pretty irresponsible of us to just leave them lying about, huh?”

I took a look around, as we didn’t exactly walk with tools for grave digging.

“Our weapons can loosen up the soil easy enough, but we’ll need something to scoop out the earth if we’re gonna finish sometime this century.”

Francesca smirked a little, while I looked around for something to use.

“What about their helmets?” she asked, and I smiled.

“Fuck me. The armor. We can just use one half of a breastplate.”

Cutting into the soil quickly loosened it right up, but scooping the dirt onto the breastplate panel actually proved to be quite the chore, until Francesca pointed out that we could use one of the arm guards as a scoop, making it much easier.

We also settled on the graves being quite shallow; no more than three feet deep, but even then, it took us close to an hour to get the holes dug.

“I just thought of something,” I said. “They have cores, don’t they? Should we extract them?”

Francesca nodded.

“I think the Kobalt do,” she replied, and I nodded, using energy manipulation to locate the things, before cutting them out.

“Wonder how much we’d be worth,” I joked, and Francesca shot me a wry look.

“If I ever die, please don’t turn me in at a guildhall,” she said, and I chuckled a little.

“What do I do, then? Turn you into a necklace and wear you wherever I go?” I asked.

“That’d be nice, actually. Or you could just keep me in a special place. Come see me from time to time.”

I shook my head at her, then leaned in to kiss her.

“You better not die. Ever,” I warned, and she smiled.

“Believe me, I’m trying my best.”

We rested the bodies in their respective holes, then covered them, and I even placed three decent enough sized rocks over their graves, before heading off along the river’s edge.

We stopped at a point along the way where we could access the stream from the bank, and we quickly washed a bit, and took a small breather.

“It’s getting dark already, huh?” Francesca noted, and I nodded.

As we took the moment to collect ourselves, however, she shot me a worried look.

“Is it too late for us to make a run for it?” she asked, and I nodded.

“Our cores are pretty much spent. Doubt we’d get far… maybe we shouldn’t have pushed on so much.”

Francesca scoffed.

“On the off-chance that we run into the one human in this massive forest? We’d probably never make much progress if we proceeded like that.”

I nodded in agreement, letting out a slightly tired sigh as I did.

Though maybe we could afford to take the more cautious approach when we finally had a place to settle down to.

We headed north along the river, but it took us no more than twenty minutes to come upon the group.

“Relax, these are the guys I mentioned,” Ethan called out, as the members who spotted us quickly went into panic mode.

“Are they knights too?” one of the boys asked, and Ethan shook his head.

“I guess you could say they’re ‘randoms’; not much unlike yourselves, actually.”

“Randoms? In that kind of armor?”

The boy seemed suspicious, and Ethan chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his head as he did.

“They’re doing pretty well, I guess,” he admitted. “Though, you should probably thank them. They pretty much saved you all from that group that was hunting you.”

The boy who was talking to him shook his head uncertainly, and one of the girls stepped forward.

“Sorry; he’s on edge because we lost someone,” she explained. “I’m Sheila.”

She held a hand out, and I took it, giving it a little shake.

“Nathan,” I answered.

Francesca introduced herself, then Ethan stepped forward.

“Let’s see if my memory is working alright, then. The surly looking fellow over there is Jayden. Then, from right to left, we have Lin, Ray, Graham, Wilt, and…”

“Devin,” one of the boys added.

“Right, and Colt?”

The boy furthest to the right nodded.

“And the rest of the ladies are Alice, Samantha, and Blair.”

“Of course, he remembers the girls,” Colt said, and Ethan nodded.

“It’s coded into my DNA,” Ethan joked, and the girls laughed a little.

“This is funny? Really? Julie’s still out there somewhere!” Jayden shot, and the group went silent.

“How long has she been missing?” I asked, trying to break the tension a little.

“It might have been this morning,” Sheila answered. “Something sort of attacked, and we got scattered a bit.”

“Something?”

“It looked sort of like a monkey, but it had claws and fangs,” Colt said. “It killed Stanley, and the rest of us kind of scattered. We all met back up, but she was missing after.”

“We have to find her,” Jayden said again.

“Doesn’t matter; she knew the plan,” Wilt cut in. “She would have come here if she made it.”

Jayden advanced on Wilt, and Ethan quickly moved between the two.

“Whoa there. We’re not going to get anywhere by throwing fists at each other,” he said. “Maybe we can search along the river, but if she didn’t make it here, then we need to consider that the hunters may have gotten her, okay?”

“Why are they following the river?” I asked.

“One of ours ran into them back at their hall,” he explained. “Told them to follow this path into the forest, then head north along the river until they found me.”

“You recruit newbies?” I asked, and Ethan shook his head.

“Not exactly. There’s an otherworlder called Razvan who runs a training camp on the fringe of Irileth’s domain, so we’ve just been helping some of them along to his camp whenever we could. The path is usually pretty safe, but… we can’t really account for hunters and stray heralds, huh?”

“Safe, huh? I thought this was all part of the domain,” I replied.

“Well, the southern fringes hardly ever saw monsters, and they never cross this river anyway; so as soon as they got to Razvan’s crossing, they would have been fine. I guess we just got a little unlucky this time.”

Jayden scoffed at this, and I shot him a sympathetic look.

“If it helps, we came here from much further north, and we never ran into anyone,” I offered, and the man merely waved a hand, then moved off to sulk.

Ethan shot me a nervous smile, then indicated to me, and we moved off away from the group to talk.

“Honestly, I’m kind of starting to think it’s a good thing I ran into you two. I didn’t wanna spook the others, but there’s a harbinger of some kind around here. Normally I’d have them push on through the night until we got clear of the zone, but I’m not sure it’ll stay within the realm anymore now that Irileth is gone.”

I nodded.

“What do you want us to do?” I asked.

“I can probably hunt it for a bit if you’re here to protect them. I’m not sure how strong you two are, but if you could take those hunters down without a scratch, then I’m pretty sure you can at least fend it off if it attacked. What do you think?”

I turned to Francesca, and she nodded.

“Sounds good,” she said, and Ethan smiled.

“She speaks! And the voice matches the face too,” he said, and to my surprise, Francesca blushed. “Well, I better not waste what’s left of daylight. Let me just talk to them a bit, and I’ll head off.”

He moved over to the group, and began talking to Wilt and Sheila, and I turned to Francesca, and shot her a teasing smile.

“I fucking hate him,” she said, and I chuckled a little.

“I’m not sure if I believe you anymore,” I teased, and she sighed.

“His very presence feels like a manipulation,” she said, and as I placed a hand over hers, she pulled it into her chest, and held me for a bit.

“That actually feels so much better,” she said.

“Really?” I asked, and she nodded.

“It feels as if your presence counteracts whatever it is that he’s doing,” she said, and I studied her with interest.

After a short conversation with the group, Ethan came back over to us.

“I’m gonna try to track the thing, but I don’t wanna go too far in case I end up running into something else. Most likely, I’ll be back every few hours or so to check on things.”

I nodded, and with that, Ethan headed off.

Francesca and I moved over to where the others were, but everyone seemed to be on edge, so we settled down into our own corner, while everyone else did their own thing.

“Do you think we should sleep?” Francesca asked, and I nodded.

“Do you think you can?” I asked, and she shook her head.

“I’d rather you be rested in case something happens,” she said, and I nodded, before casting a quick look over at the others.

“Wake me up, even if you’re moving away from me for a second,” I said, and she quickly nodded.

“Will do,” she said. “Are you gonna use the sleeping bag?”

I shook my head.

“Doesn’t look like they have anything, and I’d rather not make the tensions any worse.”

She nodded in agreement, settling down onto the floor, and then patting her lap.

“You look so excited; are you thinking about Ethan?” I teased, and Francesca frowned, then flicked my ear in retaliation as soon as I settled down.

“Sheila sure looks like she’d volunteer her lap for the job,” she replied, and I cast a tentative look over at the girl, who seemed to be straining herself to look over at us, before returning my gaze to Francesca.

“I don’t trust them either,” I whispered, and she nodded.

“Do you think we’re just being paranoid?” she asked, and I shrugged.

“Meeting them in here feels pretty off to me; even if their stories add up. But we need the rest, so maybe we can play nice for tonight, then figure something out tomorrow.”

Francesca nodded, and as I settled into place, she began to caress my head soothingly, and I quickly drifted off to seep.

*

“Nate, something’s happening.”

I woke up a little groggily, then sat up as I noted the worried look on Francesca’s face.

“Don’t put that on me!” someone yelled.

“If you don’t do anything, then you might as well have!”

I sat up and spotted Jayden and Wilt going at it, and I quickly moved over to mediate.

“Stay out of this!” Jayden said, as soon as he spotted me.

“I will as long as everyone behaves.”

He scowled at me.

“I’m going to look for my friend.”

“Julie?”

He eyed me.

“Yeah. You got a problem with that?”

I sighed.

“If you go out there, we can’t do anything to help you,” I warned, and he shrugged.

“I don’t give a fuck. She wouldn’t leave me out there,” he said, and I eyed him carefully.

I wasn’t certain yet if something was up with the group or not, but his concern at the very least, seemed quite genuine.

I tried to think about the situation for a second, but his urgency was quickly getting the better of him, and he pushed his way past me, and began to head south along the river’s edge.

“Hold on,” I called. “What’s your plan, exactly?”

He shot me an annoyed look, but as he saw the seriousness of my expression, his impatience abated a little.

“We got separated before we got to the river. If I can backtrack to where that was, then I’ll search the area just around there.”

“And that was this morning?”

He nodded.

“And you all walked all day?”

He let out an exasperated sigh.

“Do you see any other methods of transportation?” he asked sarcastically, and I shook my head.

“I mean, did you run at any point? Jog? I’m trying to gauge how far you travelled.”

His expression shifted again.

“We did. Probably stopped for about… two hours in all. And maybe got started an hour after sunrise.”

I nodded again.

That meant roughly… twelve hours of walking?

Factoring in how much ever time it took them to get back together after getting separated.

So maybe, twenty miles?

Twenty-five max.

I stared into his core, and noted his capacity was close to depletion.

“Okay, I’ll put you in armor that lets you move faster, but I have terms.”

“I’m listening,” he said.

“One; you need to sleep.”

“Fuck this,” he said, but I stopped him.

“I can see how tired you are, and you won’t make it far. If you want to save Julie, you need to make it there. Or are you just trying to go out there and die?”

He paused to study me.

“Fine. What’s the other condition?”

“Make it back before dawn,” I said, and he shook his head.

“Even if I left now, how would that be possible?”

“The armor. You’ll be quicker, and this time you’ll be running. I estimate that you can get where you’re going in just under three hours.”

“Three hours?”

“Yeah. This one will boost your endurance,” I said, showing him one of the armor slivers, “and this one is speed. With three to four hours of sleep, you’ll be ready to leave.”

He eyed the pieces of armor.

“What do I do if I find her?” he asked.

“This is a healing vial. If she’s injured her feet, pour it on the affected area. I’ll give you two more armor pieces with the same stats as the one you’ll be wearing, so let her wear that, and run back here. No stops, because we don’t know what else is out there.”

He nodded.

“Alright. So, sleep?” he asked, and I nodded.

“ASAP.”

He nodded, yawning, his own exhaustion suddenly seeming to catch up to him, and he moved over to where the group was gathered, then settled down on a flat bit of earth.

As he did, I caught Sheila’s eyes on me, and she quickly moved to my side.

“You’re really giving him armor for that suicide mission?” she asked, and I nodded, sighing a little. “You know, these supposed knights wouldn’t even give us armor.”

I shrugged.

“It’s not really mine anyway; we stripped it off of the ones who were hunting you,” I explained, and she shook her head.

“Still. We’re strangers,” she continued, and I shrugged.

“Everyone is at the start. But with a little bit of trust, most of the time at least, we can grow into something more.”

She followed my gaze to Francesca, then smiled.

“Is that how you two got so close?” she asked, and I nodded, a little sheepishly.

“I guess…”

“Isn’t she a little young to be your girlfriend?” Sheila asked, and I chuckled a little.

“She’s matured more in the past week than you can imagine.”

Sheila shot me a teasing smile.

“Oh? Did you make a woman out of her?” she asked, her tone suggestive, and I laughed.

“No. It’s more like, this world made a warrior out of her,” I replied, and Sheila frowned.

“So, everyone has to learn to fight eventually, huh?” she asked, and I shook my head.

“It depends. We had to do what we needed to do to survive. But not everyone is suited to fighting.”

“So, there’s others in your group?”

I nodded tentatively, and she pursed her lip, as she eyed Francesca again.

“Well, if there’s room for a plus one to do anything but fighting, keep me in mind? I don’t know if I fit in here, and I don’t really trust this Ethan…”

“And you trust me?” I asked, and she bit her lip a bit, then shook her head.

“Maybe not… but considering what you’re doing for Jayden, maybe I’m distrusting you the least right now…”

She headed off to rejoin the other girls, and Francesca moved to my side.

“You’re an actual chick magnet now, aren’t you?” she teased, and I chuckled a little.

“Funny. You know, back on earth, I couldn’t get a date for love nor money,” I said, and she shrugged.

“The things we value here are very different. Maybe you just rank higher on the ladder when survival becomes a more pressing issue,” she suggested.

“Would have never imagined that,” I said thoughtfully, and Francesca gave me a playful swat.

“You going back to sleep?” she asked, and I nodded.

“Wake me up when Jayden is ready to head out. Then we’ll switch,” I said, and she quickly nodded as we got back into position to rest, and this time, when I woke up, I felt a little more rested than I did after my previous interrupted bit of sleep.

Francesca let out a yawn, and settled back down with her back against the tree trunk, just as we were when I was asleep, but I noted with interest that she quickly dozed off like that, with her hand clutching onto her spear which rested beside her.

It was so curious, and I studied it with interest when a voice called out to me:

“I’m ready to head out,” Jayden said, shaking me from my reverie.

“Okay. There’s one more thing,” I said, and while he initially seemed a bit annoyed, his expression quickly shifted as I retrieved a dagger, and offered the blade to him.

“Is that a knife?”

“Dagger,” I replied. “It might not look like much, but it can cut through almost anything,” I explained, and he studied the thing, then took it from me, withdrawing it from its sheath and examining the blade slightly.

He began to move a finger toward the blade, and I quickly stopped him.

“It cuts through _everything_ ,” I said again, and he swallowed uncomfortably, before taking sheathing the blade and stowing it away.

“Okay,” he said.

“When you get there, you have a few hours to search. Three, tops. But just remember, I expect my armor back,” I said, and he nodded slowly.

I watched as he headed off, and as I looked back at the group, I noted that most of them were sleeping uncomfortably all around our little camp area.

Samantha appeared to be awake, but she was watching over the other three girls, while one of the boys, I think his name was Lin, was keeping a lookout to the north side of the camp.

I moved to Francesca’s side, and settled down there, keeping a lookout, until eventually, Samantha seemed to wake Sheila up, and after she indicated to me, the girl nodded, then sleepily made her way over.

“Hey,” Sheila said.

“Hey. Do you know if Ethan came back while I was asleep?” I asked, and she shook her head.

“He didn’t,” she confirmed, and I frowned a little. “Do you think something happened, or do you think he just left us?”

I shook my head.

“Neither one of those things is good right now.”

She shifted uncomfortably, before taking a seat beside me, on the other side from where Francesca was.

“What do we do if he doesn’t come back?” Sheila asked.

“I’d wait until that became a reality before speculating,” I said, and she sighed.

She shifted around for a bit, then turned to study my armor.

“You guys seem to be doing well, huh?” she asked, and I chuckled a little.

“Honestly? It kinda feels like if we’re just barely scraping by.”

“I think you might be selling yourself short. Although, how much does all of that armor cost?” she asked.

“This set? I have no idea. It’s more of an inheritance than a purchase, really.”

“And hers?”

I went over the pieces in my head, then nodded.

“A little under seventeen hundred,” I said, and she let out a whistle.

“So, we’ll need to make at least that much, plus whatever we need for heals and supplies, in addition to the amount needed for a ticket, huh? That’s gotta be at least, what, eight thousand credits?”

I laughed, and the girl studied me.

“What? Am I underestimating what it takes?”

I shook my head.

“Your assessment is pretty well thought out, I’ll give you that much. It’s just, we’re almost certain that the return ticket is a myth.”

She eyed me.

“Based on what?”

“The company who sent us here offloaded one of their former employees on our group. She has a lot of inside info on what they’re really about, but really… it only just affirmed what I’d begun to suspect.”

Sheila studied me carefully.

“So, there is no leaving?” she asked, and I bit my lip nervously.

“If there is, then it lies outside the realm of our current understanding,” I replied, and she nodded.

“But, return tickets… you have confirmation that they don’t work?”

“Sort of. Anecdotal evidence, if that counts.”

She studied me, so I continued:

“I haven’t confirmed it myself, but… we met an otherworlder whose been around for a bit, and according to her; her friend bought a return ticket only to reappear here as a monster later on.”

Her mouth fell open as she studied me.

“How did she know the monster was her friend?”

“They retain their memories, their personalities. But their humanity is… tainted. They crave our cores, and they hunt and kill us with an almost unnatural thirst,” I explained, and she shuddered a little.

“Is that what Ethan is out there fighting?”

I nodded, and she shifted closer to me again.

“All of this is so crazy-”

She began, but I leapt to my feet, cutting her off midsentence just as one of the boys suddenly went flying into the air, and I nudged Francesca awake, just as he let loose a desperate scream, as something, though I couldn’t quite tell what it was, pulled him up into the darkness of the canopy above.

Everyone shot awake as the scream echoed through the woods, piercing the veil of silence, before again going still.

“W-What the fuck was that?” someone asked.

They did a quick check, before Devin spoke.

“Ray. Where’s Ray?”

“Something just pulled him up there,” I said, my eyes on the treetops as Francesca moved to my side.

“Did you see it happen?”

I nodded.

“And you did nothing?” a boy asked.

Colt, I think it was, and he was staring daggers at me.

“It took all of a second,” I said, slightly dismissively, but as Colt moved to press me, something fell from above, and I immediately went on alert.

I saw some movement at the spot where the thing had fallen from, and a familiar shifting of branches, but this creature I noted moved much more slowly, though steadily, than the leaping movement of the aufhöcker.

This was a different beast.

Someone screamed; one of the girls, I think, and a panic quickly broke out.

“Nate,” Francesca said, moving to the thing, and I swallowed uneasily as I made out what it was.

A foot.

“Wha- hey!” I called out, as someone bolted, but he was into the night before I could properly react, and I shook my head, as there was no way that going after him was a good idea.

“Who was that?” I asked.

“The foot, or the runner?” a girl asked, a bit too casually, and I quickly made a mental note of her face.

Was that Alice, or Blair?

I couldn’t recall.

“The runner,” I clarified.

“Graham,” she said, and I nodded.

“I know you all are spooked,” I said out loud. “But you need to be alert right now. Stay close together, and keep your eyes on the treetops. You see movement, shout. Immediately.”

“There!” someone said, and I followed the cry, but saw nothing but a branch swaying gently in the breeze.

I kept an eye on it for a few moments, then shook my head.

“Let’s move away from the lower hanging trees,” I said.

The group, however, began to separate, and I quickly chastised them.

“Stay together. I wanna see each hand on a shoulder at all times!” I called, but as Sheila immediately moved to rest a hand on mine, I shot her an amused look.

“Might wanna stick to them for now,” I said, and she nodded, moving reluctantly to the girl, either Alice or Blair, from earlier.

“The trees hang lower closer to the stream,” Francesca said, and I nodded.

“Let’s move to one of the massive canopy trees,” I said, indicating a spot where there were very few trunks close-by, and she nodded.

“Fuck me, you can see through this darkness?” someone asked.

Francesca kept her spear readied as we prepared to move, but we’d taken no more than two steps when I saw it this time; a string like thing descending towards Francesca, wavering in the wind a little, and Francesca leapt aside just as it landed on the ground, and as soon as it made contact, the thing was pulled taut, and a bit of earth came up from the floor.

Francesca slashed through the line, and it quickly retracted into the canopy above.

“Move!” I called, as everyone seemed to remain rooted to the ground, and I half-pushed half-guided them to the tree up ahead.

Francesca picked up the bit of earth from the ground, then came over to join me.

“What is it?” I asked, as she examined the stringy thing.

“Kind of like a web. Sticky,” she said.

“Are you telling me that spiderman is out here trying to kill us?” a girl asked.

I noted that the question came from the Alice/Blair girl from before, and there was a slightly amused look on her face, however, she quickly corrected her expression as soon as she caught my eye on her.

“Keep your eyes peeled,” I said, as Francesca moved closer to me.

“Fighting things that can climb trees is a fucking nightmare inside of this forest,” she said, and I nodded in agreement.

Was there some kind of skill that could let us use that to our advantage, though?

I thought back to the branch swinging skill that I’d used, but even that was only slightly useful unless I could reliably climb to a point where branches were within reach.

It seemed unlikely that we’d be able to do that, but we would have to come up with something sooner or later, if enemies that used this kept coming up as often as they already had.

“How’s your core?” I asked, and Francesca shrugged.

“Well rested enough to fight,” she said.

“What about to run?” I asked, and she eyed me for a moment, before returning her gaze to the treetops.

“They can’t keep up with us,” she said, gesturing to the others, and Sheila quickly cast a panicked look in our direction.

“That thing up there can’t move that quickly in the treetops. I think they could outrun it on the ground, and if it comes down, we kill it.”

She pursed her lips as she gave the suggestion some thought.

“What about Ethan?” she asked.

“Yeah, what about me?”

I jumped as the voice suddenly came from beyond the tree trunk where the group was huddled, and the man to match the voice quickly emerged from the tree.

“I can die a happy death this night, knowing that a pretty girl like you worried about me even for a moment,” he declared, and Francesca bit her lip, shooting me a concerned look.

Ethan took a quick look around, then frowned.

“There’s three less than I left. What happened?”

We gave him a quick rundown of the attack, and he shook his head.

“That’s two. Where’s the third?”

“Oh, right. Jayden. I let him leave with some armor.”

He raised an eyebrow at that.

“Wait, Jayden? Is that the one who was worried about Julie?” Ethan asked, and as I nodded, he cracked a smile. “And with armor, too? Guess you must have cared about ‘Julie’ way more than I realized.”

“Can we get back to our friend’s severed foot falling out of the fucking trees?”

The complaint came from Wilt, who I noted, seemed to dislike me quite a bit.

“Sorry; I’m gonna go look for, what was his name again?”

“Graham,” Devin answered, and Ethan nodded before heading off.

He was gone for no more than twenty minutes, however, when he returned with a grim look on his face, as he handed a core to Devin.

Wilt cursed under his breath.

“Your assessment was spot on,” Ethan admitted, as he turned to me. “We’re dealing with what you’d call a spider-type mutation. Funny for me to call it that though, since I’ve never actually seen a spider.”

Wilt shook his head at Ethan.

“What the fuck part of earth did you come from to never see a spider?” he asked, and Ethan chuckled.

“Sorry, I’ve never been to earth. My parents were earthlings, but I’m a native born to this planet.”

Wilt’s jaw dropped, and Sheila moved to my side.

“Nate says that there’s no going back to earth. Did your parents ever-?”

Ethan shook his head.

“Sorry, guys. But Nate is right. There’s no going back.”

Wilt crouched down to the floor, and panic seemed to be spreading through the group again.

“In any case. I think we need to focus on surviving the situation we’re in, presently,” I offered, and Sheila moved to my side.

“He’s right,” she said, turning to the group. “Even if we want to get back, we need to survive long enough to find out everything there is to know about what’s going on.”

The group seemed to calm down a bit, and she shot me a quick look, as Ethan moved to my side.

“I wanna head south; I could check on, uh, Jayden, was it-?”

I nodded, and he continued:

“Yeah, I’ll see if I can grab him on the way back. The monsters seem to be sweeping in from the north, but if they catch us on both sides, it’ll be trouble, and our little herald seems to be doing his work in that general area. You should take them east, Nate,” he said, and I nodded, but Wilt stepped forward.

“Wait, why are we going east?”

Ethan rubbed the back of his head, as he turned to look at him.

“There’s a guildhall to the East,” he answered. “It’s the only place I can keep you safe right now while I sort out these things that are attacking us.”

“I thought we were heading to this camp, across the river,” Wilt said, and Ethan chuckled.

“Can’t be helped, I think. You won’t make it to the bridge at this rate, and even if you found a way across, knowing that this domain is really done changes things; the monsters won’t hesitate to track you to the other side anymore.”

“Then why the fuck did you people lead us in here?” Wilt asked.

“Well, to save you from the hunters,” Ethan replied, as if it were obvious, but as Wilt turned on him, I quickly intervened.

“Everything on this planet probably wants to kill you right now; how about you take out your frustration on them instead of us?”

Wilt backed down a bit, and Ethan shot me a thankful smile, though his gaze lingered on me a bit before he seemed to suddenly catch himself, and he shook his head, before speaking:

“We should get moving,” he said, turning to me: “Head due east; don’t rest until someone absolutely has to, and then sleep for a few hours in shifts, before continuing on again. Do you have a compass?”

I nodded, and he smiled.

“Okay, then you should be fine on direction. About a hundred miles east, there’s an old knight’s hideout; a cave on a slightly tall hill. You should be able to spot it in daylight. When you get there, head south-southeast and you should come upon a guildhall. It’s not a starter, and way out from anywhere that people ordinarily pass through. You can leave these there, then head off on your merry own way,” Ethan said, and I nodded.

“Will you catch up to us?” I asked, and he shook his head.

“Looks like this is it for us, brown,” he said to Francesca, and the girl’s eyes went wide with surprise.

She glanced at me, and as I indicated to my hair, she nodded a little absently, then offered Ethan a little nod.

He bit his lip, and shot me a nervous smile.

“Guess there’s no stealing this one from ya,” he teased, dropping his voice to a whisper, and I smiled.

“Thanks for everything,” I said, and the man nodded.

“I should be thanking you. These young’uns would be in the ground by now if you two weren’t around.”

He gave some instructions to Devin, who he seemed to think of as the group leader, and the boy nodded, as he said goodbye to everyone else and prepared to head out.

“In the event that we don’t meet again, I think you should take this,” Ethan said, handing me a small piece of cloth.

I examined the thing, and noted an emblem stitched onto it.

“What is it?”

“A badge that identifies you to Davion’s knights as a friend. They’ll be much nicer to you on contact if they see this,” he said, and I nodded.

“Well then. Take care. See ya, brown,” he said, waving, and Francesca again merely nodded, as he turned and headed off.

I slipped the badge away into my pack.

 _Best keep that hidden for now, just in case_ , I thought, and Francesca shot me an approving nod.

“Everyone ready?” I asked, and the group mumbled half-heartedly, but Sheila moved to my side.

“About what he said,” she began, but I shook my head.

“Let’s get moving first. We can discuss that later,” I replied, and she gave a reluctant nod.

We organized the group into lines, walking two abreast, with Francesca at the rear, and me leading from the front, but it took a while for us to get them running at a consistent enough speed.

“Hold on a sec!” Colt called out, and I turned back and noted that Wilt seemed to be clutching at his ankle a bit.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, and Wilt scowled a little.

“Sprained my fucking ankle,” he spat. “What we get for running around the forest in the middle of the fucking night.”

I peered into his core, but there didn’t seem to be threads collecting at the spot, so I shook my head.

“It seems fine. We’ll rest a minute, then press on,” I said, and he clenched his jaw shut, an angry expression on his face.

I ignored him, and moved to Francesca’s side.

“Seen anything?” I asked, as she was eyeing the tree line at our rear, and she shook her head.

“No, but I keep getting little chills. Nothing’s coming at us, but I can almost feel these things crawling all about.”

I nodded, turning to the rest of the group.

“Breaks over guys, let’s move.”

“Seriously?” Wilt asked, but before I could respond, Devin threw the core that Ethan had given them at him, and as he caught it, Devin looked down at him.

“Unless you want us to carry yours in your loving memory, you might want to listen,” he said, and Wilt swallowed uncomfortably, but seemed to simmer down at that.

“Let’s go,” I said, and the group began to gather themselves up.

As we moved off, however, Sheila snaked her way up to my side, and I shot her a slightly worried look.

“You wouldn’t… really… leave us. In that hall… would you?”

She was struggling to get the words out while keeping up with my running, and I shot her a disapproving look.

“Focus on running for now. When we stop for another rest, you can talk,” I said, and she shot me a pouty look, before falling back to Samantha’s side.

We continued on for about another twenty minutes, when a chill ran up my spine, and I came up to a stop so suddenly that Alice actually ran into my back.

“What the-?” she began, but-

“Nate! It’s coming!” Francesca yelled, and I nodded.

I took a quick look around then spotted a tree with a wide enough trunk.

“Over here!” I called out, directing the group, and as they piled up into one of the nooks created by the tree’s massive roots, Francesca moved to my side, and we got ready for whatever it was.

We waited for about ten minutes, but while the presence remained, nothing happened.

“Doesn’t feel quite as overwhelming as that aufhöcker freak, huh?” I asked, and Francesca shook her head.

“No, but it’s not coming directly at us either. Maybe this one is smarter-”

“Ahhhh!”

We spun around to see Alice being pulled into the air, but Devin had quickly grabbed onto her.

“Help!” he called out, and Lin and Wilt quickly grabbed onto his feet, and I leapt toward the root, then climbed along until I was high enough up, and with a leap, I sliced through the web, though falling down a bit precariously onto Colt.

“Sorry,” he mouthed, but I shook the sentiment away as I quickly moved to retake my defensive position.

“Watch out for each other!” I called, and as if on cue, another web came drifting down, this time targeting Devin, but the group reacted together, and as they pulled on him, I was able to slice through the webbing without needing a higher vantage point.

“Think we can trust them with a weapon?” I asked Francesca, and she nodded, but before we could do anything, another web came drifting down, but I never got to see who it stuck to, as a white javelin came flying at us from the darkness ahead, and I swatted it aside, just as something burst out of the woods at us.

Holy fucking hell… is that- Caleb?

I was only able to just barely process the thought when his hand transformed into a long, silvery looking blade, and as he sliced at Francesca, she brough two hands up to block the attack while I moved in and stabbed at his shoulder.

He twisted his body to the side, reacting quite well to my attack despite executing his own swing, but I grazed him just as his attack pushed Francesca back half a foot.

She planted her feet well, however, and maintained her balance as she absorbed the blow, and as he leapt backwards, glaring at me, Francesca darted in with a jab, and I followed it up with a sweeping slash.

Monster-Caleb evaded Francesca’s attack, then deflected mine, before moving in suddenly and shoulder barging into me.

The attack knocked me off my feet, but I quickly recovered just as he slashed at my neck, and I rolled out of the way and swung low.

He leapt just over the blade, but a spray of blood came from his side as a spear point slashed into him, nicking him just over the hip.

He turned and hissed at Francesca, but just as I moved in to strike at him, I felt myself being pulled off of the ground, and I gasped as I looked back, and saw a web attached to my shoulder.

I reflexively made to strike at it, but as I looked into the canopy and spotted the culprit; a monstrously sized spider, I instead prepared myself, and just as I got within reach of it, I stabbed the beastie, then latched onto a nearby branch and swung my way over to a larger branch where I could stand reasonably well.

There was a shifting of weight, and I spotted another spider crawling its way across a web towards me, but as it leapt at me, I braced myself and impaled it on the pointy tip of my halberd, then cast the thing down to the forest floor below.

I heard screams, but they weren’t Francesca’s, so I didn’t bother to look down, and instead tried to get a feel for what the situation was up in the trees.

The visibility up here was much better, I noted, as a bit of sky could be seen above the trees, but there didn’t seem to be any more spiders, and as I looked down, I felt a bit of anxiety forming in my chest as I realized how far the ground was from my branch.

Do I climb down?

I noticed that there were lower branches that I could leap to, so I quickly moved across to them, then tried to gauge how far I was from the ground.

I’d leapt three stories down from Gert’s tree, didn’t I?

I thought about jumping, but I wasn’t as sure of the distance, so instead I slung my halberd over my back, and tried to climb using the rough bark, but I made it no more than five feet down before I lost my grip and fell, and I quickly twisted myself to land on my feet.

*Thud*

I rolled as I landed, and breathed a sigh of relief, as my feet still worked when I stood up.

Monster-Caleb was exchanging blows with Francesca, who I quickly noted was dripping blood down her forearm, and I waited until she forced him to leap aside before darting in, and Caleb shot me a terrified look as I swept at his neck, but his attempt at an evasion only half succeeded, and he glared at me, as a spray of blood erupted from his neck.

He clutched the spot, then turned and bolted, but Francesca shot me a glance, then quickly gave chase and I followed closely behind.

 _We’re heading… south_ , I thought, making a mental note of the direction, but we quickly realized that monster-Caleb was faster than we were, even wounded, and Francesca stopped as I pulled up to a halt.

“Nate… that was Caleb, wasn’t it?” she asked, and I nodded. “He’s so fast…”

I nodded again, but I took some comfort in knowing that he wasn’t quite as overwhelmingly strong as that talking aufhöcker or Jacinda were.

We quickly made our way back, and Sheila ran to me and hugged me as soon as she saw me.

“You’re alright!” she said. “But holy cow, that was amazing! You let it pull you up and then stabbed it!”

Although she seemed to be the most outwardly excited by the exchange, I noted that everyone else also seemed to be impressed by how well we handled ourselves in the fight.

“Where’s the wound?” I asked, as Francesca examined her arm, and she pointed to a spot just below her arm guard.

“Tried to deflect with one hand and the blade almost dragged over me there,” she said. “Their appendage blades cut like our weapons, don’t they?”

I nodded, as I withdrew one of the scraps of cloth from our pack, and bandaged her arm.

Sheila seemed to be watching the interaction with interest, though she quickly looked away as soon as she caught my gaze.

“This might be a good chance to rest,” I suggested, and Francesca nodded slowly.

She tested her arm a bit, and I studied her discomfort with some interest.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, and she shrugged.

“It’s just feeling a bit stiff,” she explained, and I frowned.

“Is it really safe to rest here?” Sheila asked, and I shook my head.

“Not here. We’ll press on until we come to a clearing-”

“Clearing?” Wilt asked, “there hasn’t been a clearing in these woods since we entered it.”

“Sorry, I meant, one of those areas under the towering trees where there aren’t any other trees for some distance.”

He nodded, and as everyone got up and back into formation, we continued on for another ten or so minutes before we found a suitable spot.

“Why are we resting after that thing just attacked?” Wilt asked.

“Because its wounded,” I explained. “Most likely it’ll heal before coming at us again.”

As the others settled in to sleep, I indicated to Francesca that I wanted her to rest first.

“I’d prefer you be better rested,” she said, but I shook my head.

“You need the energy. I already got more rest than you did, remember?”

She nodded, albeit reluctantly, but as soon as she crouched down against one of the tree’s roots, she was fast asleep.

“Hey, you need to sleep closer than that,” I said, as I noted that the girls seemed to be separating a bit from the boys.

Instead, they opted to bunch up around where Francesca was nodding off, though Sheila quickly moved to my side.

“Can we have that word now?” she asked, and I nodded, though half of my attention remained on intermittent glances between Francesca, and the canopy above.

“You want to join my group?” I offered, and Sheila nodded.

“Yeah. Maybe Ethan isn’t as bad as I was thinking, but I think I still prefer your style of leadership to anything else I’ve seen on offer.”

I bit my lip for a bit.

“Ethan can probably offer you a better sense of safety that we can. Francesca and I are our group’s best fighters, and if threats slightly worse than this monster attacks, we might not even make it.”

“Even so, I prefer you,” she said. “You’ll get stronger… maybe stronger than Ethan will ever be. There’s just… something in my bones that tells me that. And I think I’d rather take a chance on seeing it happen.”

I frowned.

“I would have to check with my group first. We’ve had a few close calls with bad apples in the past,” I explained, and she nodded.

“I have faith in you,” she said, placing a hand over mine. “When the rest of the group leaves, I’ll stay back at the guildhall. Until you come get me.”

She shot me a quick smile, and I bit my lip nervously as she lay down beside Blair to get some sleep.

I watched over the group as everyone slept for a tense three or four hours, until Francesca woke up, and insisted that I sleep as well.

I examined her and noted that her core capacity was indeed fine, but her wound seemed to be showing something strange.

“What is that?” I asked, gesturing to the arm, and she shrugged.

“I’m not sure. It might be an infection?” she suggested, and I shook my head.

Infections wouldn’t set in that quickly, would they?

She shook away my concern, and begrudgingly, I settled in to get some sleep.

***

_What the hell is going on?_

Joanna stuffed a piece of toast into her mouth as she walked briskly down the corridor, straightening her hair a bit, before finishing her paltry bite of breakfast, and sweeping into the situation room, only to find everyone lounging around in front of a panel of blank screens.

“Why is no-one working on this?” she asked incredulously, and one of the operators averted his gaze, while another rubbed the back of his head nervously.

“Because the comms blackout is an executive order,” a voice called, and Joanna spun around to see a small-statured man standing in the corridor behind her.

She screwed up her face a bit as she studied him.

“Walk with me?” he asked, and she took one more look at the room, before nodding.

“An executive order from whom?” she asked, and the man laughed.

“You’re the candidate for Christopher’s old seat, aren’t you?” he asked, and as she nodded, he chuckled again. “Then you need to learn to pick your questions. Not every curiosity needs to be voiced. At least, not if you plan on making it far up this corporate ladder.”

She turned her head away, and rolled her eyes at this.

Every executive with a dick treated Joanna as if they had divine knowledge to bestow upon her feeble, insufficient little feminine mind.

But she’d been climbing the ranks well enough without heeding most of the warnings directed at her.

And some of those people were now much lower down the pecking order than she was.

“What are you? A chair?” she asked, and the man laughed again.

It was beginning to get on her nerves.

“I’m a… let’s say, different kind of operative, so to speak. My objectives are the same as yours, of course, but let’s just say I operate with slightly different intel.”

“So, you’re after a little inter-department collaboration then?” she asked and he smiled.

“You are a sharp one. I can see why Christopher favors you.”

“What do you want to know?” she asked, a little impatiently, and he took a look around, then pulled out a small chip, and placed it on the wall.

“I’ve been told that your group ran into Danica,” he said, and she eyed him.

“You know I can’t answer that,” she chided, and he chuckled.

“Oh, but maybe you should. You see, Danica wasn’t supposed to run into any active transfers for another two hundred years. Kepler time, of course.”

She eyed him.

“You’re a shifter,” she stated, and the man smiled, then nodded.

“Then, what’s on offer for this info?” she asked, and he smiled.

“I can tell you about your blackout,” he offered, and she nodded.

“Deal. Danica made contact with an asset. Nathan Van Dyke.”

He rubbed his chin.

“Will have to look into him, I guess. As for your blackout, the causalities are currently intersecting; and it seems this meeting with Danica may have no small part to play in it.”

“Causalities? What the hell does that mean?” she asked, and he smiled.

“It means; either this asset of yours is currently about to make contact with someone that we haven’t sent to Kepler yet; or, that he’s altering the course of a confirmed future outcome.”

She rubbed her chin.

If it was the former, then there was a good chance that the blackout would be permanent, but if it was the latter… then maybe she could become more than just a chair.

The man held out something, and she glanced at with interest.

It was a phone.

“What is this?” she asked.

“An offer. If you want to form a partnership that might take you forward to a more favorable position, that is. I might need to know more about this interaction with Danica, and what may have led to it.”

She hesitated for a moment, and he smiled.

“You don’t have to worry. I won’t call except when you’re alone.”

“How will you know that?” she asked, and he smiled.

“Because I know everything… about you, that is.”

She accepted the phone, and the man took the chip off of the wall, then waved.

“Give Christopher my best,” he said, waving over his back as he made his way down the hall, and Joanna smirked.

 _Keep doing a good job, Nathan,_ she thought. _And I’ll get right where I need to be._

***

“Hey.”

Francesca shook me gently awake, and I stretched my achy muscles as I shook off my drowsiness.

“How long was that?” I asked.

“A little over an hour,” she replied.

I shot her a disapproving look, and she smiled, a little cheekily.

“You needed it,” she said, and I sighed.

I turned back to see almost everyone else still asleep, except for Blair, whose eyes were squarely on me, and they didn’t shift even slightly as I looked right at her.

Her mouth cracked into a wry smile, and I looked away.

“Let’s get them up, then. We need to get to that hall today.”

Francesca nodded, but as she placed her left hand down to the ground to push herself up, the hand suddenly gave way beneath her weight, and she had to brace herself to stop from toppling over.

“What the-? Are you okay?”

She quickly nodded, but I moved to look into her core, and I noted a much more pronounced collection of threads at her arm.

“Let me see it,” I said, but she shook her head.

“I’m fine,” she said, but I persisted until reluctantly, she gave in.

I untied the bandage that I’d wrapped around the wound, then gasped, as the area seemed to be a blueish color, and was now slightly swollen.

“Fuck. What is it, some kind of poison?”

“I’m not sure,” she said, and I shot her an angry look.

“Let’s use a heal,” I began, but she quickly stopped me.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” she said. “Evie told me once that poisons need to be neutralized to properly heal.”

“The guildhall,” I said, and she nodded.

I turned to the group, and quickly moved to awaken everyone, when Blair moved to my side.

“She’s hurt, isn’t she?”

I nodded subtly, trying not to attract too much attention to the interaction.

“Put me in armor,” the girl said. “I’ve never fought before, but I think I was born for it.”

I studied her carefully.

“I know what you are,” I whispered, and she smiled.

“Well, of course you do. You are too,” she teased, and I frowned.

“I don’t want anyone here to get hurt,” I said, and she shrugged.

“Then use me,” she suggested, and I shook my head.

“Not until I know that you don’t hurt humans.”

The others were waking up, and I quickly handed out some bits of meat to them, which they readily accepted, but the water in our skins was running a little low.

“We’ll need to lookout for some of those streams,” I said, and Francesca nodded. “Let’s go, people!”

Everyone got up, but Wilt made a point to grumble about it as I tried to quickly herd them into position to get moving.

“I’d rather not stop until we hit our next target, so let’s try to get a proper pace going,” I called, before setting off, perhaps a bit faster than I knew the group would be comfortable with, but even so, it took all of five minutes before Wilt called out to me to stop.

“Fucking hell, man, are you trying to kill us?”

I raised an eyebrow at him.

“I’m trying to _save_ you,” I reminded him, and he scowled.

“Let’s just- try to move a little slower,” Sheila suggested, as diplomatically as she could, and I sighed, nodding.

We set off again moving at the slower pace to which the group was accustomed, but as we made some time, I began to slowly, incrementally, increase our speed.

Thankfully, Wilt never seemed to really notice this time, but after about an hour, the group needed to take a short rest, and I shot Francesca a worried look.

“How is it?” I asked.

“Fine,” she replied, smiling at me a little. “Seeing you worry about me might just be all the medicine I need.”

I shook my head at the teasing comment, and this time, I noted that both Sheila and Blair seemed to have their eyes on us.

“We need to discuss something. Next break,” I suggested, and Francesca nodded, following my gaze to the girls.

As we set off again, I opted once more to start the group off at their accustomed slower pace, but this time, I picked up the tempo at a much faster rate, and as we came to another stop an hour later I noted that the group seemed to be tiring.

 _Maybe I really need to take it easier on them,_ I thought.

“What’s the deal?” Francesca asked, as she moved to my side.

“Have you been observing the group?” I asked, and she nodded. “Any problems?”

“Wilt, definitely. But nothing else. Just, you picking up your usual admirers,” she teased, and I frowned.

“Take a closer look at Blair,” I said, and she frowned.

“Which one is that?”

“The blond making eyes at me,” I said, and she nodded.

She didn’t look, but I figured she’d keep an eye out as we continued on.

As we set off, I let the group keep to its own preferred pace, and thankfully, this time we managed to keep pressing on for over two hours before finally, we came upon a stream, and I called the group to a stop as we paused for everyone to drink up, and refill our containers.

“She’s really staring at you,” Francesca confirmed. “At first, I thought it was attraction, but it’s more than that, isn’t it? Like she’s… sizing you up, almost.”

I nodded.

“We have another Emily,” I whispered, and Francesca swallowed uncomfortably.

“What are you thinking?” she asked.

“I don’t wanna leave them with her,” I said. “When we get to the hall.”

Francesca pursed her lips at this.

“I was under the impression that a few of them would ask to come along,” she said, and I nodded.

“Sheila’s already asked, and more otherworlders would certainly strengthen our position eventually; but I’m not sure if we’re ready to take on new recruits yet. And it’s definitely not a good idea to go straight home with them. We still need to figure out what the bigger picture is behind them being here. Some things are still bothering me.”

Francesca nodded in agreement, and we got ready to set off again, but just as I got the group into formation, I felt a strange, disconcerting feeling, as if something was about to strike at me, and no sooner had the thought registered, than a silvery spear came hurtling through the woods, aimed directly at the vulnerable group beyond me.

I leapt desperately at it, reaching out at full stretch, and my hands just made contact with the thing as it zoomed through, and I heard the sound of steel piercing flesh just as a cry rang out.

Lin was tottering to the ground, but I had no time to focus on that, as a new sensation sent my pores a-flutter.

“Look alive!” I yelled out, and I eyed Blair for one moment, before making a split-second call.

I withdrew the axe-handle from my belt, and activated the item just as I tossed it at her, and she studied the thing with amazement as it took form in her hands.

“If you make me regret this, I’ll kill you myself,” I warned, but there was already a huge grin on her face as she moved to my side, and just as Francesca moved to join us, a wave of spiders burst through the darkness towards us.

These were smaller than the ones that I’d faced in the trees, but as we moved to strike at them, the first line leapt into the air, clearing the group completely, and quickly striking at our exposed flank.

“Ahh!” someone screamed.

Francesca moved through the group and stabbed one, before hurling her spear through another, but as she drew her dagger to continue fighting, I returned my attention to the creatures in front of me.

As they charged in, Blair stepped forward and hacked and slashed her way through two of the beasts, but even as she grinned gleefully, she was measured in her approach, moving in and killing, before withdrawing, and I moved in after her, skewering one more spider, and sweeping through two more, before retreating, and in good timing too, as another spear came hurtling through the woods at us.

I deflected it, then turned to look at Lin, whose wound, I noted, was more of a glance than a direct hit.

But where did the spear go?

Did the weapon vanish after being thrown?

I’d lost sight of the thing after deflecting it, but as I skewered another spider, and Blair quite easily dispatched of another, I readied myself, keeping a careful eye on the perimeter, particularly in the direction that the spears had come from.

We stayed on alert, but as the moment extended to a minute, and the minute stretched to ten more, the group began to relax a bit.

“How is he?” I called, keeping myself ready to react.

“It fucking hurts, but I can manage,” he said, and I nodded.

The attack had come from the north, and as I thought about it, I made a quick judgement call.

“This way!” I yelled out, and Francesca shot me a quick look, then nodded.

The group was huddled together, and Francesca and I kept our eyes north, as they made their way in the opposite direction, and I nodded to Blair.

“Get ahead of them, make sure nothing attacks from that side.

“On it,” she said, and we continued on in that way, moving slowly, but carefully, south of where we were.

We continued with the tentative approach, until I figured we were far enough away from our pursuer.

“Pick up the pace!” I called, and Blair nodded, moving to a quick jog, and the group pressed on as Francesca and I moved after them, trying our best to keep an eye out for attacks from behind or the sides.

We kept at it for about twenty minutes when I sensed the attack coming from the right, and I darted forward just as I caught sight of the spear hurtling toward them, and I swung my halberd, deflecting it properly.

The spear was lodged into a nearby tree trunk, and as I studied it, the thing began to deconstruct into energy threads, just like the threads that I saw inside our bodies, and as they began to swirl away through the trees, I made a split second decision and darted after them.

I followed them for about a hundred feet until I ran headfirst into Caleb, and he quickly shook off his surprise, and swung his bladed arm across my body.

The swing was, however, quite poorly measured, and I took the blow to the chest, deflecting it with my torso before making a slash of my own.

Caleb tried to leap backwards, but my halberd swept across his chest, and he made that hissing sound again as he trailed a hand along his chest across the wound that I’d inflicted on him.

“You’re a fucking piece of trash, Nate. You’ll pay for killing me!”

He lunged forward headfirst as I tilted my head at the curious statement, but his lunge was nothing compared to what I’d already faced when fighting Jacinda and Hans’ monster forms, so I steadied myself and braced as he bared his teeth, which were more like fangs now, really, and as I caught them on my bracer, I twisted my hand and brought it down, slamming him into the ground and releasing my halberd as I did, then in one fluid motion, I unsheathed my dagger and jabbed the blade through his skull, and as he thrashed a bit, I held firm, keeping him pressed to the ground, as I twisted the dagger about until finally, he went still.

I sheathed my dagger, then retrieved my halberd, and listened for the sound of anything else, but everything had gone still until the padding of footsteps sounded behind me.

“Nate, are you-? Holy shit! Is that the thing?”

It was Blair, and she moved to study Caleb’s corpse with a look of fascination.

“Look at that,” she breathed, poking at him with her axe, and I shot her a disapproving look.

“You need to tone that down when the others are around,” I chided, and she shrugged.

“Well, they aren’t here now. And I don’t need to pretend with you, do I?”

I studied her for a bit.

“Did you ever hurt humans? Back on earth?” I asked, and she nodded enthusiastically.

“All the time!”

“Innocent ones,” I clarified, and she giggled a little.

“No-one’s innocent, Nate. You should know that better than anyone else. Say, how many times were you called a ‘monster’? Not for doing anything, but just for… existing, really?”

I swallowed uncomfortably, then nodded.

“I know. But I never hurt them for it.”

“I never did, either. But there were some humans who needed hurting…”

“For what?” I asked.

“All sorts of things, but… I have a little fetish. You see, I just love to hunt down the sorry pieces of shit who can’t control this thing,” she said, jabbing the head of her axe into the crotch of Caleb’s corpse.

It wasn’t just for show, either, as she jabbed the axe wickedly several times into the area before turning to smile at me.

“Am I disturbing you?” she asked, and I shook my head.

“No. He of all people deserved that,” I said, and she studied me.

“The monster?”

“He was one of our group. And he raped several of our girls before they joined up with us.”

She moved towards me with a smile on her face.

“Use me, Nate. I want to hunt monsters; and I don’t necessarily mean just the ones like him. Teach me, and unleash me on them. Imagine what a force we could be…”

“As long as I’m sure that you’ll never hurt anyone in my group,” I said, and she shrugged.

“I can promise that. As long as your group’s males can keep their dicks in line,” she said, stomping on Caleb’s part with her foot for effect, before turning to smile at me.

I stooped down to the body on the floor, and after examining it with sensory perception, I located his core, somewhere inside his stomach, and cut it out, then I joined Blair as we returned to the main group.

“Nate! What happened?” Francesca asked, and as I tossed the core at her, she grinned. “Fuck yeah!”

She wrapped her arms around me, but before her body could even properly press into mine, I spotted the thread descending from above, and even as I pushed her aside and grabbed my halberd, Alice suddenly jerked off of her feet, and went flying up into the canopy above, and a singular scream rang out.

Then silence.

The faces around the group were open-mouthed shock, and even as we retreated from the tree, everyone sticking together, with Francesca, Blair, and myself keeping a lookout for threads, the mood had turned outright abysmal.

“Fucking hell. Fuck this place,” Samantha cried, stooping down, and covering her ears.

She was shaking, and Sheila quickly tried to console her, while the rest of us tried to stay alert.

“The others didn’t pull them up that quickly,” Blair said. “That one’s different from them, isn’t it?”

I nodded, and she smiled proudly, prompting Wilt to scowl at her.

“Alice just fucking _died_ ; what the fuck is wrong with you?” he asked.

“I’m keeping my eyes open. What the fuck is wrong with _you_?” she shot back.

He was seething a little, and I placed a hand on Blair’s shoulder.

“Easy,” I said. “He’s just grieving.”

“Wha-? Fuck you!” he said, glaring at me. “If you were even slightly competent, people wouldn’t keep fucking dying!”

“Well, how about you take this then, tough guy?” Blair said, offering her axe to Wilt. “Then we can all blame you when the next one dies.”

He initially reached out for the axe, but before his hand could even make contact with the weapon, it began to shake, and he withdrew the hand, steadying it with the other, a slightly beaten expression on his face.

“This isn’t the time to get down on ourselves or turn on each other,” I began, “but Blair has a point; keep your eyes open, and stay alert. Mistakes are punished with death in this world.”

The mood became somber, and Sheila moved to my side as we continued on south.

“Hey, so uh… where you guys are staying; does this sort of thing happen often? Sudden deaths, I mean.”

I shook my head at the question.

“We’re in a bad spot out here. These monsters are at a higher level than the typical stuff you might encounter randomly, and none of you are combat ready.”

She shuddered a little at this.

“But, it’s safer, right? I mean, it would be for us?”

I nodded.

“It is… though honestly? We can’t ever let out guards down. And maybe it’s a lot safer when you’re with someone who’s as strong as Ethan. There are a lot of things out there that are way stronger than me, and if they come knocking, there’s not really a whole lot we can do, really.”

Sheila frowned, then slinked back to stand beside Samantha, who was still trying hard to not have a complete breakdown.

“Does this feel like ten miles?” I asked Francesca, and she nodded.

“I actually think so. Maybe we’re getting the hand of this scouting thing after all, huh?”

I nodded, and I directed the group to change our course east again.

We continued on, trying to get a quicker pace going, since the spiders weren’t able to match our speed while keeping to the relative safety of the trees, but I did note that there only seemed to be that one spider back there, so maybe it just wasn’t hungry after its last snack.

The group didn’t request a stop this time, however, and we were able to press on for quite a few hours, though as the sun came up and the nighttime coolness began to dissipate, quickly giving way to a sweltering heat, requests for the waterskin became more and more frequent, until the container reached close to empty.

“There should be more streams up ahead,” I said, as Sheila tentatively sipped at the almost empty container, and she offered a drink to Samantha, before draining the rest of its contents.

It took us another twenty minutes to get to a stream, but when we did, everyone drank quite eagerly.

“I don’t know if I’ve walked this much in my entire fuckin’ life,” Colt exclaimed, and I smirked a little at that.

“That pretty much sums up my entire experience on this planet,” I replied, and he smirked a little at the comment, but the humor seemed to annoy Wilt, who kicked at a nearby rock.

“Are we really joking about walking when people are dead?” he asked, and I sighed, then moved to pull him aside.

“Look, I know the losses hurt. They always do, and everyone who lives on this planet has probably lost someone, but we need to keep the spirits up a little if we’re going to make it to safety. Just… try to keep the group’s best interests in mind, okay?” I asked, and he scowled at me.

“Easy to say when there’s not a scratch on you two,” he said, and I shook my head.

“Maybe you should look a little closer,” I said, and he followed my gaze to Francesca, who was shivering a bit, as she cradled the spot on her arm where she’d been cut.

We filled up the waterskins, then got ready to head off again, but this time, I noted that the group was moving much more quickly than before, and I glanced back to see Wilt encouraging Lin and Colt to keep up the movement.

Lin’s wound seemed to be much less of a problem than I’d initially imagined, and as the group kept going at a much steadier pace, we started to make up ground, and after another few hours, Francesca called out to me.

“The hall’s up ahead! I can see it on the map!”

I gave her a thumbs up, and the spirits seemed to lift a bit, but as we closed in on the hall, a bit of anxiety began to gnaw at my chest.

I signaled to the group to hold up, and Francesca shot me a subtle nod, stepping to the fore of the group while I moved in on the entrance, and as I held up my wrist to the sensor and the doors swung open-

Slash*

The blade clattered across my arm guards, but the force of the strike pushed me back a few feet.

I jumped aside, and a spear ripped past me and towards the man; but he lifted an arm just in time, deflecting the missile, but I darted in right after the attack and stabbed at his hip, landing a proper strike.

“Fucking piece of shit!” he cursed as I withdrew, leaping a few feet back, and he tottered back into the hall.

“Well, what do we have here?” another man called, as he stepped out of the shadow of the guildhall, and through the entryway. “These aren’t the otherworlders we were looking for.”

“Look at his armor, though,” another voice called; a girl’s, and the man nodded.

“You’re right. Do him,” he said, and as I leapt back again, I suddenly fell to my knees, as some force suddenly pulled me down, restraining me completely, as if a great weight had suddenly been rested on my shoulders.

My knees shook, and the man who spoke darted forward, drawing a sword as he did, but as he slashed; Francesca moved in front of me, and got her hands up, parrying the blow, and she turned to the side and swung her feet around, sweeping his legs from under him.

He crashed to the floor, and she quickly drew her dagger and lunged, but he quickly rolled out of the way, and she retreated to my side.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

“Can’t… move,” I replied.

Blair moved to my side, and I shook my head subtly.

“Don’t… you’ll die… with no… armor.”

She scowled, then her eyes followed mine to the satchel around my shoulder, and as I nodded, she grabbed it off of me.

The man readied himself to attack Francesca, and I noted that he wasn’t any quicker than we were with speed-three armor.

“How do I make this usable?” Blair asked.

“Run your… finger… along the… emblem,” I managed, and she nodded as the armor piece began to unfold.

“Fuckin look at that,” she breathed.

The man with the sword moved in again, and Francesca parried a few slashes, then swiped at him with her dagger, and he cursed as the blade grazed him just at the wrist.

“Do I switch?” the girl asked, and the man shook his head.

“This one is quick, but injured. She dies, we win, but for fuck’s sake, tell Danny to get his fucking ass in here.”

“I got a heal,” Danny called from inside the guildhall, and the man scowled.

“Don’t waste energy on that, dumbass, just help me kill this bitch!”

The man tottered out of the hall with an annoyed expression, and I tried in vain to struggle against whatever that girl was doing to hold me in place.

“Help… her!” I called out, hopelessly, as the injured man hobbled over to join the fight.

Francesca took one look back, then darted at the two men, but as the first one slashed at her, she parried the blow, though this time, her armguard deactivated and fell off of her right hand, but she didn’t stop her run, as she went straight for the wounded man, and he stood his ground, anticipating the attack.

Francesca went straight at him, leaping through the air, and as he slashed at her with his own sword; she twisted her body, allowing the sword the glance off of her breastplate, before jabbing the dagger into the man’s hand, and he howled, as he tottered back, away from her.

His ally quickly moved to attack her, and she rolled out of the way, then retreated quickly to my side.

The man was cursing, holding the short sword in what I now assumed to be his weaker hand, and Blair moved past me in full armor, shooting me a bit of a smirk as she did.

 _Watch me_ , her eyes seemed to say, and Francesca now focused on the uninjured man.

The group seemed to be a bit more wary of us now, and I turned my attention to the girl.

Her eyes were fixed squarely on me, and as I studied them, I activated sensory perception, and noted that there seemed to be energy threads between us.

Then something clicked.

Energy threads that extend from the body!

My mind went back to the day that Casey and I were in the baths, and the princess moved behind her, and whispered into her ear…

And then I saw it.

The threads extending from the princess to her, as her suggestion took form.

That was it!

I had to project the threads outward from myself!

I focused on the girl, and concentrated.

“You want to release me,” I said, but even as the threads seemed to activate, nothing happened.

 _Something simpler,_ I told myself.

“It’s getting harder to concentrate, isn’t it?” I asked.

I wasn’t even sure if she could hear me, but her eyes suddenly wavered a bit, and I immediate realized that I could move a little.

 _It’s working!_ I thought.

I grabbed my halberd, and Francesca eyed me, nodding subtly.

“You just can’t seem focus anymore, can you?” I whispered, directing the energy threads to the girl, and her hand went to her mouth.

“What did you do?” she asked, stumbling backwards.

Just then, Francesca rounded the man with the sword, and as he made a sweeping strike aimed at her, turning as he did, she blocked the attack with her dagger and left-arm bracer combined, and I used the momentary distraction to make a sweeping slash, and the man’s body fell to the floor, as his head, helmet and all, went flying.

“Fucking hell!” the other man said, stumbling back, and Blair grinned wickedly as she made use of the momentary distraction and drove her axe into his neck, then yanked it from him to produce a spray of blood, some of which splattered her armor.

She chopped at him a few more times, even as his body went still, then turned towards the other girl.

“Whoa!” I called out, as she began to advance. “We need that one alive,” I said, and she nodded, pouting a little, and holding her axe at her side with a cute expression that sharply contrasted the sinister form that she cut, with blood dripping from her armor and weapon.

“This can’t be happening,” the girl muttered, disbelievingly, and I approached her.

“Weapons,” I said, and she quickly took her sword and threw it onto the ground, as well as a hunting knife.

“Please don’t kill me,” she begged.

“Disarm,” I commanded, and she swallowed uncomfortably before complying again.

Her hands were shaking, and I moved closer, and took her hands into mine.

“What’s your name, doll?”

“T-Taylor,” she stammered, and I nodded as I placed my hand against her chest.

“My name is Nathan. You know how to pledge, don’t you?”

Her eyes were tearing up, and she nodded.

“N-Nathan. I pledge myself… to you,” she said, and I nodded, as my implant began to pulse.

“Taylor,” I said, as the shadowy image of her formed in my mind, and I recognized the feeling that came to me as fear.

“You can relax, sweetie. No one will hurt you, as long as you cooperate,” I assured her, and she studied me, the fear in her eyes easing slightly, even as doubt remained.

I created a clause related to her pledge to paralyze her if she lied to me.

“Are any others coming here?” I asked, and she shook her head. “How did you know about this place?”

“The information guild,” she replied. “They said that this domain was being purged, and that strong otherworlders might come here to rest. We thought we could score a huge bounty if we could ambush one…”

I nodded, then turned to the group.

“Let’s get into the hall for now,” I said, and everyone moved slowly and shakily past the dead corpses, and into the hall.

I ordered the girl to remain in the guildhall, while Francesca and I stripped and stowed the armor from her dead comrades, then extracted their cores, and looted their credits.

We moved them to some bushes beside the guildhall, but as we turned to go in, Francesca shot me a worried look.

“Shouldn’t we bury them?” she asked, and I shook my head.

“I don’t wanna chance it right now, and I need to get you some treatment for that wound.”

Francesca rubbed her arms nervously, then nodded.

As soon as we were back in the guildhall, I did a quick check through the catalog for antivenoms and poison treatments, but there were few options.

Then Samantha moved to my side, to my surprise.

“You’re looking for antivenoms? Are there snakes in here?” she asked, and I shook my head, then indicated to Francesca’s wound, and she moved to examine it.

“Holy shit,” she breathed. “What did that?”

“The monster with the blade-arm,” Francesca answered, and the girl shook her head.

“No way. Take a look at this,” she said, and I moved closer, examining the wound. “There are like, barbs, along the inside of the cut.”

I shook my head.

“Do we need to get them out?”

She nodded.

“You’d need something like tweezers; something really small.”

I eyed her.

“Are you a doctor, or something?”

She shook her head.

“One year of med school,” she said, and I smiled.

“You might as well be a fucking surgeon in this world,” I breathed. “Help me do a search for the tools you’d need,” I said, indicating to the console, and she nodded.

She did a few searches, then indicated to something:

“Surgical tools?” I asked, and she nodded.

“I’m not gonna be doing surgeries, but it has some of the basic tools we’d need; forceps, surgical knives, scissors. Things like that,” she explained, and I nodded.

“Five-hundred credits,” Wilt said. “Doesn’t look too good for you,” he joked, looking at Francesca, and his jaw dropped as I held my wrist up to the console, and finalized the purchase.

I nodded to the supplies as they took form in the space above the console, and Samantha tentatively reached for it, then moved to Francesca’s side.

“Is there anything else you’ll need to treat her?” I asked, and she nodded.

“Something to disinfect the wound, clean the instruments. Like, pure alcohol, ethanol, or something like that.”

I nodded.

“There’s something we use back at our base; a kind of alcoholic concoction,” I said, and she nodded.

I quickly scanned the catalog for the medicinal cocktail that Casey had mentioned, then purchased it as well, before turning to the group.

“Okay, the plan was for me to part ways with you all here, then Ethan would come along and guide you along to this training camp of his,” I began, and Sheila furrowed her brow.

“Some of us aren’t on board with that,” she reminded me, and I nodded.

“Sheila has expressed her desire to join up with my group,” I explained. “Blair too, I think.”

The girl nodded in agreement.

“But, to be honest, I don’t think it might be safe to leave you here, given what’s just happened. Another group like theirs,” I said, indicating to Taylor, “could possibly come along, and you’d be defenseless against them.”

Taylor shifted uncomfortably as I said that, but I continued nonetheless:

“Now, I don’t think Francesca’s treatment can be delayed, so sticking around until Ethan gets here isn’t really an option for me anymore. So, I guess it’s up to you, really. Do you want to take your chances and wait here for Ethan? Or do you want to come back to our base with us?”

“I wanna join your group too,” Samantha said, moving to Sheila’s side, and Devin and Lin quickly voiced their desire to join up with us as well.

Wilt shot Colt a tense look, and Colt nodded.

“I don’t think either of us are too keen on joining you, but you’d be leaving us for dead, huh?” Wilt said.

He let out a sigh, and I rubbed my chin as I considered the possibility.

“Actually, there might be another option. Taking you back to our base would be a risk for us, because we won’t have any control over who you pass on the information about our location to later on,” I began, and Wilt scoffed.

“You think we’d snitch?” he asked derisively, and I shook my head.

“There are ways to get information out of people; like what we just used on Taylor over there,” I clarified. “It’s a risk once we take you in and let you leave; no matter how trustworthy you are. But maybe we can work around that.”

He studied me.

“I’m listening.”

“We’ll blindfold you two, and bring you to our base. We have rooms where you can stay, pretty comfortably too, and as soon as we get into contact with Ethan, you can leave.”

“So, house arrest?” Wilt asked.

“It’s better than dying,” I reasoned, and Colt nodded.

“I’m down with that,” he said, and Wilt reluctantly agreed as well.

I got out some of the scraps of cloth, and Blair eagerly volunteered to make sure that they were adequately blindfolded.

“Fuck, that’s too tight,” Wilt complained, and she smacked him on the shoulder.

“Man up, buttercup,” she shot, and he went quiet, grumbling to himself.

I decided to purchase another survival set, as the clothes, waterskin, and satchel had all proven to be quite useful, and with the bit of rope provided, I tied Taylor’s hands, much to her dismay, and we prepared to set off.

It was a little late in the day now, and I knew the road between where we’d entered the blighted grove and Grenze would probably be in use, but we needed the quickest possible route back, so I figured it was worth the risk.

To my surprise, however, the guildhall turned out to be much closer to that place where we’d crossed the stream and entered the blighted grove than I’d initially realized, and as we got there Francesca shot me an annoyed look.

“We’re fucking stupid. We were sweeping up and down this forest at least ten miles west of where this was, huh?” she asked, and I nodded in agreement.

“Our scouting skills could use some work,” I said, and she smiled.

“I think trips like this is what’ll develop those skills though,” she offered, and I nodded in agreement.

“Although, I still don’t think it’d hurt for us to spend some time learning from the hunters,” I said, and she grinned awkwardly in response.

We stayed alert until we got to the stream, but as we crossed it, we relaxed our measures a bit, and Francesca returned to my side.

“I don’t quite think this trip turned out to be the treat that Cameron was suggesting,” she said, and I chuckled at her.

“Well, I’d say you deserve a night with me at least to make up for it. Especially after all this.”

She blushed a little.

“I just… don’t want you to feel obligated, as if I’d be less interested in my role if you didn’t do that,” she said, and I pulled her close, and ruffled her hair playfully.

“Well, we could always make a night of it. Invite Evie, Molly. Have ourselves a ball.”

She frowned.

“Maybe. Although, just a night with the two of us sounds pretty nice,” she said, and I smiled.

“It’s a date,” I said, but as she cast a tentative glance backwards, she shot me a teasing look.

“I can’t help but see your harem expanding in the near future,” she said, nodding subtly to Sheila and Blair, both of whom I’d noted had been stealing the odd glance at me every now and then.

“I dunno. Maybe now with a few more guys around, you girls have a few more options.”

She scoffed, leaning in to whisper:

“I can’t see myself trading the odd night with you for any of these.”

I poked her in the side, and she giggled a little.

“What about trading me for a guy like Ethan?” I suggested, and she rolled her eyes.

“Why? Because he’s strong?”

I shrugged.

“He seems nice enough. He’s likeable, charismatic… good looking.”

“If I want to date a mini-you, then maybe I’ll just wait for one of those pregnant women of yours to give birth to a son,” she teased, and I laughed.

“You’d date my son?” I shuddered a little. “That just reminded me; Cameron loves to tease me by acting like you and Bianca are like our kids, or something.”

“Oh~. I could get on board with that, although I don’t think she’ll like the way I call you ‘daddy’,” she said, with a wink.

“How fucking far is this thing?” Wilt called, as Blair pulled him along gruffly, prompting him to stumble.

“Watch your step,” she teased, and he scowled, slightly in the wrong direction too, to my amusement.

“It’s just up ahead, actually,” I called, but as we moved within sight of the cluster, Sheila let out an awed gasp.

“Holy fuck. Am I imagining things?” Sheila asked, and I chuckled.

“Nope. And believe it or not, this is just our temporary base.”

“What? What is it?” Wilt asked, apparently quite perturbed by missing out on whatever it was that prompted that kind of reaction from Sheila.

But the others were quickly expressing their own marvel at the grove trees, and as we moved closer to the cluster, I spotted a small figure running at full sprint out towards us.

“Naythannnnn!” Lucia cried out as she leapt, crashing into me hard, and I spun her around a bit, before pulling her in for a hug.

“Holy crap- is her skin _actually_ green?” Devin asked, and I nodded, turning my attention to Lucia.

“Missed me, did you?”

“Lucia missed plenty!” she called excitedly, and I gasped at how much her pronunciation had improved.

“You’re getting better at that,” I said, and she smiled proudly.

“Lucia fights better! Faster! Next time, take Lucia!”

I pinched her nose affectionately, as Cameron and some of the Kobalt quickly gathered to greet us.

I set Lucia down, and she scampered off as Cameron moved in, and she kissed me, then hugged me tight.

“Gods bless whoever brought you back to me in one piece,” she said, but my eyes quickly zeroed in on her stomach, where the bump was now outwardly visible, and she shot me a slightly proud look.

I kissed her again, but as the kiss went on for a bit, Francesca cleared her throat.

“Fuck, sorry,” I said, and she shook her head, shooting me a teasing smile.

“I’ll go find Evie,” she said, but I stopped her, as I nodded to Samantha.

“Take Samantha with you,” I said, as I turned the face the girl. “Evie is our resident physician; she should be able to get you everything you need to treat her wound,” I explained, and Samantha nodded.

She shot Sheila a slightly worried look, but the girl nodded.

“Go on ahead,” Sheila said. “We might need to sort through this before I can come see you.”

I passed the medical supplies over to Francesca while the two girls said a quick goodbye, and Samantha nodded, then headed off with Francesca.

“So, who are all of these?” Cameron asked, and I rubbed the back of my head nervously.

“New transfers. We kind of helped them out, and some offered to join up,” I explained, and Cameron nodded.

“Frida?” she asked, turning around until she spotted one a timid looking Kobalt girl. “Can you get Alva to prepare some guest rooms?”

The girl quickly nodded.

“Yes, Frei Camryn,” she said, bowing, before heading off.

“You all must be hungry,” Cameron said, and as the tired expressions on the faces around her answered her question, she nodded. “Gretchen? Where are you?” she asked, and a Kobalt girl stepped forward.

“I exist, Frei Camryn,” she answered.

“Gather the rest of the companions and have them prepare a communal meal for our new guests in the entry hall,” Cameron ordered, and the girl gave a slight curtsey, before heading off.

“You seem to be in your element,” I teased, and she smiled.

“If you don’t want me to act like an old dowager, then don’t give me servants,” she replied teasingly, and I smiled.

“Jesus. How big is this group?” Wilt asked, and Blair chuckled, as she nudged him suddenly from behind, and smirked a bit at his slightly panicked reaction.

“Trust me; it looks more like a town than a group,” she said.

“A town? I thought those weren’t safe,” he said.

“They aren’t. But here is because no-one knows about it, and we’re trying to keep it that way,” I explained.

He nodded, though I could tell from the expression on his face, he was reconsidering his whole position.

“What’s with the blindfolds and the binds?” Cameron asked. “Did these three misbehave?”

“Well, this one’s a prisoner, and these two; well, they’re not exactly keen on joining us,” I explained, before giving her a quick rundown of what happened.

“Ethan, huh? Well, I guess it can’t be helped.”

I nodded.

“Can we keep her somewhere by the carts? Like we did with Raul,” I suggested, and Cameron shook her head, smiling at me a bit mysteriously.

“Sure, keep them by the carts,” she teased. “We have five whole trees, numb nuts. I had Raul and the artisans organize some of the rooms in the lower level of one of the uninhabited trees into holding cells.”

She turned around, then spotted another of the girls.

“Vera, was it?” she asked, and the girl nodded timidly. “Have Gisela organize an escort to take these three to the prisons.”

The girl bowed, then headed off.

“Prisons? Seriously?” Wilt asked, and Cameron shrugged.

“Sorry, kid. But until we can figure out how much you’re allowed to see; you’ll have to deal with it. Although, it’s less of a dungeon and more of a... room with no windows,” she said. “As for the rest of you, you look like you could use a shower and some fresh clothes,” she offered.

“I exist, Frei Camryn,” another girl offered, and Cameron smiled, ruffling the girl’s hair playfully.

“I’m starting to like you, Alina. Gather up some companions, and have these gods and goddesses pampered a little,” she said, before turning to the group. “You’ll be brought down for dinner afterwards. Is that acceptable?”

“Acceptable? You mean a shower, with _actual_ water?” Sheila asked.

“Yep,” Cameron answered, and the girl shook her head disbelievingly.

“Then sign me up. I could sell my soul for a shower right now,” she exclaimed, and Cameron grinned.

“Don’t make promises you’re not willing to keep,” she said, but as she noted the slightly bothered look on my face, she turned to me.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, pulling me aside.

“I don’t think I can stay,” I explained.

She pouted in response.

“But you just got back,” she complained, and I nodded.

“We were supposed to meet up with Ethan at the guildhall, but I have no other way to contact him, so I might have to overnight there. Is there anyone I can take with me, though?”

She frowned a bit, as she considered it.

“Bianca’s spent, and Raul’s been working all day on that tree removal project.”

I glanced over her shoulder to where the fallen tree was still sticking halfway out of our grove and into the woods beyond.

“Jordan?”

“He was out appraising plants all day,” she replied.

“Molly, then? Or Jeannie? Even Nolan.”

She frowned.

“I want you to make it back _alive_ ,” she replied, as Blair quickly moved over to us.

“I can go,” she pipped, and Cameron turned and eyed her a little.

“Newbie, and in armor to boot, huh? Your core doesn’t look as good as you do, though.”

“Plus; that armor needs to be properly earned,” I reminded her, and she frowned.

“Fine~,” she sang, as she wandered away.

I eyed her subtly as I turned away, however, noting that she seemed to be acting unusually… girly.

She seemed to be baiting Cameron for a reaction, but Cameron seemed too busy thinking about the situation to take notice.

“Take Lucia!” Lucia cried out, and I spun around, just as the little one sneaked out from behind one of the others.

“Out of the question,” Cameron replied, and the girl stomped her feet in response.

“Not fair!” she exclaimed, shooting me a pleading look that was borderline criminal.

“Sorry kid, but your core capacity needs to get much higher before I can take you on a long run in armor like that,” I said, ruffling her hair, and she folded her arms and growled, then stomped off.

“You could always take me in armor,” Cameron suggested playfully, and I raised an eyebrow at her. “I’m kidding,” she quickly added, waving away my concern. “Guess it’d have to be Leanna, then.”

I frowned.

“Do you think she can handle it? We might encounter some monsters,” I said.

“Geisterung?” she asked, and I shook my head.

“Spider things.”

She shuddered a little.

“Well, she’s not reliable in a fight, that’s for sure. And she’ll walk right into a tree unless you tell her it’s there; but she sure keeps an eye out for anything that moves.”

I nodded.

“That’ll do,” I said. “One more thing, though.”

I took a tentative look around, then turned Cameron away from Blair.

“The teasing blond,” I said, dropping my voice to a low whisper.

“The one who’s eye fucking you to see if it’ll piss me off?” she asked, and I nodded.

“Emily two point ‘O’,” I said, and she bit her lip nervously in response.

“Will inform the Kobalt immediately,” she said.

She sent another Kobalt girl to fetch Leanna, and while we waited, I caught sight of Casey over by the entry hall across from where we were.

At first, I thought maybe she hadn’t heard that we were back, but eventually I caught her stealing glances at me, though she still didn’t come over.

“How has she been?” I asked, and Cameron frowned.

“I’m not sure. She’s being helpful; with skill training and that kind of stuff. And I saw her going through some plans with Nolan about where to settle down.”

“That’s a relief,” I said, and Cameron nodded.

“Yeah. Having her off suicide watch was a major relief,” she teased, and I shook my head at her.

I looked over as I spotted Leanna making her way over to us.

“Nate. You’re back!”

The relief on her face was palpable, and she quickly wrapped her arms around me, hugging me tight.

“Sorry to ask this, but I need to go back to that guildhall, and I need someone to watch my back,” I began, but she quickly shook her head.

“It’s fine. Casey’s organizing my armor and some supplies,” she explained. “Are you hurt?”

I shook my head, and she smiled.

“How have you been holding up?” I asked, and she smiled, looking around.

“Everything feels so different. Everyone tries to talk to me… it feels like if I’m in a completely different place now.”

“Oh~. I’m glad to hear it. What about the Kobalt, though? Do they still spook you?”

“Uh… a little bit,” she admitted timidly. “Jordan has been really helpful, though. Like, if I’m not sure why they’re doing something, he takes the time to work it out with me. Even when I’m being difficult. You wouldn’t think it, but he’s actually a really nice guy.”

_Wouldn’t think it, huh?_

I suppressed a smirk at that, and chuckled a bit awkwardly.

“He’s kinder than most people I know,” I concurred, and she smiled.

“You’re kinder than most people I know,” she said, moving to take my hand. “I’m glad you came back okay.”

She was nuzzling my hand, when I caught Lucia’s eyes on me, and I noted a slightly glaring look there.

I thought for a moment to wave her over, but she turned and walked off just as Casey came over with Alva by her side.

“Your armor,” Alva offered, and Leanna accepted the slivers from the girl.

Cameron moved to help Leanna activate them and put them on, while Casey moved closer to me, a little awkwardly.

“Any injuries?” she asked, and I shook my head.

“Six new sets of armor, though,” I said, offering my satchel to her, and she raised an eyebrow.

“Six sets? What happened?”

“Newbie hunters,” I explained, and she shook her head disbelievingly.

“Inside of here? That doesn’t make sense.”

I pulled her away from the new group, then nodded subtly.

“I have my own reservations, but they’re legit enough,” I said, and she watched me carefully, as I gave her a quick rundown of what went down.

“Fuck. Are you sure it was Caleb?”

“Yeah. Except he said something weird,” I replied, and she studied me, as I looked around. “He said he was gonna get revenge on me for killing him.”

She shook her head.

“But Raul was the one who killed him,” she said, and I nodded.

“What do you think it means?” I asked, and she rubbed her chin.

There was a weird look on her face, and she took a deep breath, then nodded.

“I, uh- I have an idea, but it’s related to the thing that I don’t want you to know about just yet,” she said. “I know that you hate this, but-”

I cut her off suddenly with a kiss, surprising her, and even myself a little.

“Sorry,” I said. “I couldn’t help myself. It’s just so sexy when you don’t lie to me and stuff,” I teased, and she blushed.

“Fucking idiot,” she muttered, though there was a little hint of a smile on her face.

“Did Raul ever tell you what he did with the cores? From Caleb’s group, I mean.”

“I think he turned them in at the hall,” I said, and she frowned.

“So, Danica was right then,” she said, as she shook her head. “As long as they have access to our cores, they can turn us into monsters…”

While we talked, Leanna indicated to me that she was ready to leave, but Casey pulled me back as I moved to go to her.

“Look, Nate; I know you think that I’m overly suspicious, but this whole set-up stinks. There’s a hell of a lot of co-incidences strung together, and I’m not sure it all adds up,” she said, and I nodded.

“I agree,” I said. “But I’m not sure who’s pulling the strings. The only person to finger is Ethan, and he could just as well be another piece, rather than the orchestrator…”

She frowned.

“How strong is he?” she asked, and I bit my lip nervously.

“I don’t know for certain. I only saw him attack once, and he was quicker than we are with speed three armor. And he doesn’t wear any.”

“Fuck. So, he’s a tier-four fighter; at minimum. The fact that he’s capable of that without armor is scary though.”

I nodded in agreement.

“I’d say that I’ll be careful, but honestly, my gut tells me that if he wanted to do something to us, we couldn’t really do a thing to stop him.”

Casey sighed, glancing at Leanna again.

“Couldn’t you wait an hour? Bianca might wake up,” she began, but I shook my head.

“I’m confident I can find the place in light, but it might be a different story when darkness falls… and part of me wants to give Ethan less motivation to come find me here,” I explained, and she swallowed uncomfortably, then nodded.

“Just… remember that we need you, okay?” she said, holding onto me as I nodded and began to turn. “Promise?”

“I promise,” I said, and she finally let go.

“Are we leaving now?” Leanna asked.

“If you’re ready,” I said, and she nodded.

I gave one more wave to Casey and Cameron, then turned, and after gesturing to Leanna we took off down the path at a sprint.

I tried to push Leanna as much as I could, since getting to the hall as soon as possible was our priority, but to my surprise, she seemed to keep up with me without much complaint.

We paused just before the stream for her to catch her breath a little, and as I studied her, I noted that she seemed visibly different.

Healthier for sure… and her attractiveness seemed to be blossoming as a result.

Sweat was matting her blond hair to her forehead, and as she wiped it away, she caught my eyes on her and blushed.

“Sorry. Was I making you uncomfortable?” I asked, and she shook her head.

“When I feel your eyes on me, I feel safe,” she said, taking my hand, and bringing it to her cheek.

I smiled at her, then indicated for us to continue on.

The journey through the woods to the guildhall this time was a much simpler affair, but as we approached the place, a bit of anxiety began to gnaw at my chest, and as we slowed down, I shot a quick glance at Leanna and saw that she seemed to be feeling the disturbance as well.

“Did these woods always feel like this?” she asked, suppressing a shudder, and I shook my head.

“We better be on alert,” I said, and she nodded, her hand moving instinctively to check for the dagger clasped at her hip.

Nothing appeared to be visibly ‘off’ as we got to the guildhall as we approached, and as I opened up the door, I kept my guard up; but awaiting us inside was the last person I expected to see.

“Jayden! Holy balls,” I said, and the man let out a relieved sigh, as soon as he spotted me.

“Almost gave me a heart attack, man,” he said, but as my eyes travelled past him, I noted a new face by his side, and as he turned to follow my gaze, he smiled. “This is Juliette.”

“The famous Julie in the flesh. I’m Nathan, and this is Leanna.” I said, offering her a little bow.

“Hi,” Leanna offered, a little timidly.

“Nate is the one who gave me the armor to come get you,” Jayden explained, and Julie’s expression shifted from worry to relief.

“Thank you so much,” she began, but as I noted that despite her sentiment, she didn’t shift from her position on the ground, I studied her carefully.

“Are you okay?” I asked.

Jayden bit his lip, as he stooped down beside Julie.

“She was injured in the attack; and now, she can’t walk,” he explained, and as her eyes began to tear up, Jayden took her hand reassuringly.

“How did you make it here?” I asked.

“Ethan found us, and guided us back,” he said.

I moved in and examined her with sensory perception, but even as I noted that her threads didn’t seem to go anywhere below the waist, I had no clue of what the problem might be.

“We have physicians back at our camp. Maybe you two should come back there with us,” I began, and Jayden eyed me.

“Is that where the others are?” he asked, and I nodded.

“We were attacked here,” I explained, and he frowned.

“The two dead guys outside?” he asked.

“Yep. I didn’t wanna risk leaving the others, so we took them back to our base. Although, most have volunteered to stay on.”

Jayden furrowed his brow a little.

“Most?”

“Everyone except Wilt and Colt,” I clarified. “I guess I’ll offer you the same deal I offered them. We can take you back to our home if you’re willing to join up,” I began-

“And if not?”

“Then we’ll have to blindfold you; our camp is safe because no-one really knows about it, so if you’re going to leave when Ethan is ready to lead you to their camp, we can’t have you knowing where exactly to find us.”

Jayden nodded.

“That makes sense. Although, if most of the others are really willing to stay, then maybe it might be best. For her too,” he said. “I wonder if it’s really safe for us to leave this place, though.”

I studied him.

“You said Ethan led you here, right? Where’d he run off to?”

“He said something really dangerous was out there. Something that he couldn’t let roam free in these woods.”

I thought about it for a bit.

It was a fairly straight shot out of these woods, and back to the road.

We could most likely make it even if Ethan was engaged with… whatever it was.

But I’d hardly given the matter proper consideration when the door behind us slid open, and a battered looking Ethan stumbled in.

“Close it,” he breathed, his voice uneven and slightly panicked, and I stared at him in shock as he slumped to the floor in a heap.


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The long night.

_***_

_A/N: I’m working on some errata to correct some of the consistency problems across the series. One which impacts this chapter is helmets. I’ve kind of flip flopped over how much to include the whole takes off/dons helmets bits, and largely neglected it because it felt tedious to write, so instead I came up with wearing them in sliver form, and activating them before fights. This chapter is the first time this use for helmets appears in the story, so just an FYI that the earlier chapters will be edited eventually to be consistent with this method of using them._

_Enjoy the story! And as always, if you enjoy this chapter please feel free to drop a line and let me know. :D_

***

I quickly moved to close the door shut, then turned to study Ethan.

There were large gashes along his right side, and a gaping wound just above his hip, on his side, as well as scratches and tears along his arms.

He was wounded… and badly, too.

This was as much of an opportunity as I’d ever get, wasn’t it?

I licked my lips as my gaze flashed between Jayden and Ethan, with one hand firmly grasped onto the halberd on my back, but I shook off the thought, moving to the console instead.

 _There’s no guarantee that I can kill him_ , I thought, _even like this._

I needed to figure out what he was capable of… or, maybe I could still enamor him to our cause.

“The high tier healing shot will heal of your wounds, wouldn’t it?”

He eyed me for a moment, his breathing evening out a bit.

“Yeah- but that’s fifteen hundred credits,” he said. “You would spend that much on me?”

“I don’t like seeing people die,” I said, and Jayden let out a little laugh.

“You don’t say,” he said, drawing Ethan’s gaze to Juliette.

Ethan swallowed uncomfortably, then shook his head.

“I’ll be fine,” he said, sitting upright and dropping the severed hand he was carrying to the floor beside him. “I just need to catch my breath. Besides, there are more important things to worry about right now.”

Jayden shot me a worried, look, and I bit my lip nervously.

“Like what?” I asked, and as I crouched down beside him, he took my hand into his as he looked up into my eyes.

“Like the beauty standing next to you right now,” he said, as he gestured to Leanna who almost jumped as all eyes in the room turned to her. “I’m Ethan, by the way; and if I die now, I’m thankful that it’d be in the presence of an angel.”

She shot me a startled look, and I chuckled as I released Ethan’s hand and flicked him on the forehead.

“Wha-? Hey, are you trying to kill me? I’m wounded here,” he complained.

“Don’t tempt me,” I replied, giving my halberd a pat.

As I moved to get up, however, he held onto my hand, and I noted his expression was a bit more serious.

“I can’t let that thing run loose out there,” he said. “If it gets across the stream, it’ll massacre those goblins. Thousands might die.”

I studied him carefully, then nodded.

“What can we do?” I asked, and he sighed.

“I just need one opening; it’s quick, so it’ll be dangerous, but if you can get me that one shot, I can end it.”

I thought about the suggestion, then nodded.

 _Maybe I could use that?_ I thought.

He lumbered to his feet, and I studied him worriedly.

“Jesus, can you even move?” I asked, and he nodded.

“I’ll move when it matters; trust me,” he said, and I nodded slowly, turning to Jayden and Juliette.

“It might be dangerous, but you two should stay here for now,” I said, and Jayden nodded, then patted the dagger clasped onto his waist.

“I’ll do my best,” Jayden said, and I turned to Ethan who smiled.

“After you,” I said, as I opened up the sliding door, and Ethan stepped through with a grimace.

***

Joanna had had it for the day.

She spent most of the time lounging around her office hoping that something would change about their situation, but not only had the screens remained blank; Mr. Ricci hadn’t so much as taken a call from her either.

She strode to her car with a huff, her hand instinctively reaching for the little black phone that she’d stowed away in her purse, and as she came to a trash can just on the edge of the parking area, she momentarily felt the urge to toss the thing away.

Hell, for all she knew he could be using the thing to track her.

She stared at the trash can for another moment, then released her bag, and climbed into her car and drove off.

The phone remained on her mind the entire trip home, even as she got to her apartment building and pulled into her spot; but no sooner had she left her car than a man with a sheet of paper approached her.

“Miss, if you have a moment-”

“I don’t have any money,” she immediately spat, not even looking up as she strode past him.

“Wait, Jo-”

She froze, and turned to him, and the man quickly shifted uncomfortably under his hooded sweater.

“Lawrence?”

“No, no- don’t react like that, just… talk to me as if this were normal,” he quickly said, and she adjusted her expression almost immediately.

“What the hell are you doing here?” she asked, her hand going for the taser that she kept in her purse.

“Reach in there, and hand me a dollar or something,” he muttered, as he pretended as if he were showing her something on his paper, and she swallowed uncomfortably.

“Why the fuck would I help you?” she asked, and he shook his head.

“I don’t need help; you do,” he said. “You need to start asking yourself some important questions; like who your asset really is.”

She studied him for a bit, then withdrew a few loose bills from her purse, and handed him the money, and as he tried to take it, he clumsily let a few papers slip out from his hands, and they went flying down the street.

“Find those,” he said, bowing as if expressing gratitude for her money, before turning to leave.

Joanna stared after him as he moved to accost another passer-by, and she made a quick note of where the papers had blown off to before disappearing into her apartment building.

 _Why would I need to ask that?_ She thought.

Didn’t she already know everything about him?

She waited for another minute or two, before slipping back outside and down the street, scooping up the papers, and then continuing down the road to the nearby park.

She flipped through the pages as she walked, furrowing her brow as she did.

_An investment banker from Cincinnati?_

What the fuck?

Didn’t we get him from a rehab center right here in the city?

She sat down on a bench as soon as she got the park, and as she flipped to the final page, her eyes went wide.

“No fucking way…” she breathed.

***

Ethan’s breathing was still labored and it worried me slightly, but as he set out to track the beast, I kept my eyes on him; not just out of suspicion, but with an equivalent eagerness to pick up any scouting and tracking abilities that I might be able to copy for future use.

“Are we moving too slow for you?” I asked, and he shook his head.

“Not sure I can move much faster than this in my present state,” he said, but as he chuckled and rubbed the back of his head nervously, his eyes flicked for a moment towards Leanna, and I quickly surmised that he was moving at a speed that she was capable of sustaining.

We hadn’t begun tracking yet; instead we were making our way to where he last saw the creature, and to my surprise, it was quite some way north-east of the guildhall.

“What kind of monster are we looking for?” I asked. “Is it a harbinger?”

He shook his head.

“Slightly embarrassed to say it, but the thing that did this to me was a feeder,” he admitted, and my eyes narrowed on him.

“A feeder? Aren’t they-?”

“At the bottom of the food chain? Usually, yes. But this was Irileth’s feeder, and I’m beginning to think this is a thing that she kept as a pet, and which chose to never evolve into a herald just to stay by her side like that. It’s slightly worrying though.”

“How so?” I asked.

“Well, anything spawned by a monstrosity can technically be mantled; even a feeder.”

“Mantled?”

He nodded.

“All sentient creatures, and some animals, leave behind cores which can be harvested. Mindless monsters usually consume their energy, but the more powerful ones consume everything; the memories, skills, personalities. Everything that made them who they are.”

I nodded, as I’d heard this explanation from Danica already.

“But if the one consuming the core is sufficiently compatible with the core, then the consciousness inside of the core can supplant the consciousness of the one doing the consuming, and in effect, take control of its body,” he explained. “Now, most sentient creatures won’t consume a core that is more powerful than their own, but when a creature does this for the purpose of giving their body over to the consciousness inside of the core, we call it ‘mantling’.”

“And I’m guessing spawns are usually compatible enough to mantle the cores of their masters,” I suggested, and Ethan smiled, and clicked his tongue at me in an eerily reminiscent way of my own habit.

“So, you’re worried that even if Irileth is dead, her feeder could potentially mantle her?” I asked, and he shook his head.

“To be mantled, the one who died must be willing, and I highly doubt Irileth would be. What worries me is that Danica would have never let a single feeder live after she defeated Irileth; so maybe she was wounded much more seriously than I’d imagined in that fight.”

I frowned, and he let out a sigh, as we came to a stop.

“This is the spot,” he said, but as I looked around, he immediately gestured off to the east, and as I followed, I noted that there seemed to be broken branches and trampled bits of shrub.

 _Big target,_ I thought to myself. _Maybe even I could have tracked something this big, but no use that’d be if I couldn’t kill what was waiting at the end of the trail._

We set off on the trail for a bit, until we came to a geisterung corpse, and Leanna grasped onto my hand and averted her gaze, as the thing was mangled almost beyond recognition, and had quite visibly been eaten from.

“Hmm. If it ate, then maybe it’s more of a hunger rampage than the murder rampage I was worried about,” Ethan said, and I bit my lip.

“I’ve heard the word spawn used a lot when describing how these monsters come to exist,” I began, and Ethan chuckled a little.

“Well, it is accurate,” he assured me, and I shook my head.

“How exactly do they reproduce? I’ve seen young of both this monster, and the herald of one of these monstrosities,” I explained, and he nodded.

“Oh, I see. Basically, when their master dies, they revert slowly to being regular old beasts,” he explained. “Ordinarily, they don’t reproduce, but most of them gain the ability to do so after the fact. But not just that. They also lose their monstrous mutations over time as well; the claws, fangs, even some of their more monstrous abilities.”

“Hnn~. So, what’s the spawning thing like, then?”

“Depends on the situation,” he answered, and I tilted my head at that.

“How so?”

“Monsters need cores to spawn; not necessarily strong ones, any will do, but they usually go into a sort of hibernation mode, where they produce… uh, pods, I think you’d call them? Or incubators. They put cores into them, and it grows rapidly into feeders. A weaker monstrosity who has no influence will hunt, feed for a bit and then produce a few feeders, but a stronger monstrosity with minions and a domain might go into spawning mode for a while, having their followers bring the cores to them for feeding and spawning, and mass produce feeders which in turn go out and expand their domain.”

I nodded, as I processed the information.

We tracked the creature for a long way eastward, before coming to another geisterung corpse.

“This is odd,” Ethan said, and I studied him.

“How so?”

“It seems to be eating them, but… there’s entire goblin settlements south and east of here that it’s ignoring completely.”

“It’s staying within the domain?” I asked, and he nodded.

“For now, at least…” he muttered, his expression thoughtful.

“What do you mean?

“Maybe it doesn’t realize that the domain is done yet… but that’s not gonna last. The food supply on this side of the forest is gonna run out sooner or later.”

“Then we better hurry,” I said, and Ethan nodded as we set off again.

We continued on heading east for a little bit, before the trail turned north, but as we resumed the journey, a chill ran through my body, and Ethan pulled up to a halt.

“What is that?” I asked, and he turned his gaze west.

“Monsters,” he said. “The spider-types, I think.”

He shook his head as he rubbed his chin.

“Everything is just happening all at once tonight,” he said, sighing. “Nate, I think you need to head back to your group. They’re moving south; towards that goblin village. Your group is somewhere there, isn’t it?”

I eyed him, and he let out a nervous chuckle.

“Sorry; you just had that flowery sweet scent on you that the goblins are known for. I just figured…”

I waved away the explanation, then sighed.

“Are you sure you’ll be okay taking on that thing on your own?” I asked, and he rubbed the back of his head, as he chuckled a little nervously.

“Honestly? I’m not so sure, but… I may have inadvertently led the thing this way in the first place, so it’s my responsibility to deal with it.”

“You can’t deal with it if you’re dead,” I countered, and he chuckled again.

“That is a fact; but I think I know how to handle it now. He got in a nasty hit because I underestimated his resilience, but I won’t make that mistake again.”

I eyed his wounds worriedly, and for a second, there was a slight inflection in his gaze.

“I’ll be fine; I just needed to catch my breath earlier,” he promised again, and I nodded as he turned to leave. “Oh, and don’t forget Jayden in the guildhall! It’s not safe there,” he called out, and I nodded again as he took off.

“Now, where to first?” I asked, as I turned around, and rubbed my chin thoughtfully.

“Our base is closer to here, isn’t it?” Leanna asked, and I tilted my head at her.

“I think it is, but how’d you figure that?”

She shrugged.

“It’s just a feeling,” she said, a little shyly, and I smiled at her.

“I think I should probably get you home first, then I’ll go back for Jayden and Juliette.”

“Okay,” she said, and we took off.

It was a little way west before a straight shot south, but by the time we got to where we’d turn southward, I felt a slight chill, and I pulled up to a halt.

“Be on your guard,” I said, just as two spiders leapt down from the canopy above.

“Why does it have to be spiders?” Leanna shrieked, as I placed a hand protectively in front of her.

“They’re creepy, but not very strong,” I said, but as her hand instinctively went for the dagger on her hip, I noted they were shaking, so I quickly darted forward and dispatched of the two spiders; but two more came down, and as I moved in and quickly sliced through them as well.

Then four more emerged, and as I began to hack through them, another thud sounded behind me, and I gasped.

The spider looked at me for a second, before letting out a loud shriek, and turning and leaping towards Leanna, and as she crouched down and screamed, a shadowy figure burst out from her, and tore through the spider, cleaving it into pieces.

She backed away from it, falling over as she did, and I quickly moved to her side.

“Are you alright?” I asked, and she nodded, her eyes filled with frightful tears. “Holy crap though. Did you know that you could do that?”

She shook her head.

“I- I thought it was just shadows,” she said, as I pulled her up.

As I examined the creatures and gathered up the cores, however, I studied Leanna with a renewed sense of appreciation for her unique skill.

 _If she can learn to control that, then maybe she won’t need to learn to fight with a dagger after all_ , I thought.

We made our way back to the cluster as quickly as we could manage, and as I got there, an annoyed looking Bianca was there to greet me.

“You left me behind,” she shot. “ _Twice!_ ”

“Sorry,” I said. “But it was necessary. Where’s Cameron?”

“Coming,” she said, folding her hands.

_But it doesn’t make me feel very important!_

I chuckled nervously, as I ruffled her hair.

“Did you train hard while I was gone?” I asked, and she sighed, then nodded.

“Lucia is getting better, though. Like, really fast.”

I studied her carefully.

“Is she now? Maybe she might get some fighting experience tonight, then. Is anyone unconscious from training right now?”

She shook her head.

“We stopped all training since those new guys showed up. Cameron had an introduction ceremony thing, and Alva spoke to the Kobalt for a bit.”

“Nate!”

I turned as Cameron came running toward us, and she leapt into my arms.

“I’m sorry, but I’m running off again,” I began, and Bianca shot me an excited look.

“Yeah! This time I’m coming,” she declared, but I quickly shook my head, and Cameron slipped out of my arms and folded them promptly.

“What’s going on?” she asked.

“We might be under attack, I think. Something’s happening in the forest right now, so we should prep.”

She nodded.

“I’ll get the fighters to suit up,” she said, and I shot her a thankful nod. “Where do you need to go?”

“I left two more of the new guys back at the guildhall. I need to go get them because it’s not safe there,” I said, and she pursed her lips.

“It’s gonna be dark this time; are you sure you wanna risk it?”

I nodded.

“One of them can’t walk right now, and they only have a single dagger for protection.”

She shot a quick look at Leanna.

“Are you taking her again?” Cameron asked, and Bianca immediately began to whine.

“Wha-? No fair!” she began, and I cut her off with a playful flick on the forehead.

“No, I’m going alone. I wanna get them and get back here asap, before whatever’s coming actually attacks.”

Cameron nodded.

“Okay; be safe,” she said, moving in and kissing me on the lips, and I noted that both Bianca and Leanna were watching the interaction with some interest.

“Will you be okay?” I asked, and she nodded, so I gave her a quick squeeze on the shoulder, then turned to Bianca.

“It’s kisses or nothing!” she declared, but to her surprise, Cameron leaned in and planted a quick kiss on the cheek.

“You never said who it had to be from~,” she teased, and I snickered a little, as she waved as Bianca began to whine in protest.

“He’ll be back in less than an hour, just let him be, okay?” Cameron said, but out of the corner of my eye, I could see Bianca standing there, looking glum, so I turned and gestured for her to come, and I gave her a quick peck on the lips.

“Behave, okay? And do your best to keep things safe while I’m gone!”

She grinned happily.

“I will!” she promised, and I ruffled her hair playfully before turning and quickly making off at a sprint down what was now quickly becoming a very familiar path to the stream that led into the formerly blighted grove.

Darkness had fallen proper by the time I got there, however, and despite finding the spot quite easily on the last few passes, it took a little bit of searching before I got to it this time.

“Oh, thank god,” Jayden said, as soon as he saw me.

“We need to get moving; quickly,” I said, but as he moved to pick up Juliette, I stopped him.

“What?” he asked.

“You’ll need to focus on running; I’ll carry her,” I said.

He made to protest, but she quickly cut him off.

“It’ll be fine. You carried me all the way here,” she said, and she raised her arms as I scooped her up, though Jayden still appeared to be quite displeased with the development.

As soon as we were outside and he realized how fast we’d be moving, however, his expression shifted to one of focus.

“So, Juliette, huh?”

She nodded, blushing a little, as we were quite close.

“I’m told that I owe you a great debt of gratitude,” she said, and I shook my head.

“It’s nothing to worry about,” I replied, and she smiled.

“You can call me Julie.”

I chuckled a little, and she studied me.

“What?” she asked.

“That was my sister’s name,” I said, and Jayden made a thoughtful sound.

“Lotsa Julies, huh. I think that Ethan guy said it was his mother’s name too.”

“Really? I didn’t know that,” I said, and Jayden shrugged, as we continued through the woods.

Thankfully, we got to the stream without any difficulty, and as soon as we were on the road, Jayden made another thoughtful sound.

“Is this an actual caravan trail?” he asked, and I nodded.

“This is basically the main road between the settlements,” I said. “Leads right to the town where we’re settled in at right now.”

“A town? Like, with people?”

“Yeah,” I replied, “but let’s just say, not exactly the type you’ll be expecting.”

He shot me a curious look, but we continued on nonetheless.

“How long have you guys been here?” I asked.

“I think this will be the fourth day,” Julie said. “Although, we spent almost two days walking through this forest.”

“Four days, huh? I’ve been told most groups get completely wiped before that,” I said.

“Did yours?”

“Eleven of us are still here. Two more might still be out there, but they didn’t stick with us,” I explained, and Julie made another thoughtful sound.

“Are they all as indebted to you as we are?” she asked, and I chuckled a little.

“We’re all indebted to someone, I think. This world is unforgiving.”

She let out a wistful sigh, glancing despondently at her feet.

“You don’t have to tell me that,” she said, and I shot her a sympathetic look.

“We have healers at our place,” I said. “And there’s all sorts of crazy technologies available to us that we didn’t have back on earth. So, don’t give up hope just yet, okay?”

She smiled a little, tightening her grasp around my neck a little.

“Nathan, was it?”

I nodded.

“You’re a nice guy,” she said, and I chuckled, but Jayden made a slightly grumbling noise.

The trip home took a little longer than the trip out, but as we got there, I was thankful to find that the hunters were up, and a perimeter was set up facing north, with most of the usual fighters armed, plus a few more, now that we had a bit more armor to work with.

Cameron moved toward me as soon as we got within the grove’s limits.

“Are those… rooms, in that tree?” Jayden asked, his jaw agape, and I nodded.

“Two will be prepared for you,” I said, and he stared at me in shock as I turned to Cameron for confirmation.

Someone brought out a smaller stretcher to greet us, and as I placed Julie on it, she held on for a moment, and gave me a hug.

“I don’t know what we did to deserve your help, but thank you,” she said. “For everything.”

“Don’t thank me just yet,” I said, as I gestured to the warriors who were visibly preparing for an attack, and she shook her head.

“I’m grateful nonetheless,” she said.

“My girls will take you for a bath, then we’ll have a meal brought up to your room, okay?” Cameron said.

“Will I be able to go check on her?” Jayden asked, and Cameron nodded.

“All of your rooms will be on the same floor,” she promised, as she directed someone to see to Jayden as well.

“Might as well send someone to help her out, huh?” Cameron noted, and I nodded in response, before turning to our defensive perimeter.

“Who’s armored up?” I asked, and she turned to our forward position.

“Well, thanks to your scouting run, there’s a ton of armor to go around. Raul, Jordan, and Molly are our swords. Bianca and Leanna are daggers. Nolan, Jeannie and Francesca are spears, and all of them are in full sets of armor.”

“Have as much fighters as possible keep daggers or knives as secondary weapons,” I said, and Cameron nodded. “How was Francesca’s wound?”

“She’s fine; she’s taking a power nap with her armor on, but Samantha is a godsend! Fuck her, work your magic, or do whatever the hell she wants to make sure she stays,” Cameron said, and I shot her a disapproving look as she continued. “Once she got those barbs out, the poison slowly filtered out of Francesca’s system, but Jordan took a look at them and his nymph friend said we could synthesize an antidote pretty easily. I had him go out earlier and gather what we’d need for it, in case whatever bit her is gonna come up again tonight.”

“How much more armor is there?” I asked.

“Three sets, but all T-one,” she replied, and I nodded.

“I’m thinking about arming Blair then; plus, she really likes that axe.”

“What axe? Oh, fuck me,” she said, massaging her brow, as she looked around. “Hey, Alina! Go fetch Blair for me, will ya?”

The girl bowed, and immediately headed off.

“The guards know not to give any of the newbies any weapons without specific authorization from you, me, or Casey,” Cameron said, and I nodded.

“Casey, huh? Where is she?”

“Closer to the front lines,” Cameron said.

“Anyone else you wanna arm? I was thinking to wear one myself, and keep a sword on hand.”

I nodded.

“For protection. We need you managing the lines, not leading them,” I reminded her, and she pouted.

“You already almost missed out on what a spectacular advisor I am; what if I’m fiercer than your little lioness too?” she teased, and I tutted at her.

“As much as it pains me to say it, just be pregnant for once, will ya?” I replied, and she rolled her eyes at me.

“Once I have this baby, you’re gonna have to beat me off of the front lines with a stick,” she shot, and I as I gave her a playful shove, I noted Lucia coming up to us.

“Before you start, no dagger for you,” Cameron said, and the girl stomped her foot exasperatedly.

“Nathan~,” she began, and I chuckled.

“Actually, this time I think she deserves one,” I said. “Besides, I think we’re gonna need those expert eyes of yours up front.”

“Really?” she asked, and I nodded.

“Go get yourself a dagger, then come back to me,” I said, and Cameron shot me a disapproving look.

“Not sure I like being overruled like that,” she said, and I shot her an apologetic glance.

“Sorry, but Bianca said she’s getting really good, and I think these monsters are easy enough for her to get some real-life battle experience for once.”

Cameron shrugged, and we headed for the front lines.

“I think I want Bianca by my side,” I said, and Cameron smirked a little.

“Is she gonna be your little assassin?” she asked, and I smiled.

“That’s not a bad role for her. She’s sneaky enough.”

“Yeah; but if she’s not careful about tailing me every time I talk to Casey, I’m gonna smack her upside the head one of these days,” she said, and I chuckled a little.

“Sorry- I might be the one who told her to do that,” I admitted, and Cameron shrugged.

“Oh, I know that,” she teased, and I smiled at her.

“You are scarily efficient,” I said, and she gave a noncommittal shrug.

“Either that, or I’m just desperately trying to earn your favor like every other girl out here,” she said, and I shook my head, as I pulled her in for a kiss.

“Could you two keep that to a minimum? PDA during a crisis is a bit much,” Casey complained, as she came over to join us.

“Oh, I’m sorry; should I have him steal me off to some bushes for a quickie like you do?” Cameron teased, and Casey’s eyes went wide.

“That- I mean, you’re not supposed to talk about that!”

Cameron shrugged as Casey blushed furiously, and I chuckled at the two.

“You two have really been bonding, huh?”

Casey made an annoyed clicking sound with her tongue, but as I waved Bianca over, Casey quickly moved off to the other side of the line.

“Those two really don’t like each other,” Cameron whispered, and I nodded.

“How do I look?” Bianca asked, as she struck a cute pose, and showed off her armor.

“Cute,” I said, and she put her hands on her hips.

“Just cute? You’re supposed to be all swooning and stuff,” she complained, and I ruffled her hair playfully, as Cameron shot us a teasing smirk.

“Stick with me, okay?” I said, and Bianca quickly nodded.

“Actually, if nothing’s happening, I’d rather you rest up a little,” Cameron said, and I nodded reluctantly.

“That’s not a bad idea,” I said, as my core was now well below half capacity from all of the running around. “Can you set something up for me out here?”

Cameron shot me a smirk.

“Or, you could just sleep in your room,” she said, and I frowned.

“I’d rather be closer-by; in case something happens,” I said, and she shrugged.

“Our fighters are a bit more capable now, you know. You could probably snooze through this whole night, and not lift a finger,” she declared, and I raised an eyebrow at her.

“Now I’m not sure if I can sleep at all,” I replied, and she waved away my concern.

“You’ll have your sleeping bag,” she said, as Lucia came bounding toward me.

“Hunt!” she declared, and I shook my head at her.

“We wait,” I said, and she frowned a little. “Stick close to me, okay?” I added, and the girl nodded, eyeing Bianca a little as she did.

Cameron organized my sleeping bag, and while Bianca sat down beside me, Lucia quickly curled up into my arms, and Bianca studied her with interest.

“Are you kidding me? The runt gets to sleep with you?” Bianca asked incredulously, and Lucia smiled happily, taunting Bianca almost as she snuggled up closer to me, much to my amusement.

“You always were a feisty little one,” I complimented her, and she smiled, nuzzling my hand as I gave her a little pat.

“Just you wait. I’m gonna kick your ass as soon as you grow up,” Bianca said, folding her hands and turning her nose up at the child.

“How have the newbies been settling in?” I asked Bianca, and she rubbed the back of her head.

“I was out cold when they came in, and I didn’t really get a good look at any. Except, Samantha, was it?”

I nodded.

“She’s down in the treatment area with Evie; I think they’re working on Myrinne right now.”

“Where are the rest of them? Their rooms, I mean.”

Bianca gestured to our grove tree.

“Fourth floor; one above ours. I think runners are stationed on that floor though; in case they need anything. And well... you know.”

I nodded.

As we spoke, Blair eventually came down out of the same grove tree, and as soon as she spotted me, she quickly made her way over, and I noted once again the girlish gait with which she moved.

Bianca eyed her warily.

“Hey Nate! I heard you decided to use me after all,” she announced proudly, and I sat up, then studied her.

“I heard you kept your axe,” I said, the warning in my tone evident, and she blushed.

“Oh, this old thing? Must have forgotten that I had it,” she said, and I shook my head at her.

“Weapons stay in the supply cart, okay? We only arm up for conflicts or training.”

“Training, huh? Am I gonna get in on that, or does that have to be ‘earned’ too?” she asked, her tone playful, and I chuckled a little.

“Training is open to anyone who wants it,” I said. “Cameron is gonna put you in some armor, though, but your core is still pretty much spent. I’ll organize a sleeping bag for you, so you can rest a bit nearby.”

“Or, we could share,” she suggested, and Bianca scowled.

“Join the line, lady. Nate’s bed isn’t something you get to just traipse into,” she said, and the she turned and studied Bianca carefully.

“A little friendly competition, huh? I can work with that.”

She shot me a wink, but as Cameron came over, she shot the girl a disapproving look.

“Didn’t I ask you to disarm before?” she asked, and the girl blushed.

“Sorry; forgot I had it,” she replied casually.

“It’s fine, just don’t let it happen again,” Cameron warned. “Come on, I’ll get you armored up.”

“Get her a sleeping bag too,” I called, and Cameron waved over her shoulder as she headed off with the girl.

“She’s terrifying,” Bianca said, and I nodded.

“She’s just like Emily,” I said, and Bianca studied me.

“What do you plan on doing with her?” she asked, and I sighed.

“Use her, for now. I need you to keep an eye on her; just… be careful. If she knows she’s being watched, she might not take it particularly well.”

“Lucia too!” Lucia declared, and I looked down at the child.

“Huh? ‘Lucia too’, what?”

“Watch,” she said, and Bianca scowled as I ruffled the girl’s hair playfully.

“If you wanna do that, then you’ll have to learn from Bianca, okay?”

Lucia folded her arms, and Bianca gloated a bit.

“Hear that, kid? Stick with me, and if you’re lucky, you might learn to be a little useful around here,” Bianca declared, prompting Lucia to glare at her.

I settled back in, trying to get to sleep, but a cry from across the grove quickly stirred me back upright.

“What is that?” I asked, and Bianca climbed to her feet.

“I’ll check it out,” she said, taking off, but as Lucia moved to follow her, I pulled her back.

“Just stick with me for now, okay?” I said, and the girl nodded.

As I climbed to my feet, however, she reached up, and I scooped her up into my arms, as I headed over to the source of the disturbance.

I spotted Casey, then quickly moved to her side.

“What’s going on?” I asked, and she frowned.

“There was an attack on the next grove over.”

“Rosengarten, was it?”

She nodded, and as I looked over, I spotted Gisela and Cameron talking to a Kobalt man.

He appeared to be a runner, rather than an official, and Gisela shot me a worried look as the two moved over to join me.

“What happened?” I asked.

“Some kind of spider-creature attacked,” Cameron said.

“Spider?” asked Gisela.

“Uh, god word for that type of monster,” I explained. “How bad was it?”

“They took about fifteen Kobalt, and retreated into the forest,” Cameron said, and I frowned.

“Not the kind of attack I was expecting,” I said, and Cameron nodded. “Gisela; how many clusters are there along the fringes of the blighted grove?”

“Including this one, five exist. Kleiner Hein, Grenze, Rosengarten, Stadtrand, and Ruheland.”

“Kleiner Hein is some way southwest of here, right?”

“Yes, Nathan.”

“The monsters seem to come from further northeast, so maybe they’ll be out of the way. What of the others?” I asked, and she thought about it.

“The road to Rosengarten travels a short way east, then to the north, where the rest of the clusters lie along the western fringe of Palancar’s borders.”

I rubbed my chin.

“How long would it take a runner to get to the northernmost cluster?”

“Rosengarten und Stadtrand lie within a segment’s striding, if pressed. But Ruheland lies a little more than another segment north of this. The endurance to perform such a feat may lie beyond our runners.”

I nodded.

“What’re you thinking?” Cameron asked, and I bit my lip.

“I’m thinking we could send support to Rosengarten; how many hunters do we have over here?”

“Close to fifty; the hunters Palancar sent stuck around,” she explained, and I nodded.

“And how much would Rosengarten have?” I asked, turning to Gisela, and she rubbed her chin.

“Not many more than ten,” she answered, and I frowned.

“Then they’ll definitely need some support.”

“Are you sure that won’t stretch us?” Cameron asked, and I sighed.

“It might; but the more cores they gather from killing Kobalt, the more monsters this thing can presumably produce.”

She nodded.

“Well, let’s send a runner off to, uh- Stadrand, was it?” Cameron began.

“Stadtrand,” Gisela corrected her, and she nodded.

“Yeah; let’s get word to them of the danger so they at least won’t be caught unawares, and have them send a runner north to the other place,” she said, and Gisela nodded, heading off to make the arrangements.

“Do you think we could manage an evacuation?” I asked, and Cameron frowned.

“Along the road? They’d be easy pickings, won’t they?”

“Unless we sent a guard team.”

Cameron frowned.

“We don’t have enough personnel for that right now, do we? That team would need to be capable of beating one of those, uh, what do you call ‘em? The talking monsters?”

“Monstrosities, apparently.”

“Yeah, and with Francesca resting, and you needing sleep, we’d be in a bind if it struck either place.”

As we considered the possibilities, I spotted Casey lounging around where I’d just left her, casting furtive glances in our direction, and I let out a sigh.

“Hey! Come over here and be useful, will ya?” I called out, and she hesitated a little, before timidly making her way over.

I gave her a quick rundown of the situation, and she nodded.

“Maybe we could petition Palancar to take in the refugees? They would be retreating away from danger if they were to head that way,” she suggested, and Cameron smiled, and pulled the girl into a rough hug.

“That’s perfect!” she said, and I snickered at Casey’s clear discomfort with the show of affection, and even Lucia seemed to smile a bit at that.

“I’m gonna go work out a delegation; you two keep working at it, okay?” Cameron called, as she headed off, and I nodded.

“Go get Bianca for me,” I said, setting Lucia down, and the girl quickly scurried off.

“Do you think Mark and Ronnie are out there too?” Casey asked, and I sighed.

“It seems probable. I mean, Caleb’s mutation didn’t really seem spider-like; it was some kind of projectile spear weapon, plus whatever it is that poisoned Francesca. I mean, there are some spiders that don’t use poison, right?”

“Almost all spiders use poison. Or, venom, rather; just in varying amounts. But barbs are unlikely for a spider. It’s more of a spiny scaly type defensive mechanism. You know, sea urchins, scaly amphibians; that kind of thing,” Casey explained, and I chuckled.

“Forgot I had the biologist here. Now that I think about it, we have the geographer over there too. He should be able to help plan the evacuation, shouldn’t he?”

Casey nodded.

“I better talk to him, before you piss him off with your mere presence,” Casey said, but as she hurried away, I noted that she seemed to duck out just as Bianca came over.

Bianca seemed to really make her uncomfortable, huh?

“Just so you know, I don’t like being fetched by the runt,” Bianca complained, shooting a dirty look at Lucia, who seemed quite pleased with herself.

“You’re pretty sure footed, aren’t you?” I asked, and Bianca puffed out her chest.

“I’d like to think so,” she said proudly, and I rolled my eyes at her.

“I wanna test something out. With both of you,” I said, and Lucia studied me with interest.

“What is it?” Bianca asked, seeming annoyed by the inclusion of Lucia in my suggestion, and I chuckled a little.

“Do you think you could keep your balance while running along those tree branches?” I asked, gesturing to the intricate network of branches above us, and Bianca rubbed her chin.

“Probably,” Bianca answered, a little uncertainly, and Lucia quickly perked up.

“Lucia can! Lucia can do better than Byaka!” she said, smirking at Bianca a bit, and I chuckled as Bianca scowled at the child.

“Let’s test it out,” I said, and Bianca eyed me.

“How do we get up there? I’m not sure I can climb a tree,” she said, and I shook my head and gestured to the nearby grove tree.

“For now, we’ll take the stairs,” I said, smiling as she shot me a cheeky look.

I led the two to the grove tree where our rooms were at, but as we began to climb the stairs, I ended up running right into Sheila on the fourth floor.

“Nate! What’s going on out there?” she asked, and I gestured to Bianca to head on up without me.

“I’ll meet you on the tenth floor. Stay by the staircase!” I called out, as she and Lucia began to race up the stairs.

“Sorry; we haven’t been able to really keep you guys in the loop, huh? It looks like those spider things are moving against the villages on the border of their territory,” I explained, and Sheila frowned.

“We aren’t responsible for this, are we?” she asked, and I shook my head.

“No; I think they’re just generally hunting these woods,” I explained, and she let out a sigh.

“I haven’t seen Samantha since-” she began, and I nodded.

“She’s with Evie; I can probably lead you down to her if you wanna check on her,” I said, and she nodded.

“You were on your way up, though, weren’t you?”

I nodded.

“I’ll need to finish up with this first; you can come along, actually, if you want,” I offered, and she quickly nodded.

“Okay,” she pipped, and as I led the way, she followed me up the staircase.

“This is so surreal,” she said. “I feel like if I’m in a high-rise apartment building… to think, we’re actually inside a tree. How long do you think it took them to do this?”

“It’s more of a technology thing than a construction one,” I explained, and she shook her head disbelievingly.

“This world is so crazy,” she said, and I chuckled, as she probably didn’t even know the half of it.

As we got to the tenth floor, I breathed a sigh of relief as Bianca and Lucia were indeed waiting on the stairwell, and as I looked out of the window from the hallway, I saw some branches extending out from the tree which would make for a good test run.

“This is Bianca and Lucia,” I said, introducing Sheila to the two, and she gave them a timid wave.

“I’m Sheila,” she said, but the two girls seemed more distracted by the branches outside than with Sheila, and I shot her an apologetic glance, as I moved to join them.

“Well then, let’s get started,” I said, gesturing to Bianca, but as she looked down, outside the window, she gulped, swallowing uncomfortably.

“That’s a long way down, huh?” she said.

Lucia however, quickly climbed out the window, and as she got to a branch, she scurried hurriedly across the thing, leaping to another branch and gliding across the thing with ease.

“Lucia can do it! Byaka sucks!” Lucia called teasingly, taunting Bianca, and the girl quickly furrowed her brow, cursing under her breath as she climbed out, and made her way across the branch.

She seemed to stumble at first, but as she moved around a bit, her confidence quickly grew, until the two were chasing each other, and leaping across the fairly wide girthed branches with ease.

“Do you think you can fight up here? And chase monsters?” I called, and Bianca crouched down, then gave me a thumbs up.

“Easy-peasy! You might as well just send the runt home now, because I’m all you’ll ever- Ah!”

“Oh my god!” Sheila exclaimed, as Bianca suddenly fell back onto her rear, and as she grasped for the branch with her hands to steady herself, I darted out the window frame.

“Bianca!”

She was a few branches away from me, and something seemed to be pulling her while she held onto the branch for dear life.

 _What the fuck is that?_ I thought, then I spotted it; the eerie glow of eyes, clustered together, and glowing a faint green in the shadow of a branch up ahead.

I gulped as I quickly moved toward her.

“Nate! It’s pulling me!” she cried out.

“Hold on,” I called, but as I tried to hurry to her side, Lucia quickly burst across the branches ahead, her dagger drawn, and as she sliced at something, Bianca was able to climb up.

“What is that?” she asked.

“Spider monsters,” I called, and she suppressed a shudder.

But as Lucia continued to dart forward, Bianca took off after her, and I quickly pursued the two.

I was astounded to find, however, that both girls seemed to be much more comfortable than I was at moving across the narrower branches, as I had to seriously check my speed in order to keep my footing.

“There!” Lucia called out, and as I looked up, I saw Bianca leaping to a branch ahead of her.

“I see him,” Bianca called, but a flutter along my neck drew my eye, and as I looked to the left, I spotted another cluster of eyes, and my chest began to tighten as more and more clusters came into view.

“Fuck me,” I muttered.

There had to be at least twelve of them.

As one of them leapt to the branch ahead, pursuing Lucia and Bianca, I quickly darted across, and cut the thing down, then turned just as another leapt straight at me, and I sliced him in half as well.

Two more creatures quickly leapt onto my branch, and as they began to charge at me from either side, I quickly considered leaping to a branch ahead of me that was a bit lower down, but before I could move, the spider to my right made a shrieking sound, then fell off of the branch, and Lucia shot me a grin, dagger in hand as she emerged from behind it.

“Well done,” I called out, as I turned and dispatched of the other spider.

The remaining spiders seemed to be making their way ahead, and after a loud shrieking sound came from somewhere in the distance, Lucia and I quickly began to make our way in that direction.

We got there just as Bianca was pulling her dagger from a downed spider, this one much bigger than the others that we’d just dispatched, and as we moved closer to her, I noted that the others were quickly fleeing.

“Yeah, you better run!” Bianca called out.

As the spider she’d just killed fell to the forest floor below us, however, I heard another shrieking sound, and I looked down just as two smaller spiders emerged from some bushes, then began to drag the felled herald-spider away.

“What are they doing?” Bianca asked, and I swallowed uncomfortably.

“Probably taking his core back to their master to make another monster,” I said, and Bianca frowned.

“That’s cheating!” she yelled down at the spiders, and I chuckled at her.

“Look at you though; you just killed a herald,” I said, patting her on the head, and she grinned.

“Lucia did good too!” Lucia said, folding her arms angrily at me, and I quickly stooped down to ruffle her hair as well, but as I almost lost my balance, Bianca quickly steadied me.

“Let’s get back to the tree,” I suggested, and the two girls quickly moved off, leading the way back.

“That was crazy,” Sheila breathed, as soon as we got back to the window.

“We’re kind of an elite squad,” Bianca boasted, but while most of the others might have snorted derisively at that, Sheila was studying Bianca with sparkly eyed interest.

“You’re so pretty, too. I can’t believe you can fight like that,” she said, and Bianca blushed.

“Nathan… is Lucia pretty too?” Lucia asked, and I chuckled, as I scooped her up.

“Prettiest girl in the world,” I said, and Sheila quickly moved to study the girl.

“And you kick some serious ass,” she said, pinching Lucia’s cheeks to her delight. “I can’t believe a kid like her can fight like that too. I’m completely out of my depth here,” she continued, shaking her head, and I rested a hand on her shoulder.

“All of us start out like that. But all of you can get just as strong as we are, and in hardly any time at all,” I said, and she smiled.

I led the group back down the stairs, and as soon as we were outside, I glanced around, until I spotted one of Cameron’s companions.

“Hey, you’re uh-”

“Frida,” the girl answered, bowing slightly.

“Can you take her to where Evie and Samantha are?” I asked, gesturing to Sheila, and the girl quickly nodded.

“At once, Frei-Nathan,” the girl answered, and Sheila shot me a little smile, as she headed off, studying the girl with some interest.

Casey was quickly making her way over to us.

“Was that you up there? What the hell was that?” she asked.

“I’ll answer that in a sec; Bianca, take Lucia to the front lines, and have her watch the treetops for movement. Where’s Raul?” I asked, turning to Casey, and she pointed him out on the front lines.

I quickly made my way over.

“Please don’t tell me I have to go up there and fight those things,” he said, and I chuckled at him.

“Afraid of spiders? Or heights?” I asked, and he sighed.

“Both.”

“Well, you’re in luck. Follow me,” I said, as I led him out past the grove’s northern boundary to where the spiders had fallen to the ground.

I picked out the cores while he watched my back, and I did a quick sweep of the area, collecting the cores, then moving back to the grove’s perimeter.

“I still don’t get why we bother collecting those. Those smaller beasts are worth next to nothing,” he said, as Casey moved to join us.

“I was about to ask that myself,” she said, and I chuckled.

“Apparently, the monstrosity which spawns them feeds on the cores, then uses them to spawn more feeders. I spotted the spiders dragging away a herald just now, so I figure it’d be best if we cut off his supply as much as possible,” I explained, and Casey rubbed her chin.

“So, if we don’t find a way to protect the other groves, we’ll be really screwed, huh?” she said, and I nodded.

“Hey; don’t forget that I’m bound by duty to protect my people,” I said, and she eyed me.

“I’m not sure how genuine that was, but we’ll need to take out the one whose spawning these things sooner rather than later. This can spiral out of control fast.”

Alva waved Raul over, and as he moved over to join her, Casey looked after him.

“What’s that about?” she asked, and I chuckled a little.

“Alva’s got her sights on a God-mate,” I said suggestively, and she shook her head.

“He’s a murderer,” Casey said, and I shrugged.

“Alva knows what he’s done; I mean, she was even around when he attacked Bianca, remember?”

“Still… what if she doesn’t understand-?”

“I don’t think you’re giving her enough credit,” I said. “I mean, look at her.”

Raul seemed to be shifting uncomfortably, but as Alva rested a hand on his cheek comfortingly, he nodded, and she turned and began to walk away.

“Where’s she headed?” I asked, as Raul came back.

“To Palancar. To sort out having the Kobalt from the other clusters take up sanctuary there.”

I nodded, letting out a tired yawn as I did.

“Jeez. I really need to get some sleep,” I said, and Casey focused on me for a second, then furrowed her brow.

“Nate; you’re almost spent. You’ll need a full night’s rest to recover this much,” she began, and I shook my head.

“I’ll have to make do with a few hours’ worth,” I countered, and she bit her lip nervously.

She seemed about to say something, until Cameron waved her over, and she slipped off.

“I’ll be napping right over there,” I said to Raul. “Keep an eye on Lucia for me? She’s got one hell of an eye,” I added, and he nodded, turning around to locate the kid, as I slipped off to my bedding.

I plopped down, ready to sleep away almost instantly, but Cameron quickly cut me off.

“Nate,” she called, waving me over to where she and Casey were, and I rose from my spot with a groan.

“I’ll be over here-” Casey began, but Cameron grabbed the girl just as she tried to steal away.

“Oh no you don’t,” Cameron chastised her, a huge grin on her face. “Casey here, has a suggestion.”

She made the declaration quite proudly, but Casey seemed to be casting panicked glances about.

“What is it?” I asked, feeling slightly confused by what was happening.

“Go on; tell him,” Cameron said, prodding Casey, who began to rub her arm uncomfortably.

“Uh… your core is pretty close to depletion, and uh- when you deplete it completely, it spurs your body into a kind of accelerated regeneration mode. It’ll be faster than sleeping,” she explained, and as I listened, I continued to study her, as the suggestion hardly seemed to be something that would make her so uncomfortable.

“Okay…” I answered, a little uncertainly, and Cameron prodded Casey again.

“Uh… I kind of also noticed that, when you uh- experience intimacy, it also spurs your core into a sort of temporary spurt of accelerated regeneration,” she continued, and I eyed her.

“Experience intimacy?” I asked, a bit uncertainly, and Casey began to blush.

“She’s trying to say that after you cum, your core regenerates faster, but that’s not all,” Cameron said, prodding Casey again, who was now beet red.

“Jesus, Cameron; I really fucking hate you sometimes,” Casey muttered. “Look, when you came from the uh- blowjobs, the regenerative effect wasn’t as pronounced as when you did it… while having sex,” Casey finished, spitting the words out as if she were ripping off a band aid, and I smirked a little, shaking my head at her.

“Are you trying to tell me to have sex with someone because I’ll regenerate faster?” I asked, and Cameron quickly nodded, smiling proudly at Casey, and I studied her carefully. “But won’t it be dangerous if I’m unconscious and something happens?” I asked, and Casey sighed.

“It’s a risk, but… having you at full capacity for the rest of the night is what’s best for our overall chances; and you can probably regenerate fully in about two hours this way,” she said, and I shook my head at her disbelievingly.

This was Casey; and not only was she suggesting that I have sex with someone, but also something that was risky but better for our overall chances.

Who was this girl?

Before I even knew I was doing it, I moved in and planted a big smacking kiss on her lips, and her eyes went wide with surprise.

“I think I’m falling in love all over again,” I teased, and she shoved me.

“Jackass,” she muttered, and Cameron shot me a teasing look.

“I’m gonna go make some arrangements,” Cameron said, and as she left us alone, Casey looked away awkwardly.

“We decided it might be best if you, uh, use one of the companion-servants… a few of them need to get a start on having kids, and they’re more adamant than I’d realized about it being you. Particularly Cameron’s servants,” she explained, and I chuckled.

“If you reconsidered your stance on kids, it could be you,” I suggested, and she shifted uncomfortably.

“I’m… giving it some thought, okay? But I’m not ready yet,” she said, and I nodded.

“Take all the time you need. And if you need me to get Cameron to ease up on teasing you, let me know,” I said, and she shook her head.

“I can fight my own battles. Besides; maybe Cameron is right about more things that I realized,” she admitted, and as our eyes met, Casey bit her lip, and quickly looked away.

Cameron gestured to her, and she nodded.

“Come on; let’s go up to your room,” she said, and I nodded as she led me to the grove tree where our rooms were.

We moved quickly up the stairs and to my room, and as we stepped inside, she pulled the door shut, and guided me to the bed.

“I haven’t slept in this bed yet, have I?” I asked, and she shook her head.

“No; and trust me, I’ve been keeping track.”

I smirked at her a little.

“Why did you really keep sleeping here?” I asked, and she sighed.

“I… had this foolish dream that you’d come up and see me lying here, then come over and join me,” she confessed, and I chuckled a little.

“You know, you could have just asked.”

She shook her head.

“Believe me, Cameron reminds me almost daily now,” she said. “It wasn’t until she told me that I was giving Nolan competition in the ‘having feelings but not talking about it and acting out passive aggressively’ category that I realized how dumb I was being.”

I chuckled at her.

“To be fair, both of you have been wrestling with feelings for someone that causes a bit of cognitive dissonance, so it’s more understandable than you think.”

“Cognitive what?”

“Dissonance. Feeling something that conflicts with your core values, resulting in psychological stress and in some cases a crisis of identity.”

She shook her head.

“They teach you that at business school?” she asked, and I shook my head.

“My dad held the belief that a person should have a strong background in at least two fields of study outside of their primary chosen field; one he chose for us-”

“Which was?”

“Philosophy. The other, we were allowed to choose, and I picked psychology. For obvious reasons,” I added, and Casey smiled a little as she caught what I was getting at.

“The psychology of psychopathy,” she said, and I smiled at her.

“I see a hint of a smile,” I said, and she frowned, as she crouched down and began to take off my boots, one by one.

“Do your feet hurt?” she asked, and I nodded.

“We must have run over two hundred miles,” I said, letting out a tired sigh.

Casey began to rub my feet gently, but as I felt myself nod off a little, she quickly prodded me awake.

“You can’t sleep away yet,” she warned, and I sighed.

“Fine; come keep me awake then,” I said, as I leaned down to kiss her, and after initially placing a hand protectively against my chest, she eventually kissed me back, climbing up and onto my lap as we began to kiss, but the kiss had barely gotten started when the door burst open, and Bianca stormed into the room.

“Worry no more, Nathan! For I am here!” she declared, her hands on her hips as she struck a superhero pose.

“Why are you here?” I asked, as Casey quickly moved off and shifted awkwardly a few feet away from me.

“Cameron said you _desperately_ needed my awesome blowjob skills,” she said, and I tilted my head at her.

“But you’re not allowed to do that,” I reminded her.

“Well, I’m overruling you,” Cameron said, as she stepped into the room, followed by a shy looking Alina. “You can stay,” she added, as Casey made to leave, and Casey watched me for a moment, then shook her head.

“I’m not ready for this… not yet,” she said, and Cameron nodded as the girl left, closing the door behind her.

Bianca was grinning at me wickedly, until Cameron snapped her to attention.

“Tick-tock,” Cameron said, tapping her wrist where a watch would be, and Bianca quickly moved to kneel in front of me, and began to remove my belt plate.

“Always rushing me every fucking time,” she said.

“If you complain, I could always send for Molly,” Cameron chided, and Bianca quickly shook her head.

“What is this?” I asked, and Cameron smiled at me teasingly.

“She’s getting you ready,” Cameron said, winking at me, as she turned and began to quickly strip Alina of her clothes.

As I studied the girl, however, I was surprised to find that her eyes betrayed more of an excited look, than a fearful one.

Cameron moved me onto my back, and instructed the girl to sit by my side, and the two watched with interest as Bianca moved onto the bed between my legs, and after fishing out my cock, she quickly took me into her mouth.

I let out a soft moan, though I was a bit slow to stirring, as my exhaustion kept me in check.

But as Bianca sucked on me, wrapping her tongue around my head, I looked down at her with a renewed sense of appreciation.

“Was that what Molly taught you?” I asked, and she popped me out of her mouth, and grinned.

“Awesome~. Isn’t it? Lucky you!” she began, until Cameron tutted at her.

“We’re on a tight schedule here,” she said, and Bianca grumbled again, as she continued sucking on me.

Cameron climbed onto the bed, moving to Alina’s side, and she began to caress the girl’s sides, as the two watched Bianca.

I shifted my gaze however to Alina, whom at Cameron’s urging had moved her hand to her sex, and was rubbing herself, and letting out soft moans.

Alina was a pretty girl; much like the princess, she had a slender body that showcased a sleek skeletal frame that begged to be touched, and her tiny breasts were capped by small nipples that were that trademark olive green.

Bianca followed my gaze, then ran her teeth along my length, drawing a sharp yelp from me, and prompting me to focus on her again, to her satisfaction.

But as she began to intensify her sucking, Cameron brought the display to a halt.

“Let’s see it,” she said, and Bianca popped me out of her mouth to reveal my stiffened length, and Cameron nodded appreciatively. “That’ll do.”

Bianca made a soft whinnying sound, but as she moved to get up, Cameron stopped her.

“I think you could learn something from this,” she said, as she helped Alina onto me, positioning herself just behind the girl, and as she nodded to my side, Bianca moved over, and almost instinctively curled up into the nook of my arm.

I studied her for a moment, but as Cameron grasped onto my rod and began to position it at the girl’s opening, I looked down just as I slipped inside, and the girl let out a little gasp, before easing herself down on me, with Cameron’s assistance.

Bianca watched with awe, and Alina took a deep breath in, then nodded.

“It is well, my lady” she said, and Cameron smiled, as she placed her hands on the girl’s hips, and pressed herself close to her from behind.

Then I let out an appreciative moan, as the two women began to move, Cameron guiding her young apprentice, and her tight, virgin tunnel wrapping pleasurably around my staff.

“I think you take your duties as first wife a little too seriously sometimes,” I joked, and she smiled mischievously at me.

“That’s just the kind of God-queen that I aim be,” she declared proudly.

Moans were escaping from Alina’s lips every time she bottomed out on top of me, and she quickly took Cameron’s hands into hers, squeezing them tightly as the new pleasurable sensations coursed through her, and Cameron steadied the girl, guiding her to maintain a steady rhythm as she rode me.

“What do you think?” Cameron asked, directing the question at Bianca, and as I turned to study her, I noted that her eyes were transfixed on the place where my part linked my body to Alina’s.

Alina let out a squeal, and Bianca studied her, an almost hypnotic look in her eyes.

“This is… different,” she said finally, and Cameron shot me a look that said, ‘thank me later’ before blowing me a kiss, and I let out a moan, as the tightness wrapped around my shaft was quickly bringing me closer to an orgasmic release.

“Quicker, honey,” Cameron said, urging Alina on, but even as the girl nodded, I could see that the pleasurable feelings had all but overwhelmed her, and as her moaning intensified, I reached for Bianca’s hand, and she took it, giving me a squeeze just as I began to cum, grunting a little as I did, and placing a hand on Alina’s hip just over Cameron’s.

Cameron guided her wonderfully through my orgasm, slowing the riding down but maintaining a steady rhythm, but as I filled her womb with my seed, I could feel her insides clamping down on me as she orgasmed as well, and as she began to shudder, Cameron wrapped her arms around the girl, comforting her, and helping her off of me.

I barely understood what was going on anymore, as my vision was fading, but I did vaguely catch the door closing as two figures slipped away, and Bianca’s warmth beside me, as she took my hand, and stroked my cheek, sending me off to a deep dreamless sleep.

***

Joanna paced back and forth in her apartment, holding the phone in her hand and willing it to ring.

But the call she expected simply never came.

 _How is this possible?_ She thought, through gritted teeth.

How is this fucking possible???

Her mind went back to the page that she’d now torn up and tossed into a bin, and to the piece of intel it supposedly delivered.

_Child of-_

She suppressed a shudder, afraid to even finish the thought.

There was no way, right?

Lawrence had to be fucking with her. I mean, it added up; disgruntled employee, trying to get revenge on the company that jilted him…

Except he was right.

If Nathan really was who that piece of paper said he was, then her very life might be in danger.

She shuddered as she let the thought sink in; then, the phone rang.

“About fucking time,” she began, but-

“If you _ever_ have another communication with Lawrence, this partnership will terminate. Immediately.”

-that solitary sentence was all she got, before the call ended, with a click.

<Unknown number> flashed across the screen, and she threw the phone onto the bed.

 _Then maybe I don’t need this partnership_ , she thought, as she picked up her coat, and stormed out of the room, grabbing her keys and purse as she made her way out of her apartment building and to her car.

***

I woke up with my head in Bianca’s lap, and to my surprise, a scowling face looking down at me.

“Astrid?” I asked, groaning a little, and the girl frowned.

“Nathan. There is problem,” she began, and I sat up reluctantly, stretching as I did, and shooting Bianca a quick smile.

“I know. The portents are a threat to Kobalt life, but we’re working on it,” I began, but she quickly shook her head.

“This is not the concern. I had vision yesterday,” she said, and I studied her.

“What was it?” I asked, and she sighed.

“The sight was irrelevant; the matter is a cloud which blinds me to the sight in your presence,” she explained, and I frowned.

“What does it mean?”

She frowned.

“It means a destiny is being shaped; and you, perhaps, lie at the center of it.”

I shook my head.

“Is that necessarily a bad thing?” I asked, and she shrugged.

“Such instance is without reference to one such as myself; but I worry. There are many destinies joined to your thread; that of my people, that of this forest, even that of my own.”

I moved off of the bed, and began to put on my armor, some of which had apparently been stripped away while I slept, and as Bianca moved to the window, she called out to me.

“I think something’s going on outside,” she said, and as I moved to join her, I spotted a Kobalt runner who seemed to be wounded, talking to Gisela and Cameron, whose body language revealed that the news was not good.

“Let’s go,” I offered, and Astrid nodded, following us down the stairs and outside.

“Egon?” Astrid called, as soon as she saw the man, and he shot her a relieved but desperate look as he turned to her.

“Astrid. Our people are sieged,” he began. “I made the run here with haste. We require assistance.”

“What’s the situation?” I asked.

“Rosengarten is completely overrun,” Cameron explained. “He made it out of the cluster, but only just…”

I eyed his injuries, and nodded.

“How many spiders are there?” I asked.

“Spiders?”

“Achtbeinig ones,” Gisela explained, and he nodded.

“My knowing is uncertain, but as many as thirty,” he answered.

“Just spiders? Were there any that looked like us?” I asked, and he shook his head.

“No, but there was a different one; it spins a thread that pulls Kobalt into trees above. This creature eclipses all legend,” the man said, shaking a bit, and I nodded.

“Send him down for treatment,” I said, and Astrid bowed, leaving with the man, and I turned to Cameron as Casey moved to join us.

“What are you thinking?” Cameron asked.

I thought about it before answering.

“Thirty spiders plus a herald should be easy enough to take out, but the problem is the portents,” I said, and Casey nodded in agreement.

“We definitely shouldn’t send a team that can’t fight one,” Casey said.

“We need to help them, though,” I replied, and Casey frowned.

“I don’t see how we can without putting ourselves in danger. The only fighters who can reliably take on portents are you, Francesca and Raul. Any combination of those three puts the other side at risk,” she said, and I smirked a little, gesturing to Bianca as she struck a heroic pose.

“I don’t know if you haven’t been watchin’; but I kick ass now!” Bianca declared, and Lucia sneaked up behind us.

“Lucia kicks ass too!” the girl added, standing somewhat proudly beside Bianca, and I smiled at the two, but Casey massaged her temples a bit.

“Okay, so you two can take on a portent; but she can’t use anything but a dagger, and how is that gonna help you when there’s thirty plus spiders swarming you before you can get into a good position,” Casey argued, and I smirked again, turning as Blair sauntered in on cue.

“Introducing, Le wildcard,” I said.

“Hiya, I’m Blair; I’m sharp, good lookin’, and handy with an axe. Nice to meetcha,” she declared, and she did a little curtsey, which only seemed to annoy Casey further.

“A newbie? You wanna take a newbie into this kind of combat?”

“She’s fought against an otherworlder and killed several spiders already. I’d say she’s battle tested enough, and this way we preserve our good position here,” I argued.

Casey furrowed her brow, but to my surprise, she turned to Cameron, who nodded.

“I’m okay with it,” Cameron said, and Casey relented.

“Fine; but this is a hit and run mission, okay? Clear the area, evacuate the Kobalt to Palancar, then get your asses back here,” she said, and I nodded.

“I’ll go organize her armor,” Cameron said, as Casey turned to Gisela.

“Are there any Kobalt here who’re familiar with Rosengarten?” she asked, and the girl nodded, as she waved over one of the Kobalt hunters.

She spoke to the man for a bit, then frowned.

“Apologies, Nathan. None speak the auslander’s tongue.”

“Can you stick around to translate?” I asked, and she nodded, relaying my questions to the man, then translating his responses to us.

Through her, we were able to find out that Rosengarten was a smaller cluster of about five trees, controlled predominantly by two branches.

The fastest way to evacuate the cluster would be to communicate with the leaders of these branches, and get them to direct their people out of the cluster, and to flee due east to Palancar across the wild bushes between the two lands.

While we made hurried preparations to leave, however, Astrid returned to my side with a determined look.

“Nathan. I will accompany you,” she declared, and I frowned.

“You won’t be able to keep up,” I replied, and she shook her head.

“My endurance surpasses that of this goddess,” she said, eyeing Blair with some derision. “With armor, I can endure your haste.”

I considered the argument.

“Why do you want to come?” I asked.

“The people will hesitate to leave their homes, as to do so rightfully abdicates the grove to your possession,” she explained, and I nodded.

“I see. Very well,” I said, gesturing to Cameron, and as she came over, I relayed the development to her, and she nodded.

“Will speed one be enough, though?” she asked.

“What do we have to spare?”

“The low-grade T-one sets,” she answered, and I frowned. “But we could probably swap out one of the speed pieces from Molly’s set; or Jeannie’s maybe.”

“Yeah, let’s do that,” I replied. “They need the protection right now more than the speed anyway.”

Bianca looked over as Casey and one of the companions fitted Blair with one of the newly acquired T-two sets, and frowned.

“It took me forever to earn that,” she whined, looking down at her own armor, and I ruffled her hair affectionately.

“This is purely out of necessity,” I reminded her, but she pouted nonetheless.

“Then you have to make it up to me,” she said, but I shook my head at her.

“You got a free blowjob in today,” I reminded her, but as I suddenly noted Lucia’s eyes on me, I bit my tongue, and as Bianca followed my gaze, she smirked at me.

“Good job,” she teased.

“Good-job?” Lucia asked, and Cameron eyed me, as she glanced at the child.

“Who did a good job?” Cameron asked, and Lucia shrugged.

“Byaka?”

Bianca was grinning, and Cameron shook her head at me.

“If she asks why Nate is giving everyone ‘special hugs’, you’re explaining that one on your own,” she warned, and I rubbed the back of my head, as I chuckled nervously.

Blair came over to join us, and with everything set, we got ready to depart.

Cameron however, held onto Lucia as the girl moved to Bianca’s side.

“Oh no, you don’t,” she said, and Lucia shot me a pleading look.

“Lucia is going!” she declared, and I thought about it.

“I actually think I wanna take her along,” I said, and Cameron stared at me.

“Are you serious? She’s not ready for that,” she countered, and I shook my head.

“She’ll never be if I never give her the chance,” I replied. “Plus, she compliments Bianca’s style pretty well.”

“We do make a good team,” Bianca conceded, and Lucia wiggled out of Cameron’s arms, and to her surprise, leapt up into Bianca’s.

Cameron stared at her for a moment, looking slightly heartbroken, before nodding.

“Jeez. I guess this is what all that ‘they grow up so fast’ noise is about, huh? If you don’t bring her back, that’s the last ‘good job’ you’ll ever do,” Cameron warned, and Bianca grinned nervously.

Cameron gave me a quick kiss, and a ‘be safe’ warning as I checked to make sure that everyone was ready, then taking Lucia from Bianca, and letting her get into her usual stance on my shoulder, I gave Cameron one more wave, and we headed off.

“She can’t actually stop us from doing anything, can she?” Bianca whispered, and I snickered at her.

“Maybe, but I still wouldn’t cross her,” I teased, and she pouted a little, as we picked up the pace and ran along the road.

“Is this fine?” I called, and Astrid nodded.

To my surprise, the girl seemed quite competent at running, and my mind momentarily went back to Eradne, and I wondered if all was well on her front.

They were, after all, within a possible danger zone…

 _Though with her to lead them, and some of the most skilled hunters at their disposal, maybe they would be fine_ , I thought.

It really was a short way east before the road turned northward, but in the darkness of the night, I couldn’t make out much of anything ahead of us.

We continued on for what felt like an hour, when a chill ran up my spine, and Astrid suddenly called out to us as she came to a stop.

She eyed me dubiously, as I studied her.

“Do you want to hunt it?” I asked, assuming that she’d sensed the monster as well, and she tilted her head at me.

“The grove lies here,” she said, gesturing to where the road broke off to what seemed to me to be nothing but another patch of trees to our left, but as I studied the scene, I caught some subtle signs of wear, and a small pathway leading through the brush.

“Fuck me,” I said. “I might have missed that completely,” I added, and Blair smirked at me.

“Now I’m wondering how you even led us through that whole shebang,” she said, and I chuckled a little.

“I had help,” I said, tapping my wrist and bringing up the basic map module. “What can I say? This all looks like woods.”

Astrid made that trademark sucking sound through her teeth, and I bit my lip nervously.

“I know- I have much to learn,” I said, and she eyed me, then nodded.

“The blame is shared; had I known, I would have recommended instruction,” she said, and I nodded. “What is the manner of approach?”

I stooped down, then gathered everyone around.

“Unless I’m mistaken, the nearest tree will be through the path and to the left,” I began, looking to Astrid for confirmation, and she nodded. “We’ll make a bee-line for that tree, then try to hold that position while we figure out how to proceed. Getting caught out in the open might be bad, so pay close attention to my signals.”

“Got it,” Blair quickly said, and Bianca scowled.

“Hey~. That’s my line,” she whined, and I quickly offered her a consolatory pat.

“Get into focus,” I said, and she nodded as everyone else drew their weapons. “Blair, stay at my side; we’ll strike in alternating sweeps, and Bianca and Lucia will cover our flanks. You just stick close,” I said, turning to Astrid, and she nodded.

“I am without concern,” she said. “My survival is set in stone.”

I eyed her, shaking off a slight feeling of discomfort at her faith in her prophecies, but nodded nonetheless.

“Let’s go,” I said.

We moved quickly but quietly along the path.

“Shouldn’t we have come at them from one of the sides?” Blair asked in a low whisper, and I shook my head.

“There’s a lot of things that crunch underfoot on the forest floor. The path is swept often, and it should be clear; just keep your eyes open for-”

“SKREEEEE!”

The monster was crouched low in the shadows of a nearby bush, and Bianca silenced the shrieking thing with a quick jab, but as the cry echoed through the silence of the still night air, a series of shrieking replies came echoing from all around us.

“Move!” I yelled, and we darted forward, but as we made it into the clearing, a wave of monsters quickly descended on us.

I sliced through two of the beasts, then stepped back as Blair moved in to dispatch of two more, and I turned and swept through two more to the left of that, before stabbing through another that had come up from the path behind us.

Bianca stabbed another that had crept up behind me, and I kept moving in a circular pattern, sweeping through two more spiders now to the right of the group, before stabbing through a third just as it leapt through the air overhead, and as I threw the monster down, Lucia this time covered my side as another creeper moved in at me from my blind spot.

I shot her a thankful nod, as I turned left, and worked my halberd in sweeping arcs, sending a spray of some kind of green blood-like liquid as limbs went flying, and I breathed a sigh of relief, as Blair seemed to be holding her own, moving out and sweeping through the spiders, then retreating as I moved past her in alternate sweeping strikes.

It was going splendidly despite the massive hoard that seemed to be sweeping in on us, until Bianca stabbed into a spider too close to its wickedly clamp-like mouth, and as the rows of razor claws almost closed in on her hand on the dagger hilt, she yelped, and the dagger went flying.

“Fuck,” she cursed, shooting me a panicked look, and I quickly moved to clear through the three or four spiders that moved in, swarming around the spot.

But the moment of distraction left an opening, and as Blair bumped into my back, thrown off of her rhythm by my change in attack pattern, she stumbled, and several creatures came flying through the air towards us, leaping over their dangerously clamoring spider-comrades.

I stabbed through one, and swept the legs out under another, before catching a crown of fangs on my armguard, and Lucia killed the creature just as Astrid thrust her bone-tipped spear, knocking another leaping monster back.

Blair quickly recovered, sweeping through the monsters that were encroaching on our space, and as I covered her from the side, Lucia darted forward, sliding under the legs of a spider and stabbing it in the underbelly, and tossing it aside as she swept up Bianca’s dagger and tossed it to her.

But as Bianca shot her a thankful nod, Lucia stopped to stick her tongue out at her teasingly, and in the momentary lapse in concentration, I spotted the thread descending fast from the dark canopy above.

“Lucia!”

She caught my cry a second too late, and as she looked up, then tried to roll out of the way; she was just a second too late, and even as I darted to her, she went flying into canopy above.

No.

No, no, NO!

I momentarily thought about hurling my halberd desperately into the canopy above, but Astrid quickly pulled me back to the line, and more by instinct than anything else, I continued to slice and fight my way through the chaotic battlefield.

Then I heard it; a loud, shrieking sound, and as a spider corpse, much larger than the others fell out of the canopy above, I let out a relieved sigh.

“Lucia!” I called out.

The shrieking about us seemed to subside, as the spiders had turned and were now fleeing in earnest.

“Lucia is fine!” a call came from above, and I crouched down, taking a deep breath.

“Can you get down?” I called, and after a moment, she responded.

“Coming!” she replied, and just then, I spotted her tiny form catapulting down from the canopy above, but she curled up into a ball and tensed up just as she got within ten feet of the ground, and the momentary panic I felt eased as she rebounded in mid-air, and I caught sight of the thread attached to her body.

She hung there for a bit, swinging subtly back and forth, until I gave her a little nod, and she turned, slicing through the thread with her dagger, and I moved forward and caught her, then held her close.

“You little fucking brat!” I chided, and Bianca moved over to us, and placed her arms around us both, sharing a collective sigh of relief, while Blair kept on alert for more threats.

“Lucia’s fine,” the girl said, but I could feel her little heart racing in her chest, and even after I stopped hugging her tight, her little arms remained tightly locked around my neck.

“Nate; look,” Bianca said, and as I glanced in the direction she’d indicated, I spotted as two spiders scurried out of one of the nearby grove trees, then hurried after their kin into the woods.

I turned to Astrid.

“Stay in the tree, but try to organize them to leave,” I said to her, and she frowned as I pulled up my basic map module, and set our current location as the new waypoint so we could find our way back.

“What is your aim?”

“To find the one who spawns them,” I said, and she nodded, a bit worriedly, as I headed off with Bianca and Blair close on my heels.

I kept Lucia in my arms as I ran, but it caused little problem as the spiders were much slower than any of the other monsters we’d ever encountered.

As we gave chase, however, I felt the eerie sensation of monsters crawling all around us.

Fucking hell.

How many monsters did this thing spawn?

“Naythan,” Lucia called, tugging on me a little, and as I followed her gaze, I saw the treetops shifting under the weight of spiders overhead.

“I see it,” I said, as I pulled up to a stop.

I pulled up my compass module, then noted the direction that the spiders were headed in.

“Why are there so many?” Blair asked, and I sighed.

“They must be hunting a lot,” I replied worriedly.

At this rate, it was reasonable to assume that they’d taken out a cluster or two… but wouldn’t we have heard about that?

Though, perhaps it was somewhere further off; somewhere that word had yet to travel out from.

“Are we going after them?” she asked, and I shook my head.

“I have a fair idea of what direction they’re headed in from here, but we need more fighters equipped to take them down. Daggers are pretty bad against them.”

Blair nodded in agreement, and we turned and headed back to the grove.

“Lucia; find Astrid,” I said, and the girl nodded, before heading off. “Let’s start harvesting cores,” I said to the others, as I moved toward the herald, and quickly extracted its core.

The cores were easy enough to find, with the spider’s midsection being the usual location, but Bianca complained a lot about having to fish them out of ‘spider juice’ as she called it, much to Blair’s amusement.

“How have you survived this long?” she asked, and Bianca scowled at her.

“I’ll survive longer than you will,” she shot back, and Blair smirked at her.

“Wanna bet?”

“Cut it out,” I called out, and Bianca made a whining sound, as we resumed the work.

“How many did we kill?” I asked, as we gathered the cores together.

“Uh, thirty-eight?” Blair said, as she did a quick count.

“Fucking hell,” I breathed.

“Does that mean they ate at least that many of these green-folk?” she asked, and I shrugged.

“I’m not sure. They were also hunting the monsters left over from the previous domain.”

Blair shot me a thoughtful look.

“Are all cores the same?” she asked.

“In terms of what?”

“Capacity?” she asked, and I shook my head.

“Nope. And ours have a much higher capacity than natives do, even as they are when we first arrive here.”

Blair gazed at Bianca, and the girl shifted uncomfortably.

“Can you tell when one has a higher capacity than another?” she asked, and I shook my head.

“I think your ability to sense needs to be higher to be able to do that, though some of the others were able to right off the bat.”

She frowned.

“I think I might suck at it, then,” she said. “Either that, or this one here is no better than the brat.”

“Hey, watch it lady,” Bianca shot, and I chuckled.

“Bianca’s capacity might be higher than most of ours, actually,” I said, and Blair studied her again as Bianca beamed proudly.

“How come? Is she really that good?” she asked.

“We’ve been putting her on core training for at least a week now, I think.”

Blair gave the info some thought.

“So, if the monster thing ate her, then turned her core into a monster, would the monster be stronger, or would it be able to maybe make a few monsters from her?” Blair asked, and I rubbed my chin.

“No-one’s eating me,” Bianca said defensively, and Blair smirked at her.

“Not with that attitude,” she teased, and I quickly patted Bianca on the head, though a bit absently, as I continued to think.

Ethan had never mentioned anything about it… though both him and Danica did say that the monstrosities fed on the contents of the cores.

But did memories, skills, and all of the other things contained in a core add to its capacity?

Bianca’s skills seemed to be on par with everyone else who had either fought or trained, but if her core capacity itself was greater than ours, which it should be, then did that mean that the monstrosity would merely have more to feed on before draining the core into a husk, which would then create another basic monster? Or did it mean that her core would create something slightly stronger, like a herald, maybe?

It was certainly something to think about.

“High Nathan,” Astrid called, and as I turned, I spotted her approaching me with a dignified looking Kobalt elder.

“Guten tag,” I greeted the man, and he raised an eyebrow at me.

“You speak the old tongue?” he asked.

“A little,” I replied in German. “But perhaps I will learn the common tongue as well.”

The man shook his head disbelievingly.

“The special one did not choose her mate without consideration, it seems,” Astrid said, and the man nodded appreciatively.

“But will Palancar truly receive us? To strike upon a cluster-state is beyond all comprehension.”

“The orchestrator of that strike has deserted them,” I began, “and surely, they can do no more harm than these creatures would.”

The man nodded again, as he bit his lip uncertainly.

“If I could offer you protection, I would, but our strength is not yet ascended to the powers of the immortal one,” I added, and the man studied me.

“Yet, your strength is still beyond that of my comprehension. Will you assure me that my people will have refuge, if Palancar deems our retreat a transgression?”

“Your people will have refuge if they desire it, no matter Palancar’s reception,” I assured the man, and he shot Astrid a quick glance, then nodded.

“Very well; I will organize the withdrawal at once.”

“How long will it take?” I asked, and the man frowned.

“To sweep every tree? Perhaps a segment,” he said, but Astrid quickly shook her head.

“You will accomplish this in two ticks; no more. We cannot spend more than a segment on each cluster, or much Kobalt life will be extinguished this night,” Astrid said, and the man bowed, before hurrying off.

“Can you organize a runner for us?” I asked, and Astrid eyed me.

“What for?”

“To send a message back to Grenze,” I said. “Our defensive line is in the wrong place. We need to move them here.”

She tilted her head at me.

“Explain,” she said.

“What direction is Stadtrand from here?” I asked.

She pointed north-northeast, and I nodded.

“The forest was teeming with spiders, less than, uh five thousand strides from here, and were headed north-northwest,” I explained, indicating to her the direction. “I think our monstrosity might be set up nearby, and between these two clusters.”

She studied me; her brow crinkled with worry.

“Then it means to feed off of both of them this night,” she noted, and I nodded. “I fear it may have already consumed at least a cluster,” she continued, and as I nodded, she sighed.

“It’s possible; that’s why we need to stop it now, before it really gets out of control.”

She nodded.

“Very well; I will take this message, then,” she said.

“Are you sure? What if you’re still needed here?”

She shook her head.

“The elders are agreed. They will not retract this intention,” she assured me. “And it is best that I relay this message, that your gods accept this ruling as yours and absolute.”

I licked my lips, then nodded.

“Alright. Have them evacuate the Kobalt to Palancar, then bring over the weapons, healing supplies, and armor. The hunters as well.”

She frowned.

“There is one problem; your princess will not be permitted sanctuary,” she reminded me, and I cursed under my breath.

“Can she be moved?” I asked, and she nodded.

“Yes, but it will slow the journey.”

I let out a sigh.

“Let my advisors work it out,” I replied, “just make certain that they understand the urgency of moving the line here.”

She nodded.

“Naythan!” Lucia called, and I turned to spot some spiders moving across the tree line and to the upper branches of a grove tree.

“Fuck me; you should get going. Tell the group that it’s only a matter of time before a monstrosity comes here,” I added, and Astrid bowed.

“My passage will be swift,” she said, as she turned and tore away down the path that led to the road.

“Let’s get up there,” I said, as we headed for the tree that the spiders were swarming.

I set Lucia down this time, and the girl quickly moved to my side.

A few panicked glances greeted us as we darted through the hallways and up the staircase, but the way was thankfully clear past the fourth floor.

Around floor seven, however, we encountered the first of the spiders, and Blair quickly dispatched them, but as several more came at us, we took up a defensive position there, and while Blair continued to hack through the coming horde, I covered her, by cutting through the creatures that had crawled onto the walls, and tried to come at us from above.

We killed about ten spiders, before the creatures began to withdraw, and we gave pursuit.

“Fuck,” I said, as I spotted a creature disappearing down the corridor on the eighth floor.

“Do we chase it?” Bianca asked, and I gave Lucia a quick nod.

“Kill it, then meet us on the tenth floor,” I said, and the girl nodded, then quickly darted off.

As we got to the tenth floor, I spotted more spiders outside, crawling along the branches of the tree.

“How do we get to them?” Blair asked, and Bianca shot her a grin.

“Like this,” she said, leaping onto the window frame and out onto a nearby branch.

Blair shot me a mildly uncomfortable look, then shook it off, and followed Bianca outside.

“Not so bad,” she said, but as she wobbled a little, I moved to her rear, and offered her a steady hand.

“Enough with the antics,” I chided her. “Bianca’s balance is really good, but you’ll need to be careful.”

She shot me a wry look, then shrugged.

“These branches are thick enough anyway,” she said, and as we fanned out a bit, we started hunting down the stray spiders scattered around us.

For the most part, they were coming at us one at a time along the narrow branches, with only the stray leaping spider to cause any worry, and Lucia quickly moved to join us, but as she tugged on me, she quickly pointed out that spiders were beginning to swarm above us in worrying numbers.

“Blair! Back up a little!” I called, and the girl followed my gesture to where three spiders were already overhead, before leaping to a branch beside ours.

Bianca quickly joined us, then frowned.

“They’re ignoring us completely,” she complained, and I nodded, as the spiders were quickly filing into the nearby trees, and moving around us by navigating the branches that were out of our reach.

“Can’t we get higher up?” Blair asked, and I shook my head.

“The branches are thinner up there, and they’d just move somewhere else.

We ducked back into the grove tree, then began to make our way down to the bottom floor.

Thankfully, the Kobalt seemed to have quickly returned to the safety of their rooms, but as we moved out of the entry hall of our grove tree, I noted with worry that the spiders were still avoiding us as much as possible, and were instead infesting the trees around us.

“Is someone controlling them this time?” Blair asked, and I bit my lip nervously.

“It looks so, huh?” I said, and she nodded.

“They just swarmed us last time, but I don’t even think they’re going after the green guys; they’re kind of just getting into position.”

It was a worrying observation, and as I surveyed the scene, I wondered silently how we should proceed.

We could make a run for it, then come back with reinforcements, but that might leave the Kobalt to their doom…

A scream rang out from somewhere to my right, and I spotted spiders crawling out of a room.

“Guess they _are_ going after them,” Blair noted, grinning a bit, and I shook my head at her.

 _We’ll need to work on those reactions_ , I thought, but even so, I knew there wasn’t much we could do as things stood.

As another scream rang out in the distance, Lucia crouched down, and placed her hands over hear ears.

She was shaking, and I quickly moved to pick her up.

“Maybe we can draw them off,” I said. “Let’s try to shoot for their base.”

Blair took a look outside, then shrugged.

“Unless this thing has way more fucking monsters than we can imagine, we might as well.”

We did a quick check, then darted in the direction of the bushes west of the grove.

There were a few straying spiders on the ground, and I turned our course toward them, slicing through them as we swept across the town, and as we burst through the foliage, I noted that there was a steady stream of spiders pouring into the cluster from the trees overhead.

I quickly consulted my compass before fixing our course on the direction that the spiders were marching in from, but as we darted through the trees, spiders on the ground were non-existent, and their numbers seemed to dwindle quickly the further we got from the grove.

We ran for about fifteen minutes, when I sensed something significant, and I pulled up to a stop.

“What is it?” Blair asked, and I turned my gaze a little to the right.

“There,” I said, and she nodded as I set Lucia down, and we proceeded a little more cautiously toward the place I’d indicated.

We ran for what felt like no more than thirty seconds when Bianca yelped, and I glanced over to see her wrestling with some webbing.

“Stop,” I said, as I withdrew my own dagger, and began to slice through the threads, but my eyes narrowed in just as one of the threads seemed to suddenly pull taut, and I spun just as I felt a shadow loom over me.

I sliced through the web, and leapt backwards, Lucia and Blair taking evasive action as well, just as a spray of something landed in a wide area around where we’d only just stood, and the foliage around it began to sizzle.

“What is that? Acid?” Blair asked. “What kind of spider uses acid attacks?”

“Not a spider, obviously,” a voice called, and I glanced up just as something swung overhead, and again, I took evasive action, Bianca moving with me as well, just as another spray of liquid landed on the spot.

“Fucking hell. Even the earth is melting,” Blair noted, and I nodded.

“Keep on your toes.”

“There,” Lucia said, moving toward me, and I nodded, patting my shoulder and helping her up.

“Guide me,” I said, and she nodded, tugging at my shoulder and helping me to follow whatever it was that was moving in the trees above.

There was much less rustling than what the spiders caused, but liquids seemed to be leaking as it moved, until suddenly, I spotted a blob like appendage grab onto a branch, and a stream of blob-like liquid followed along, until a humanoid figure took shape on the branch there, and he smirked at me, as he turned and spewed a spray of acid in Bianca’s direction.

“Watch it!” I yelled, and I breathed a sigh of relief as Bianca rolled away just in time.

She seemed to be sensing the attacks pretty well, even though she didn’t have her eyes on the creature, but as I turned and caught sight of Blair, I began to wonder if she would have developed that kind of intuition this early into her time here.

Lucia was directing me to the creature, but instead, I hurried to Blair’s side.

“Stick to me; I don’t know if you can read attacks out of the dark just yet,” I said, and she nodded.

“I can barely even fucking see,” she said. “What’s the deal, though? Blob monstrosity, but spider monsters? Where’s the fucking consistency there?”

“I don’t think these monsters are his,” I said, as I led her along, navigating the webs that were strewn haphazardly about, but heading in the direction of where they thickened.

Bianca joined me, and as she moved to the fore, slicing through the webs and leading us while I kept an eye out for attacks, the blob thing suddenly landed ahead of us, and as he opened his mouth and directed a spray of acid at us, we quickly leapt to the sides, evading the liquid.

“Fuck, ah!” Bianca cried out, as she quickly got herself entangled in a thick bit of web, and Lucia quickly moved to cut her out; but I ignored the diversion, instead quickly bursting forward in the direction of the monster, lunging at him as soon as I got within range.

 _This one was Ronnie, wasn’t it?_ I thought, as I got a better look at his face up close.

My halberd shot through him, but he merely smirked at me, and I felt the thing jerk in my hand as his body seemed to suddenly solidify around the weapon.

I released it as he spewed another spray of acid, raising my hands protectively over my face as I did; but he caught me full on, and my skin began to burn as the thing sizzled into me.

“Fuck,” I cursed, but Blair moved in quickly to support me, slicing across the creature’s hardened chest with her axe, and the creature returned to its liquidy form, releasing my halberd as it did.

“Tch*-”

Monster-Ronnie clicked his tongue in annoyance, before extending two blob-like arms into the canopy above, and slinking away into the cover of the darkness and leaves.

“Feeling the burn there, Natey-boy?” the creature called, and Blair shot me a curious look.

“You two fuckin know each other?” she asked, and I nodded.

“Long story; he was part of the group we arrived with, but let’s just say things didn’t end on amicable terms,” I replied, and she snickered at me.

“You don’t say,” she replied, as she retrieved my halberd and handed it to me.

I withdrew one of the healing vials, but as I uncorked the thing, I dabbed just a little touch onto the area on my neck where the acid had sprayed, and as I spread the thing around, I felt a cooling sensation, and some relief from the irritation.

“Is my skin melting off of me or anything?” I asked, and she shook her head.

“Just looks red, and a little raw.”

I sighed, running my hand along the helmet sliver that I was wearing around my neck, and the helmet quickly unfolded, molding itself to my head.

“Might wanna activate yours,” I said, and Bianca shot me a quick nod from across the little clearing as she did so as well.

We could hear the creature moving around above us, but it didn’t talk or attack.

“He’s trying to keep us occupied,” I said, as I glanced around.

What direction were we headed in?

I felt a bit turned around with the commotion, but as I spotted a thicker cluster of webs, I glanced over at Bianca and gestured, and she nodded as we moved out from behind the tree trunks and darted forward.

“Gotcha!” the creature yelled, as he loosed another spray of acid, and began to morph his way across the canopy overhead, but as I evaded the spray, I sliced through some webbing, then spotted it; a dense collection of threads with a huge, pod like thing at its core.

It was about fifteen feet off the ground, but as I headed toward it, spiders began to swarm us.

“Lucia; can you get there?” I called out, and the girl nodded, as I gestured to the pod.

Blair cleaved through some spiders, and I turned just as a blob arm extended toward Lucia, and I cut through it just as it moved past me, turning the extended bit into liquid which splashed onto the forest floor.

Lucia scrambled toward the webbing, then grabbing onto it, she pulled herself up, and began to leap across the webs, moving through the net, and slicing her way through the smaller streams that would hinder her movement.

Bianca moved to my side as we fought our way through the remainder of the wave, but as Lucia began to slice through the pod-thing itself, blob-Ronnie morphed his way past us through the canopy overhead, and as he let out a spray of acid, Lucia was forced to take evasive action.

The acid, however, seemed to eat its way through the webbing, and as soon as we were done with the spiders, Bianca climbed up onto a thicker thread, then began to make her way over to the pod as well.

Lucia was dancing between the webs while Ronnie tried to pin her down, and as she landed a few counter slashes when he extended his limbs to reach her, he scowled, and pressed her further.

“Cover me,” I said, as a few straggling spiders were scurrying toward us from the distance, and as I turned, I called out to Bianca.

“Watch me!” I yelled, gesturing to my halberd, and she nodded, stepping aside as I took aim, then hurled the thing, spearpoint first towards the pod.

 _Yes!_ I thought, as the thing seemed to make decent penetration into the pod.

Bianca quickly grasped onto the weapon, then began to wedge it deeper into the opening, until a terrifying screech erupted from the thing, forcing everyone to momentarily cover their ears until it subsided.

Bianca withdrew the halberd with some difficulty, and she and Lucia began to hurry away from the pod as the threads wound around it began to snap and burst, as whatever was inside began to emerge.

“I don’t think we killed it,” Blair said, and I nodded, as the pod suddenly burst open, and Mark, the third and final member of Caleb’s former group, came into view.

“Fuck,” I cursed, as the presence emanating from him was overwhelming; much different from the feel that Caleb or even Ronnie had given off.

“Another friend?” Blair asked, and I nodded.

“Mark,” I said. “I’ll introduce you later.”

I gestured, and we began to retreat from our position, Bianca and Lucia moving across the webs and avoiding Ronnie who was now in pursuit, as they moved to join us.

But we had made it no further than a few hundred feet south from the epicenter, when the scurrying sound of hundreds of spidery legs rushing through the woods drew our attention from up ahead, and I swallowed uncomfortably, as I spotted the massive horde bursting across the forest floor, and across the branches overhead.

“Ugh. That gives me the fucking creeps,” Bianca cried out, and I quickly scooped up Lucia as I turned the group west.

“Come on,” I yelled, and Bianca and Blair quickly moved after me, as I led them in a retreat away from the incoming monsters.

As I looked back, however, I noted that spiders seemed to also be coming in from the east, possibly retuning from that other cluster that we’d not yet seen.

“That’s a shitload of spiders,” Blair noted.

“They’re not fast enough to catch us though,” I replied, and she nodded, as we continued along.

It took no more than five minutes before we were out of sight, but I pushed further out, not wanting to give them the chance to cut us off, or surround us at any point.

Then we redirected our path southwest, and began to angle towards where I figured Grenze might be, but as the spiders quickly began to catch up, I pushed the group westward again.

“Fuck; are we gonna have to circle all the way around this fucking forest?” Blair asked, and I frowned.

“Let’s just keep going for now, and see if we can break through their line,” I offered, and she quickly agreed.

But as we came within sight of the horde, their numbers seemed as ridiculous as ever, and we quickly readjusted our course away from them.

We pushed on this time for a good fifteen minutes, when suddenly, a chilling presence alerted me to something ahead of us.

“Fuck me; something’s up there,” I said, pulling up to a stop.

“Something like what?” Blair asked.

“Like the blob-guy or the spider-spawner,” I said, and she sighed.

“How many fucking monster friends do you have?”

I frowned.

“It was just the three, and we already killed one… but there’s at least one other monstrosity that we know of that’s out there. It shouldn’t be able to attack us, though.”

“Why not?” she asked.

“Because someone used an ability to drive him away from us, and keep him away,” I said.

Another chill, however, told me that he was heading straight for us.

“Fuck; it’s coming,” I said, and we again changed course, this time, heading a bit further north.

But it took no more than a minute for me to realize that it was gaining on us, and fast.

“We’re not gonna outrun this; let’s prep to fight,” I suggested, setting Lucia down, and getting into a formation similar to the approach we used back in Rosengarten.

“Eyes open,” I said, as the thing seemed almost upon us, but when the thing finally came into sight, I shook my head with confusion.

“You’re not a monster… are you?” I began uncertainly, and as Blair followed my gaze, she grimaced.

“Or, maybe she is,” she added.

“I’m not,” the woman answered, as she stepped out of the shadows and into view.

She was a tall woman, with a shapely body, and long, silvery hair that reminded me of Astrid’s; but there was a distinguished look to her face that gave an almost regal air to her general appearance.

“Who are you?” I called, and she shook her head.

“Aletta’s the name, but you can call me Leti,” she said. “That’s an interesting smell you have on you there…”

She approached, but as I lifted my halberd, she stopped.

“Whoa there, sweetie; I’m not here for any kind of fight,” she began, and I studied her cautiously.

“What are you?” I asked, and she smirked a little.

“What am I? That’s no way to greet a lady,” she countered, and I shook my head.

“Funny place and circumstances to find a lady in,” I replied, and she sighed.

“Just look into my core, hon. Does it look like I could fight you?” she asked.

She approached more warily, with her hands raised; but as I looked into her core, I noted that it did look quite ordinary in capacity at least, which only added to the peculiarity of the situation.

“What are you doing in here?” I asked, and she sighed.

“My pet went missing; I’m just tryna find him.”

“Your pet?” I asked.

“Yeah, pretzel. He’s never been gone this long, and I’m worried… but that smell is interesting,” she said, moving toward me again and sniffing a little, and Bianca stepped in front of me protectively, with her dagger drawn.

“I draw the line at sniffing, lady,” Bianca warned, and the woman chuckled at her.

“Protective, huh? That sure brings back memories. Say, why don’t you kids help an old woman out, huh?”

“Old?” Blair asked. “You don’t look a day over forty.”

The woman laughed, a raucous, hearty laugh.

“Forty? Oh Gods; to be that young again! You’ve made an old woman’s day. What’s your name, darlin’?”

“Blair,” she answered, and the woman smiled.

“Your kind make it far in here. I think I’ll root for you,” she said, and I raised an eyebrow.

“You’re an otherworlder?” I asked, and she sighed.

“Sort of. You’re probably wondering about my implant, huh? Guess you could say I kinda lost it,” she said, and I eyed her.

“How do you lose it without losing a hand?” I asked, and she laughed again.

“You can’t really, huh? Thing is… I kinda lost my whole body,” she said, and I studied her.

“You were resurrected?” I asked, recalling Casey’s mention that such a thing was indeed possible, and the girl nodded, shooting me an impressed look.

“Well, look at that. You sure know your stuff for someone that looks so… green.”

She eyed Lucia, chuckling a little as she said that.

“I think I’m starting to understand why you smell like her,” she continued, and I shook my head at her.

“Smell like who?” I asked, and she turned, shooting me a cheeky grin.

“Like Danica,” she answered, as if it were obvious, and I froze.

“Danica never mentioned an Aletta,” I said, and she smirked a little.

“Hnn~? Maybe she got too used to the other name,” the woman suggested, and I instinctively reached for my halberd as I eyed her suspiciously.

“Leti, huh… as in… Irileth?” I asked, and she turned and winked.

“Sharp as a nail, is it? Did I say that right? Forgive me if I didn’t, but when you get to this age, everything sounds weird when you say it out loud.”

I shook my head, as I studied her.

“I was led to believe that you’re a monster,” I said, studying the woman with curiosity, and she chuckled.

“Well, technically you weren’t misled. I mean, this body sure ain’t as human as it used to be. You don’t need to look so bothered though; I won’t eat you up. Not unless you ask, at least,” she teased.

“Hey! Watch it, lady,” Bianca said again, and Blair smirked at her a little, but as I kept my eye on Aletta, she turned and gazed off into the distance behind me.

“You sure ruffled his feathers,” she said. “He does not look happy.”

I turned, but it took almost ten seconds before I sensed the thing that she was referring to, and I quickly noted that the sensation was the lesser presence of Ronnie’s.

“Do we fight?” Blair asked.

“Tell ya what. If you kids help me find my pup, I wouldn’t mind helping you take care of this,” she said.

“I thought you couldn’t fight,” I said, and she shrugged.

“I can’t, really. But these big strong muscles of yours should be more than enough to take care of him; I’m just offering to help give you the shot.”

Bianca was openly glaring at the woman, who seemed to pay her no heed at all.

I thought about the proposal, then nodded.

“Okay; I accept,” I said, and she smiled.

“Be right back,” she said, blowing me a kiss, but as a wind seemed to suddenly blow through us, Aletta seemed to vanish with it, and I blinked a few times, as the very air where she stood seemed to be shimmering.

“What the fuck is that?” Bianca asked, turning around, looking for some sign of Aletta, but I quickly snapped her to attention, as Ronnie came swirling into view from somewhere above.

He let out a spray of acid, and as we all leapt clear, he extended himself toward me, anticipating my move quite well, as he wrapped an appendage around my ankles, then hardened them on the spot, trapping me in place.

He smirked as he took form in front of me, then advanced while the extension from his left arm kept me locked in place.

I slashed at it with my halberd, but the solid bit was directly over my feet, and the weapon merely sloshed through the liquidy extension that connected us.

“End of the line, Natey boy,” he teased, but as he caught the smirk on my own face, he paused, but only for a moment, as he quickly shook off the hesitation and continued toward me.

Then I saw her, slowly fading into view just behind him.

“Mwaaah.”

She blew a kiss at him, making a smooching sound that echoed seductively from her pursed lips, as she seemed to blow some kind of dust into Ronnie’s face, and he began to cough.

“What the fuck-?” he began, as he swiped at something in front of him, then flailed around a little.

He relinquished his hold on me as he spun around to face Aletta, and as she sauntered towards him with a seductive gait, he backed away, tottering to his knees.

“Fucking bitch. What did you do to me?” he asked.

“Nothing; at least, not compared to what they’re about to do,” she said, as she pointed to the ground.

His form seemed to be fluctuating between a more solid consistency, and that blob-like ooze, but as he rested his hands on the ground, vines seemed to spring up, wrapping around his fingers.

He quickly pulled his hands up, tearing them loose, but the vines attached to his hands kept growing, and as he tore at them, they released that same pollen-type dust.

Panic seemed to grip him, as he tore furiously at the vines which seemed to continue spreading despite his efforts, and as he reached his hand up, making to escape, the limbs made it no more than three or four feet into the air before falling to the ground in a limp bundle, and as I walked up to him, he gritted his teeth.

“Go to fucking hell, man,” he said, and I sliced across his neck, sending his head flying, and his body crumpled to the ground, melting into slime as it did.

“Fuckin’ gross,” Blair said, and Bianca smirked at her.

“Who’s being a princess now?” she teased, but Blair merely grinned in response.

“Touché, little doll. Touché.”

I bent down, then fished his core out of the pool of slime, and Aletta cast a quick glance over her shoulder.

“I don’t mean to rush y’all, but there’s a swarm of nasties a-coming,” she said, and I nodded, gesturing as I picked Lucia up, and without further delay, we headed off.

We kept our course westerly, but after just about ten minutes, Aletta called out, and I pulled up to a stop as she panted.

“Whoo, boy. These lungs are not happy. I’m not sure I can keep this up,” she said, and I eyed her.

“Seriously?” I asked, and she nodded.

“Core’s spent too,” she added, fanning herself a bit and I frowned, setting Lucia down as I did.

“Here,” I said, scooping her up by the waist, and throwing her over my shoulder. “How’s that?” I asked, and she let out an appreciative sigh.

“Just right,” she said, her tone suggestive as she fingered the muscles along my arm, and Bianca grumbled a bit, as I gestured to her to carry Lucia.

We resumed at a slightly slower pace, but as we ran, I felt a curious feeling, as if Aletta’s weight were quickly diminishing, until she felt like nothing more than a feather in my arms.

“Are you doing something?” I asked, and she chuckled a little.

“Can’t have you tiring out on me, now can I?” she asked, and I nodded.

As we continued on, however, I felt her hand brush my ass several times, before she let out an appreciative whistle.

“I knew there was something I missed about being human,” she said, and as Bianca spotted what she was doing, she quickly moved over and swatted the probing hand away.

“Watch your hand before you lose it, lady,” Bianca warned, and Aletta grumbled a little.

“You’re awfully possessive for a girl who doesn’t even smell of him yet. Have you even tasted it?” she teased, and Bianca seemed to go a little red.

“There’s no way in hell you could smell something like that!” Bianca shot, and the woman laughed.

“My mind might be failing me in this old age, but my nose is still as sharp as ever. And there’s quite a few scents on this one,” she said, patting my ass again as she did, “but yours isn’t one of them.”

Blair eyed me as Aletta finished speaking, a curious glint in her eye.

“Say, where are we headed, exactly?” Aletta asked, as we pressed on, and I bit my lip a little.

“I was aiming for my base, I think,” I replied.

“Is it one of those trees with all the goblins?” she asked, and I nodded.

“Yeah,” I said. “Why?”

She chuckled a little.

“Just hang south for a few clicks, then turn back east,” she said. “You should be clear of team spidey by then.”

She directed me on how to proceed, and to my surprise, we ended up coming to the exit from the blighted grove just where we’d crossed onto the road before entering Grenze.

As I looked into the distance ahead, I could see Kobalt moving around hurriedly across the town, and I quickly made my way there.

“Holy shit! It’s Nate!” Casey called out, and as I scanned the crowd, I spotted Cameron bounding toward me.

I set Aletta down just as she leapt into my arms.

“What the fuck’re you doing coming from that direction?” she asked, as she gave me a quick squeeze, then released me.

“Long story. We need to prep for a fucking infestation, though,” I said, and she quickly nodded.

“Get them back inside!” she yelled out as soon as she spotted Alva, and the girl glanced at Cameron, then took one look at me before springing into action.

“They’ll be coming from that way,” I said, indicating to the northeast, and Casey nodded.

“What’re we expecting?” she asked.

“Spiders; by the hundreds,” I answered. “And maybe the thing that spawned them.”

“Definitely the thing that spawned them,” Aletta clarified.

“Who’s this?” Casey asked, as she shot me a quick look. “Nevermind,” she said, as she shook off the moment of indecision.

She quickly headed off to where our defensive line was stationed, and began to reposition our hunters along the northeastern fringe of the cluster.

“Take Lucia, and get up into the branches,” I said, turning to Bianca. “Look for the heralds, and take them out when you can, but don’t get caught out up there; get back into the tree as soon as you take out your target.”

Bianca nodded, and she headed off to the grove tree closest to our defensive line with Lucia in tow.

“Nate! You might wanna keep some of these,” Francesca said, as she approached me with several javelins fastened together by a strap which could be slung over my back.

As I examined them, however, I noted that they were made from ordinary wood.

“How well do they work?” I asked, and she smirked.

“Just imagine that you’re using a god weapon, and pour some energy into them as you make the throw; they can’t get you the same kind of penetration that you’d get from throwing a spear, but it beats losing your weapon in combat.”

I nodded, then noted that there were clusters of javelins placed all along the defensive line.

 _That could be useful,_ I thought.

“Any chance you can help us kill that portent?” I asked Aletta, and she shook her head.

“Sorry kiddo; this old gal’s spent. This core doesn’t have enough juice to hold down something like that.”

I frowned, as I moved to the eastern side of the defensive line.

“Here they come,” Aletta said, and I cast a panicked look around, as I noted that everyone still seemed to be bustling here and there.

“MOVE NOW!” I yelled out, and the crowd quickly began to hurriedly disperse into the nearby trees.

Everyone at the front line prepared themselves, then everything seemed to go quiet, but only for a few moments before the faint pitter patter of scurrying feet began to echo through the woods towards us, and a shrieking sound pierced the tension, as spiders began to leap out of the shrubs and right into our line.

“STRIKE!” Raul bellowed, and a wave of javelins tore through the spiders just as the horde began to clamor out from everywhere at once.

They leapt down from the trees, out of the bushes, and scurried in towards us in thick, hairy legged waves.

Our fighters stepped forward, slashing and hacking through the thick crowd while the hunters with their bone spears tried their best to keep the onrushing beasts at bay, and allowing the others to continue hacking and slashing with abandon.

I joined the onslaught of swords with Blair at my side, and using that almost practiced circular alternating sweeping pattern that we’d apparently perfected in our short time fighting alongside each other, but as a leaping spider threatened to disrupt our rhythm, Cameron stepped in, cutting down the thing with her hunting knife, and as I eyed her, she quickly nodded.

“Go on; I’ll cover you,” she said, as we quickly resumed our onslaught.

I felt mildly uncomfortable with Cameron in the fray, but she proved to be quite capable with the knife, and in any case, the spiders hardly seemed to be posing any significant threat.

Even our hunters were skewering them with their bone tipped spears on occasion, but with things seemingly under control, a shrieking sound alerted us to the entry of the heralds into the fray, and a Kobalt man screamed out somewhere to my left, as a thread yanked him from the lines and into the canopy above.

Three more hunters went flying, until a fourth one went up, only to land with a thud in the midst of the spiders ahead of the front line.

The spiders converged on him, and I was sure he was a goner, but a shadowy burst cleaved the spiders asunder, and Jeannie shot Leanna a thankful nod as she stepped forward with a determined expression on her face.

“Hurl!” she cried out, and as a wave of javelins tore across another wave of spiders, she darted forward, slicing her way through the remaining critters, then grabbing the hunter by his foot, she flung him back towards the line.

A few other Kobalt helped him back into safety, and Raul and Jordan moved forward, clearing the way for her to retreat slowly to the line.

I chanced a glance upward, as the numbers seemed to thin momentarily on our end, and sure enough, heralds were falling from the canopy above as Bianca and Lucia picked them off.

“Are we winning?” Cameron asked.

“I dunno. It looks so,” I said.

The spiders no longer seemed to be coming at us with that same frenzied zeal as earlier, but I still couldn’t shake the feeling that something big was still about to happen.

Then it did.

I felt the thing hurtling towards us long before I saw it, but when the rock burst through the foliage ahead of the town, there was less than a second to react before it exploded into the earth, sending Kobalt and otherworlder flying alike.

The sounds of coughing filled the air as a rocky mist filled their nostrils; Jordan was on all fours, crawling limply away from the cloud, and several more Kobalt were strewn about, unmoving.

The spiders seemed to have withdrawn completely, and I turned my gaze to the woods ahead as the subtle sound of a second missile hurtling towards us filled the air.

Francesca reacted to this one, leaping and rolling into the cover of a nearby rock, but as the second explosion rang out, our hunters were thrown into absolute disarray.

Then the spiders came back, and this time, they were clamoring for blood.

Kobalt hunters screamed as they were cut to pieces and dragged away into the bushes, and the battlefield turned into a scene of pure chaos.

“Hold your lines!” Francesca screamed, trying to rally the hunters as they scampered for the trees, but as they ignored her in their panic, I moved to the fore, and raised my halberd.

“Everyone; to me!” I cried out, and those who could still move turned and rallied around my cry.

I charged forward, with Francesca, Cameron, Jeannie, and Blair, moving behind me, and as I gazed into the canopy above, Bianca gave me a thumbs up, as she and Lucia followed us across the branches.

I lifted my halberd, and aimed it in the direction of where the projectiles had been fired from as I charged, and I quickly spotted hunters falling in line behind us, as we pressed through the thinning spider-herd.

We slashed and cut out way as we charged forward, the hunters clearing through what was left from our incursion forward, until a few hundred feet ahead, I spotted him.

Mark, I think his name was, and he was slowly pulling another massive rock up into a massive sling woven with webbing across two large trees, and I aimed my halberd forward as we went at him.

Spiders were converging on us now, but we swept through them like a storm, and he gritted his teeth, releasing the stone to the ground as he leapt from the massive height of his swing, firing a web into the treetops as he swung down to meet us.

His arm transformed into a scythe as he swung in, and I clashed with him, deflecting his attack, but falling to my knees as the power behind his attack overwhelmed me.

“Fuck,” I cursed. “Keep your eyes open!” I yelled out, as the hunters around us continued to stab their way through the spider-feeders, while the otherworlders amongst us tried to aide when they could, while keeping an eye out for Mark’s swinging attack.

He swung at us again, blade-arm poised, and Francesca dived out of the way, but Kobalt limbs went flying as he sliced, and I gritted my teeth.

 _We can’t let him chip away at us like that,_ I thought, but to deflect those attacks took considerable power, and maybe Francesca was right to evade it.

This was bad; he had a huge advantage with the trees, and being able to maneuver them like that left us all but at his mercy.

“Did we seriously get sent to an alien fucking planet to fight the actual spiderman?” Blair asked incredulously, and I bit my lip nervously.

“You a comic book fanatic?” I asked, and she shrugged.

“I dabble,” she said.

“No particular reason for asking, but of curiosity, did anyone ever beat spiderman? And if so, how did they do it?”

She grinned at me.

“I dunno. Fucking, kidnap his MJ? Or threaten his aunt, maybe?” she asked, and I frowned.

“I don’t think either of those are options,” I replied.

“Bet you regret everything now, Nate! Huh?” Mark called out, as he swung in, and I suddenly remembered Caleb’s assertion that I had killed him.

My blade clashed with his just as I leapt away, and I tested my arms, rolling my shoulders a bit, as they reeled from the shock of the collision.

“Sheesh; what did you do? Kill his uncle Ben or something?” Blair asked.

“He certainly seems to think so,” I answered, as I turned, and climbed a nearby knoll.

 _But maybe I could play on this_ , I thought.

“The only thing I regret is not making you suffer more, dickwad!” I yelled out, and Mark cackled in response.

“Famous last words,” he yelled, as he swung at me, and as I glanced at Francesca and indicated with my halberd, she nodded, retrieving her spear and taking aim.

I held a fist up, as I spotted Mark preparing to make a pass at me, and as he moved into full swing, I yanked my fist down, and Francesca hurled the javelin with venomous intent, and the thing tore right through him, sending him flying across the air and crashing across the forest floor.

He turned, looking up at me, and seething at the mouth.

“You piece of fucking trash!”

“The only trash I see here are these spiders; I mean seriously, couldn’t you spawn something that was good for anything except… dying stupidly?”

I uttered the words mockingly, sauntering over to him casually as I did, and he gnashed his teeth at me.

“They’ve been snacking on your weak little goblin pals all week, you know,” Mark shot. “Do you wanna see the graves? Or would that make your poor little princess sick?”

I scoffed at him derisively.

“Goblins? If that’s all you’re good for killing, then I might as well just go home now. You’re not even worth killing, are you?”

I turned my back on him, and he pounded the floor, shooting a web and pulling himself to a nearby tree.

“Oh sure, swing around your little webs. Not like I expected you to come down and face me like a man anyway. Maybe I should let you fight the women? You like women, don’t you? Or, did you only get the little girls that Caleb didn’t want?”

I focused on him as he prepared to make another swing.

“You’re losing your cool, aren’t you?” I whispered, directing my threads at him, and a vein twitched in his head as the suggestion took effect, and his eyes bulged out at me, as I grinned.

“YOU FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT!” he screamed.

He shot two webs onto either side of me, and as he grabbed onto a nearby branch and pulled the webbing taut, transforming both arms into blades as he did, I planted my halberd into the ground and aimed the spear point right at his chest; and as he shot at me like a stone out of a catapult, he impaled himself on my spearpoint, but still crashed into me hard nonetheless, sending me flying back several feet.

I gasped for air, my mind reeling as pain seemed to shoot throughout my body.

Mark, however, was still standing, and he grinned at me as he yanked my halberd from his chest.

“Is this all you’ve got, Nate? Because it’ll take a lot more than a little stab like that to kill me this time,” he said, and I grinned, even as I panted, and struggled onto one knee.

“I know that; I just needed to get you on the ground and this close,” I replied, and he paused, but the threads were already linked to his, and as I raised a fist, and began to lower it to the ground, Mark began to struggle, falling to his knees.

“What the fuck’re you doing?” he asked, gasping as he struggled and strained to break free of my hold.

“Killing you again,” I replied, but as I kept my hold on him, my body seemed to scream at me, with pain coursing through every nerve.

 _Was this what Taylor had to endure every time she used this skill?_ I wondered.

I made a note to ask her about it in the future, but Cameron, Francesca and Blair had already advanced on Mark.

There was panic in his eyes now as they raised their weapons, but as they hacked and slashed, I eventually felt my threads disconnecting from his, and his body fell limp and unmoving to the floor in a battered, almost unrecognizable heap.

I breathed a sigh of relief.

“Jeez; can you imagine what he could’ve done with that kind of power if he wasn’t a fuckin moron?” Blair asked, and Cameron eyed her, then shot me a slightly worried look.

“Are you alright?” she asked, and I groaned a little, then nodded.

“I don’t think anything’s broken… at least, not this time,” I said.

Cameron quickly moved to my side and draped my arm around her shoulder, supporting my weight just a little, and I rested my head exhaustedly against her.

“I can’t wait to snuggle up to you to sleep,” I said, nuzzling her a little, and Blair made a retching sound.

Everyone seemed to be shooting her disapproving looks, and she shrugged.

“What? I’m sorry, but do we really let that kind of cringy display of PDA go unmocked around here? I thought this was a _civilized_ place,” she teased, and I snickered at her.

“You’re lucky you’re handy with an axe,” Cameron replied, and she smiled.

“I am, right? Have any of these noobs ever rocked that hard in their first battle?” she asked, and I gestured to Francesca.

“She did; and she’ll probably still be kicking your ass a week from now,” I said, and Blair sneered a little, as she sized her up.

“Can’t wait to test that out,” she said, rubbing her hands together in anticipation.

As we hobbled along to the cluster, however, another chill ran up my spine, and as I froze, Francesca turned and shot me a panicked look.

“Look alive!” I called out, leaning off of Cameron’s support, but the warning had either come too late, or we simply didn’t anticipate how fast the thing was, as a monstrously sized creature, bounding on all fours tore past us through the trees just off to our left.

“Shit; the cluster,” I said, as we turned and made haste for the little hamlet.

Some of the others got there ahead of me, as I was still hobbling despite my own hurried movement, but as we burst through the brush, I found to my surprise that the Kobalt there were casually tending to their wounded, and the otherworlders all lounging around, as the physicians moved to check on them.

“Where’s the fire?” Casey asked, and I tilted my head at her.

“A monster just tore through here,” I began, looking around, and she studied me.

“Is that supposed to be funny?” she asked, but as she caught the looks on the faces around us, she shook her head.

“Nothing came through here,” she began, but I was certain that I felt its presence, and as I followed it, I finally came to Aletta, who was laughing and giggling as a little critter licked and slobbered all over her face, while she doted over it affectionately.

“Look who found me! Pretzel!” she declared, and I stared at her in shock.

“How did he do that?” I asked, and she eyed me.

“Do what?”

“Transform into the little pup,” I clarified, and she tilted her head at me.

“Transform? Nate, this is what pretzel looks like. He doesn’t _transform_ ,” she said, scoffing a little. “I don’t get why people always say that. You’re not a big bad monster, are you? No, you’re not. No, you’re not,” she said, speaking to the creature in baby talk.

I shook my head at her, studying the interaction between the two as she continued to shower affection on the little beast, which was crooning happily in her arms, and I let out a tired sigh.

 _I am so done with this,_ I thought.

Cameron helped me to the ground, and Casey took a seat beside me.

Blair and Francesca sat down a little way across from us, and as Lucia and Bianca came down from the nearby grove tree, Lucia climbed onto my lap, hugging me tightly, and Bianca grumbled as she settled into place beside Blair, eyeing her with an unfavorable expression.

“Do you think it’s over?” I asked Casey, and she frowned, thinking a bit.

“If deceased ‘former group members’ was the theme for the day, then we’ve handled the portents at least,” she said.

“Didn’t Emily and Candace also die?” Bianca asked.

“Yeah, but we still have their cores,” Casey explained, and she nodded.

“There’s still pseudo-Hans,” I reminded Casey, and she frowned.

“We haven’t seen him in a while though, huh?” Casey said, and Cameron waved her hand dismissively.

“You didn’t see our Nathan in action just now,” Cameron said. “I’m pretty sure with that new skill of his we can handle him too.”

“What new skill?” Casey asked, and Cameron quickly gave her a recap.

“Hmm,” Casey said. “Didn’t think you could copy that type of skill so easily.”

“How do we do that, by the way? Copy skills, I mean,” Blair asked, and Cameron chuckled at her.

“ _You_ can’t. That’s Nate’s unique skill,” Cameron said, and Blair shook her head.

“I call hacks,” she replied, and Francesca quickly nodded in agreement.

“I know, right? The rest of us just feel like plebs by comparison,” she added, and I chuckled at her.

“I’d trade it in a heartbeat to be as good as you are in combat,” I said, and she blushed a little.

“I’m not that good,” she countered, and Blair studied her.

“I’m getting really curious about this,” she said. “Care to go a round?”

“No fighting after major battles,” I chided, and Blair pouted.

“I feel like I’m being trolled,” she complained, and I chuckled at her.

“You’ll find out soon enough,” I said.

As we spoke, Gisela moved to join us.

“Nathan; you need to be tended,” the girl said timidly, and I waved a hand dismissively, then patted the ground in front of me.

“Come; we’re reminiscing about the battle,” I said, and the girl tilted her head at us.

She moved uncertainly, but as Casey shifted over, making space for her, she smiled a little, seeming quite pleased at her inclusion in our little talk.

“Were any of ours injured?” I asked.

“Raul is being tended to. Jordan as well. Their injuries were most pressing, but full recoveries are assured,” Gisela explained.

“And the Kobalt?”

“There were seven deaths. Ten more are at the mercy of our healers,” she explained, and I sighed.

I rested a hand on her shoulder, and gave it a reassuring squeeze, prompting her to blush a little.

“I’m sorry we let so many of your people get injured,” I began, and she quickly shook her head.

“The losses in the adjacent clusters were many more, Nathan. Your presence brings more security than we can ever repay,” she said, and I noted that Blair was grinning at me.

“You’re having the time of your fucking life out here, huh? Do I get any sexy servant boys?” she asked, and I smirked a little.

“If you behave, sure.”

Gisela studied the girl, not seeming to understand what she was implying, before returning her attention to me.

“Are you sure you are unharmed?” she asked, her voice tinged with concern, and this time, even Cameron rolled her eyes.

“Okay, if that’s how I was being before, I think I deserved that mocking,” she said to Blair, who grinned.

As we talked, Lucia curled up into my lap, and I was surprised to find that she had quickly fallen asleep.

_Pushed yourself to the absolute limit today, huh?_

She was such a good little soldier.

I felt the urge to train her as much as possible simply to be able to have her by my side, along with Bianca, for our future excursions out.

I ruffled her hair, and Cameron quickly placed her hand over mine, smiling at me with that telling smile.

 _Soon_ , I said with my eyes, and she nodded, leaning in to kiss me again.

“They’re at it again. Jeez!” Blair complained, but as she nudged Bianca, looking for some support, I noted that Bianca seemed to be studying us with a faint smile.

She rubbed her hands together, and as I patted the ground beside me, she crept over, and curled up next to me, patting Lucia as we did.

“One big happy family,” Cameron said, with that teasing tone, and I shook my head at her.

“Oh~. Family huh?” Francesca teased. “Is there room in there for me too, daddy?” she said, in that sexy but at the same time innocent way, and as I nodded, she crept up behind me, and wrapped her arms around me, nuzzling my neck as she did.

Cameron seemed to frown a little at that, and I chuckled to myself, as I realized that Francesca was perhaps still the only woman that Cameron seemed capable of being driven to jealousy by.

“There’s room for more,” I said, glancing at Casey, and the girl seemed to suddenly realize that she’d been smiling, and she quickly tried to mask the grin with an awkward look.

“I’m fine,” she said, but Cameron took one look, before going to her, and bringing her over to me.

“Come on- let’s just embrace this happy harem,” she said, but Casey shifted awkwardly, her eyes scanning across all of the women who were around me.

But as her eyes met my own, and she caught the look in them; the look that I reserved only for her, she finally smiled again, then moved a step closer, and allowing me to pull her in for a kiss, which was greeted with some cheers from the others, spurred on in no short part by Cameron.

“Whoo boy; I don’t know how you two live in these things, but I cannot do it,” Cameron said, directing the comment at Francesca and me as she began to strip off her armor. “I think this might be the new ‘stripping off your bra after a long day at work’ feeling.”

Bianca and Francesca giggled at her, and I let out a sigh, relaxing back onto Francesca’s lap, and closing my eyes for a second.

Everything felt so peaceful, and I could have probably fallen asleep like that; but such rest, evidently, just was not meant to be.

A cry in the distance brought me back to reality, and as I sat up, I took a look in the direction of the call.

“Nathan; an otherworlder approaches,” Gisela said, as she stood up to speak with the Kobalt who’d come running over.

“That’s gotta be Ethan, then,” I said, letting out a groan, and glancing at Aletta who was still doting on her precious ‘pretzel’. “Better tell him his hunt was all for naught.”

Cameron helped me up, and the others began to go off to seek treatment, or chat around elsewhere.

As I spotted Ethan up ahead, however, I noted that he seemed to be studying the aftermath of our battle with a disbelieving expression that looked… awestruck, almost.

“Freakin hell; you really did, huh? You killed all three portents,” he breathed, shaking his head disbelievingly, and I tilted my head at him.

There was something odd about his tone, but I couldn’t quite place it.

“Took one hell of a beating for it, though,” I replied, as I looked around at the mess that was now our temporary home, and he laughed.

“Beating? Did you even lose a single otherworlder?” he asked, and I shook my head, studying him with curiosity.

“No, but we lost quite a few Kobalt,” I replied, and he shook his head, studying me with that same slightly awed look.

“Fuck me… I’m seeing it with my own eyes and this still feels surreal,” he continued.

“It’s all thanks to Nathan,” Cameron offered. “His leadership has really pulled us through.”

Ethan shook his head again.

“If they had someone like you back then… things would have really turned out differently, huh? My mother wouldn’t have died; maybe none of them would have.”

I shook my head, as I tried to process his words.

“That’s an awfully speculative could be,” I muttered.

I studied him, licking my lips uncomfortably as I did.

The way he said it actually sounded like if he was blaming me for what had happened to his mother…

But he couldn’t possibly hold me responsible for that, could he?

Yet I sensed it.

An anger rising up in him, and I reached for the halberd on my back.

“I guess I should apologize in advance,” he said, smiling faintly, and I shook my head.

“I don’t see why this has to happen,” I said, and he shook his head.

“You might not; but I do,” he replied.

“Why? What do we have that you could possible want?” I asked, and as he drew his sword, he aimed the blade at Cameron.

“Her,” he replied.

I glanced at her, seeing the bewilderment that I felt reflected in her own shell-shocked expression.

“Why?” I began, just as a cry rang out from somewhere behind us.

“Nate! Get away from him-!”

-but he was already moving to strike.

I placed an arm defensively in front of Cameron, and leapt aside with her as the sword swept across our bodies, and I got the handle of my halberd up in front of us as I did, deflecting the strike roughly as I did.

My halberd was one hell of a utility weapon, but fuck, if it wasn’t so cumbersome in close quarters.

Cameron drew her knife as we rolled and climbed collectively to our feet, but Francesca was already moving in.

She lunged at him with a stab, but he sidestepped the attack, then drove his knee into the inner side of the leg that had extended forward as she struck, and as she went down on one knee; he turned and kicked across her neck, sending her skidding away.

To think; he was still this quick even with all those wounds.

Bianca was the next to dart in, and as she struck at him, he countered, but she retreated to a safe distance, circling and striking again before making a quick retreat.

I readied my halberd, and swept at him just as Bianca moved again to strike, but my hands felt numb and heavy.

He grabbed Bianca by the hand as he simultaneously caught my halberd mid strike by the metal handle with his foot, and he stomped it into the ground and kicked the weapon from my grasp with the other foot, just as Bianca pried herself out of his grasp.

I raised my hand, and focused my threads on him, trying to root him to the ground, but he turned to me and smirked, as the threads connected to his, and I cried out as an intense pain shot through my body and my mind went blank.

I was on my back before I realized what had happened, and as I struggled back to my feet, my entire body now felt heavy.

Bianca and Lucia were now engaged with him, and I drew my dagger, but my hands were shaking, and as I watched the fight for an opening, I suddenly realized just how hopeless this was.

He was playing with them; not even really using his sword, and my chest tightened as I realized that he could kill either of them at any time… but instead, it seemed as if he was trying to take them down without causing her any permanent damage.

“Whoa!” I called, as Bianca made to move in again, with Lucia at her side. “Let’s just talk,” I offered, and Ethan shook his head.

“It won’t change the outcome,” he replied, and I studied him.

“Why are you doing this?” I asked.

He wasn’t a bad person.

I was almost sure of it.

There had to be a reason for his actions.

“Make no mistake, Nathan; I feel no need to justify this,” he said, keeping an eye on Bianca. “Either you let me walk out of here with Cameron, or I leave a pile of dead bodies behind and take her anyway.”

Francesca was getting to her feet, and Blair, Jeannie, and Leanna had already moved to join them.

“You can’t take us all on, dumbass!” Bianca yelled, but I could tell from the expression on Francesca’s face that she knew that we didn’t stand a chance, even with the advantage in numbers.

Especially with me out of the fray.

“You don’t want to do this,” I whispered, as I tried to reach out to him with my threads, and he smirked.

“Did you really think a suggestion with that amount of power would work on me?” he asked.

He let out a sigh, as he looked around.

“A pile of corpses it is, then,” he muttered, sheathing his sword, and drawing a little dagger as Bianca darted in followed by Leanna’s shadow creature.

Lucia followed her, and the others began to strike, looking for openings in the wake of each attack, but Ethan was dancing through them and striking at them in counter attacks as he weaved through the onslaught with effortless ease.

He’d already stabbed Jeannie in the arm, and put a dagger through Blair’s hand by the time I managed to stand, but Cameron stopped me as I tried to lumber into the fray.

“Nate. This is hopeless,” she said, her eyes shimmering and watery, as I studied them worriedly.

She took my hand and placed it against her chest.

“Nathan, I pledge myself to you.”

I shook my head.

“Why?”

“Rest up; then come find me and bring me home,” she said.

I took one more look at the others, where the fight was going much more badly now, with Jeannie and Leanna already lying wounded on the floor.

Francesca and Bianca were doing pretty well, but I could tell it was only a matter of time before he wore then down, and took them out as well.

“Cameron,” I said, but as the shadowy apparition appeared in my mind, I felt flooded by the strangest feeling of warmth, and as I studied her, I caught the smiling expression on her face.

“It’s okay, Nate; I know that no matter what happens, you’ll come find me, and I’ll be by your side again,” she said, but before I could respond, something splashed onto my face, and I shook my head.

Huh?

What was that?

I reached out, my hand trailing over the strange sudden wetness, and as it came away red, I blinked, trying to process what had happened.

Blood?

 _Whose blood was it…?_ I wondered, but as I looked up, I saw the open-mouthed expression of shock on Cameron’s face, and as I looked down, there was something sticking out of her st-

*gag*

Her sto-

*gag*

No…

No, no, NO!

This is a joke, right?

It had to be!

This couldn’t be real!

Time seemed to slow down to a crawl as she fell, and as I reached out to steady her, my fingers brushed against the cold steel protruding from her stomach, and my heart felt as if it were about to shatter into pieces.

It’s… real.

I looked up, and Ethan was standing there, a blank expression on his face.

 _Your face doesn’t match this situation_ , I thought, and for an insane moment, I felt like telling him that.

Cameron yelped in pain as he yanked the blade out of her back.

“Come now; can’t have her bleeding to death,” he said, as he withdrew a healing shot from his pack, and I watched in stunned silence as he jabbed the needle into her body, injecting the liquid as he did, and she began to scream and writhe in my arms as the accelerated healing took effect.

“That takes care of the child, but… we can’t go letting you make another one, now can we?”

He wrestled Cameron from my arms, and I suddenly felt my limbs come to life as I fought back.

“Leave her alone!” I yelled, drawing my dagger and swiping at him, but he leaned back, easily moving out of the range of my arc, and I stumbled forward, swiping again; but this time, he counter attacked, and I felt a flash of pain, and a surreal sense of confusion as my own hand went flying, the dagger still clutched in its grasp.

I panted, my eyes looking around desperately for some kind of solution.

“You have one week, Nathan. One week before I disappear with Cameron for good. Come find me before then, but prepare yourself; because the next time, I won’t be holding back.”

I shook my head at him.

He could kill me now… why put it off?

“Why?” I asked, searching for some semblance of a rationale. “Why are you doing this?”

He chuckled at me.

“I’m merely passing on to you the lesson that my father passed on to me,” he said. “That pain and suffering is a greater motivator than the desire to protect could ever be. Seven days, Nathan. Don’t keep me waiting.”

I looked down at the stump of where my right hand had been, and I felt my vision going in and out as I kneeled there, looking on, battered and helpless, as he carried a slumped Cameron over his shoulders, stepping over the crumpled bodies of the rest of my group as he did.

“You can reattach that, right?” he asked, glancing at Aletta, and she nodded slowly, shooting me a sympathetic look as he walked past her, and away from the grove.

Then I felt an uncontrollable wave of nausea wash over me, and I began to retch as I fell over, but my mind was fading fast into darkness, and I felt the vague feeling of bodies rushing to my side, and panicked voices speaking as they began to tend to me.


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The princess sees to Nate's recovery.

_***_

_Author’s note: Special thanks to Ardon G. Fowl, Jack Gwen, Reversal, Swedish Millionaire, and VC whose contributions made this chapter possible._

_Enjoy the chapter, and as always, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment! I love hearing from my readers, so don’t hesitate to tell me what you loved, hated, or what you’d love to see more of in the future. :D_

***

Was this what you wanted for me, Julie?

Or was this what you were trying to stop?

I can feel it in my bones. That he’s your son…

And maybe he’s right.

Maybe I should have stuck by you… maybe I should have been there.

Maybe I should have done something different…

But what does it matter now?

***

I woke up to a splitting pain in my head.

On my left arm was something warm snuggled up to me, and my right… I couldn’t move my right, and I tried not to give it too much thought.

There was no light, only shadows.

Shadows and fleeting sensations.

But every now and then I felt something distinct, like now, as I felt my organ being engulfed pleasurably in warmth and wetness, and I moaned softly, as my meat slid past a pair of lips to meet a teasing tongue.

It was a strangely comforting feeling; being coaxed like that, ever so gently into orgasmic bliss, and another soft groan escaped my lips as I came, before quickly drifting peacefully off to sleep.

***

“Nate! Come on, you can take a break today, can’t you?”

Cameron had her hands on her hips, and was studying me with that playful smile of hers that I was becoming so loathe to resist.

“I dunno. There’s so much to be done. We survived again, but if we keep riding our luck; sooner or later it’s gonna run out.”

“I know, but when I miss you, I feel like if I don’t care. I just wanna lie in your arms, and watch our baby boy do his baby things, and just… be happy for a moment.”

She reached for my hands, then leaned back a bit, swaying girlishly as I held on to keep her from stumbling backwards.

“I’m sorry. I know that I’m sacrificing something that we’ll never get back. But it’s for the best; I promise. And I won’t let our sacrifice go to waste. For every moment I miss, I’ll make sure that I secure ten thousand more to come. And when our son grows up; he can enjoy some of those moments of his own.”

She let go of my hand, pouting a little, until a mischievous smile crept across her lips.

“We could do that… or we could make another one. When you’re ready for this.”

“When we’re ready for this,” I corrected her, leaning in to take her into my arms.

I move in for a kiss, but the dream melted away before I could make contact, as my brain cannot in itself reproduce pleasure so blissful, so pure…

 _Dreamless sleep is a small mercy that should not be taken for granted_ , I thought.

***

I woke up this time to another sensation; lips, again, but this time pressed against my own.

I wanted to kiss them back, but my body would not co-operate.

The kiss was soft. Gentle. Much like the oral stimulation from my previous lucid moment.

But as the kiss ended, I uttered a soft whinnying cry in protest.

 _Kiss me, my mystery lover. Kiss me until I forget what her kisses tasted like_.

_“I cannot let you forget that feeling, my sweet.”_

Miriam?

_If you are awake… make me forget?_

_Make me forget everything that she felt like._

_“Shh. Do not worry. It will be well, but only if you endure this.”_

_It’s too much. I promised her that I would hold onto the memory of these feelings; for her… but it’s too much…_

_“It is burden greater than any one person should be made to shoulder. But you are not alone. I am here my sweet, and I carry your loss in my heart. So, endure it; and allow the wound to heal…_

_But why?_ I asked, and I felt her smile in my heart, as she replied:

_“Because; you are going to get her back.”_

***

I opened my eyes, and suddenly found myself in the middle of the forest.

 _Where am I now?_ I thought.

My map and compass modules didn’t seem to be working, and as I looked around searching for some clue or indication as to where I was, a voice called out to me.

“Nathan~.”

I spun around, as the voice seemed to echo all around me.

“Cameron?”

The sound of laughter came from somewhere off to my left, and as I turned, I spotted a figure running off in the distance, and I quickly gave chase.

She was wearing a hooded robe, and as she darted in between the trees, I noted that there was a playfulness to the way she moved.

“Are you coming to find me, Nathan?”

I spun as the voice seemed to come from somewhere behind me, but as I gave chase, I quickly lost sight of her again.

“Where are you?” I called out, and the sound of laughter drifted to me again, echoing all around.

“Can’t tell~,” she sang in reply. “Why are you even looking for me? This isn’t what we agreed on!”

“What? What does that mean? I said I would come!”

A shadow slipped off to my left, and as I turned, I spotted her and gave chase, but my foot got caught on a tree root, and as I stumbled, I gasped, as my foot suddenly seemed rooted to the floor.

“We made a deal, didn’t we Nate? You would be there when I needed you, as long as it didn’t cause you any inconvenience. And chasing someone like Ethan? Well that sure seems like an inconvenience to me~.”

I looked up as the figure approached me, her face still shrouded beneath the hood of her cape.

“I can’t lose you,” I replied, and she laughed, circling me slowly, playfully.

“But you might. Even if you bring me back, I might not be the same person…”

I shook my head in response, as I struggled to free my foot from its restraints.

“I don’t care. I’ll deal with it.”

“Will you? What if I lash out at you? Hurt you? What if I blame you for what happened, and grow to hate you because of it? What if I can’t stand the feeling of your touch ever again?”

I shook my head.

“I don’t care! I’ll deal with it. I just want you here; safe. Whatever the cost.”

“Whatever the cost, huh? What if it costs you your life?”

I stumbled backwards onto my butt as my feet suddenly came free, and the hooded figure approached me, stooping down as she slowly slipped off her hood to reveal her face.

“Julie?” I asked, and she smiled wickedly in response.

“Think fast-!”

“Ah!”

I woke up with a start, but the restraint on my right arm kept me from immediately sitting upright, and a voice groaned in protest at my stirring.

As my vision adjusted to the low room light, I caught sight of Bianca’s form, curled up beside me.

I slipped my arm out from under her and tried to stimulate some feeling into it as I glanced around the room; but the door to the room quickly swung open, and Evie poked her head in.

“Nate! You’re up,” she said, a relieved expression on her face as she came over to check on me. “How are you feeling?”

“Like I got hit by a truck,” I replied, groaning a little. “What’s the status with my arm?”

“It’s healing, but the bones still need to reconnect properly. That woman, Aletta; she really helped us out. She showed me how to reattach it and keep you from suffering any nerve damage.”

“Where is she?” I asked.

“Across the hall. The reattachment really did a number on her, and her core is regenerating a bit slowly. I think it might be damaged.”

I nodded in agreement.

“How long was I out for?”

“Two days,” she said.

“And how long do you think it’ll be before I can fight?”

Evie gave the question some thought, biting her lip as she did.

“I’m not sure. I mean, it’s too early for you to even move it yet, much less fight.”

I studied my arm worriedly.

“Can’t we use that god artifact thing? The one that Astrid used to heal my ribs.”

Evie shook her head.

“We’ve used it twice already; the uses are limited, but regenerate over time, but if we use it again before it regenerates, we run the risk of breaking it.”

I frowned as I observed my arm.

The affected area seemed to have healed well enough, but as I peered into the energy network, I could see collections of threads indicating just how much still needed fixing.

“And healing liquids aren’t making a difference, I’m guessing?”

Evie shook her head again.

“There actually is something that Samantha thought of, but we haven’t actually figured out how to do it just yet.”

“What is it?” I asked.

“Injecting small doses of the healing liquid into your arm. We don’t have any needles, since the syringe from the healing shot breaks down within a few hours after being used, but there are a few alternatives we were trying to figure out. Like, she said that indigenous tribes in the pre-Columbus Americas used hollowed out animal bones to deliver injections.”

“Do spiders have bones?” I asked, and she shook her head.

“They have exoskeletons. We thought the claws might work, but they’re a little too big, and… unwieldly. Might end up doing more damage than good.”

I let out a frustrated sigh.

“Isn’t there anything at all that we can do?” I asked.

“Well, there’s one other thing, but so far it hasn’t really been successful.”

“What is it?” I asked, and as Evie shifted a little uncomfortably, I studied her.

“Well. Casey told me that when you deplete your core, that it regenerates more quickly,” she began, and I nodded.

“Uh-huh…”

“And, well… when you deplete by, uh- having sex. It accelerates the regeneration a bit more.”

I nodded again.

“We did it on the night of that fight,” I said, confirming Evie’s statement, and she bit her lip.

“Well… we tried it. Kind of, I mean. Your princess woke up, and she came to you; and, uh… I hope it’s okay, but we let her, uh, relieve you a few times since her core still isn’t regenerating on its own, and she can replenish herself a bit that way. But, uh… it didn’t really accelerate your recovery by as much as I’d been told that it should.”

“I see. So, you think that the accelerated recovery is a result of something that I consciously do while awake?” I asked, and she shrugged, still seeming a little uncomfortable talking about it.

“We’re not sure, but… I’ve figured out a way to accelerate healing in a way that imitates when a healing vial is used.”

I stared at her.

“Then what’s the problem?”

“It rapidly drains your energy for me to use it; but while you’re recovering, the healing slows down, so unless we can accelerate it more effectively, the total healing delivered ends up being less than if it’s done gradually,” she explained, and I nodded; glancing over at Bianca as I did.

“Is that why she’s here? To provide energy for my healing?”

Evie nodded in response.

“That, and you both regenerate faster when you’re together like that,” she explained, and I nodded.

_Guess there’s much more merit to sleeping with her than I thought._

“So, unless I can regenerate much faster, the rapid healing technique won’t be effective?” I asked.

“Pretty much,” she confirmed, and I nodded.

“Alright. Well, let’s test out this theory about my regenerative skill,” I offered, and Evie studied me.

“Are you sure?”

I nodded.

“Do you have to get the princess? Or do you want to do the healing first?”

“I think she might be asleep. And her capacity is fine right now, anyway. She ends up afflicted again whenever she overdoes it.”

I peered into Evie’s core, then noted that her own levels seemed to be a little low.

“You’ve been overdoing it,” I chided, and she rubbed her hands together, a little nervously.

“We had a lot of injured people to deal with. Sam has been working overtime, and we’ve taken on about four or five apprentices.”

I eyed her a bit, then nodded.

“Will you do it, then? It’ll regenerate your core a little,” I suggested, and she nodded.

“I could get Molly,” she began, and I shook my head.

“You need the energy,” I countered. “Unless you don’t want to…”

She shook her head.

“I want to. I just… thought you preferred her,” she began, and I tilted my head at her.

“What do you mean?”

“You know… what I walked in on?” she continued, and I stared at her.

“Molly hasn’t talked to you since then?” I asked, a slightly shocked expression on my face, and she quickly shook her head.

“We talk. Everything is fine with us, but we didn’t talk about it, so I just thought that you and her were… more than, you know…”

“Evie; that was just me helping her vent some frustrations. It didn’t mean anything more than that,” I promised, and she bit her lip.

“Really?” she asked, and as I nodded, I noted with some surprise that her mood seemed to brighten a bit.

“Can we get started immediately, or does Bianca have to wake up?”

“We can get started,” she said. “Bianca takes a bit longer to regenerate than you do.”

I nodded, and Evie took a deep breath, before focusing on my arm, and almost immediately, I felt a curious sensation there.

It began as a feeling of tightness that quickly turned into a kind of itching; then finally, a slightly burning sensation that while mildly painful, didn’t seem to cause me any significant discomfort.

The drain on my core, however, was much more dramatic than I’d realized.

It was definitely not as pronounced as the immediate complete drain that a healing shot produced, but it was easily quicker than any other action I’d observed.

I gritted my teeth as I endured the session, and after what I thought to be about thirty minutes, I began to feel my mind going hazy, and Evie quickly brought the endeavor to a halt.

“That should do it,” she said. “May I?”

She gestured to my crotch, and I snickered a little.

“Awfully polite today,” I teased, and she blushed.

“It feels a bit weird doing it with her there. She really likes you, you know.”

I nodded.

“I know. But she has watched me do much worse,” I explained.

As Evie fished my cock out of my pants, I placed my free arm around Bianca, giving her a little squeeze, and she seemed to make a soft cooing sound in response.

Evie, however, wasted no time at all as she sucked me into her mouth, but as I let out a soft moan, Bianca’s eyes fluttered open, and she studied me for a second, before looking down, and spotting Evie, whose head was bobbing up and down as she blew me.

Bianca frowned, but as she returned her gaze to me, her expression softened.

“You woke up?” she asked, and I nodded.

Before she could speak again, I leaned into her face and kissed her, and I moaned a little into her mouth as I enjoyed the sensation of Evie’s lips around my cock, and Bianca’s lips pressed against my own.

Bianca moaned softly as we kissed, and the passion between us seemed to escalate as Evie quickly coaxed me close to an orgasm.

I broke the kiss and nodded to her, and as she quickened the intensity of her sucking, Bianca stared in awe as I let out a soft growl, and focused what was left of my energy on extending my orgasm as long as I could, all the while pumping serving after serving of creamy seed into Evie’s mouth which she swallowed with an almost hunger-like intensity.

When my orgasm finally subsided, Evie slipped my cock out of her mouth, then swallowed what was left of my seed, before taking me back in and cleaning my shaft before tucking it back into my pants.

“How do you manage to swallow all of that?” Bianca asked, and Evie shrugged, seeming a little embarrassed by the question.

She seemed to be pressing Evie, oblivious to her embarrassment, but the voices were fading away as I quickly drifted off to a peaceful sleep.

But while my sleep was restful and dreamless, it felt quite short, as I quickly found myself stirring to the sound of an argument.

“Just, take care of it yourself, or something.”

“I don’t want to!”

“Then let me help!”

“I don’t want that either!”

My eyes fluttered open to the sight of Bianca and Molly engaged in a little back and forth, while Evie looked on helplessly.

“It makes you regenerate faster. The faster you regenerate, the faster we can heal Nate! Why are you being so stubborn?”

Molly seemed to be pressing Bianca, whose hands were folded crossly as she sat on the bed at my side.

“Look, he’s up. Let him do it for you, then.”

“Ugh! Just leave me alone!” Bianca shot, and Molly let out a sigh.

“What’s going on?” I asked, as I shifted a little.

It was impossible for me to even sit up with the restraint on my arm, and Bianca turned to me, a slightly panicked look on her face.

“She’s being difficult for no reason,” Molly shot, and I turned to study her.

“About what?”

“It’s nothing…” Bianca began, but Molly quickly cut her off.

“Yeah. It _is_ nothing. So, why make a big deal about it?” Molly continued.

“Hold on a sec. Explain,” I said, and Molly sighed.

“She’s close to depleting herself, but if she has an orgasm, she’ll trigger accelerated regeneration,” Molly explained. “Everyone is out there depleting themselves and doing what it takes to get stronger; why is it too much to ask for her to just do this?”

I glanced at Bianca, who seemed to be shifting uncomfortably, and I sighed.

“Give her a little break,” I said, reaching out and placing my free hand over hers, and she smiled.

Molly frowned, but as I shot her a look that said ‘let it go’, she sighed.

“Fine. Let’s give them a little space,” Molly said, a little bitterly, and Evie nodded.

“I’ll be back for another healing session in about an hour,” she added, and with that, the two girls left the room.

“I’m sorry!” Bianca began, a slight tone of panic in her voice, but I quickly stopped her.

“It’s okay, we’re fine,” I said.

She buried her head into my neck, and I hugged her tight.

“I was so scared,” she began, and I nodded, stroking her back reassuringly as she snuggled close.

“Did he hurt you?” I asked, as I vaguely remembered Ethan using his dagger quite liberally in the final moments of the fight, and Bianca shook her head.

“Only a little,” she said, a little despondently, and I frowned.

“I guess I couldn’t protect you from that, huh…” I said, and she looked up into my face.

“I don’t care about that. I- I can fight! I can protect you… I- I just need to be stronger; stronger, so this doesn’t happen ever again. He… he hurt everyone. Even Lucia.”

I leaned in and kissed her, and she shot me a curious look.

“What was that for?”

“For being cute. Adorable; and perfect,” I said, and she blushed.

“I’m not perfect…”

“You’re not the scared little girl who thought she couldn’t offer anything except blowjobs anymore; that’s for sure,” I replied; before adding: “I’m proud of you.”

She blushed even more, then shook her head.

“I’m sorry I can’t do… uh, you know…”

“It’s fine,” I said. “I’m gonna do everything I can to get Cameron back, but I’m not gonna hurt you, or ask you to do anything that you’re not capable of, to help me accomplish that.”

Bianca frowned.

“Molly was right though. Everyone is working hard. Francesca and Raul are running training sessions all day, and everyone is depleting their cores as much as they can.”

“You’re doing what you can too,” I said, leaning down to kiss her again, but she still had that ‘slightly bothered’ look on her face, even as she settled down beside me.

She didn’t talk again, and my core must have been in ‘recovery mode’ because I quickly drifted off, and when I woke up later, Evie was sitting beside my bed, nodding off a little.

I gazed into her core, and quickly noted that she seemed to be pretty low on energy as well, so rather than wake her up, I decided to work on my own healing for a bit.

 _What time was it?_ I wondered.

The room I was in had no windows, so it was impossible to tell.

But something inside of me told me that it was close to the falling of darkness.

_Nate? Are you up?_

The voice was Casey’s, and as I tried to convey to her my desire to talk to her, it took no more than a minute before she opened up the door, and poked her head in.

She took a look around, frowning a bit as she saw Bianca, but nevertheless, she stepped inside, closing the door carefully behind her as she did.

“How do you feel?” she asked, quickly moving to my side.

“Better than I look,” I replied. “The biggest wound might be to my pride.”

Casey furrowed her brow as she studied me.

“I know you’re probably rushing to get out there, but take your time and heal, okay?”

I sighed.

“I’ll try; but we do have a deadline,” I said.

“Do we?”

Casey was biting her lip, and I studied her carefully.

“Uh, yeah? Didn’t you know-?”

“I know what he said,” she replied, waving a hand at me. “I just mean… why do we even need to go by his schedule?”

“He has Cameron,” I reminded her. “Are you suggesting that we abandon her?”

Casey quickly shook her head.

“You can track her from your pledge. We can find her no matter where he goes, can’t we?”

I stared at her incredulously.

“Are you serious? What if he has a way to remove it? What if he takes her with him to the other side of the planet? What if he tortures her? Rapes her? Subjects her to horrible things. Are you okay with leaving Cameron to suffer like that?”

“No, I just- ugh… why did he even give you a time limit, Nate? He could have killed you. He could have killed us all…”

I sighed, biting my lip as I did.

“I don’t know. To torture me?”

“Exactly. He wanted to make you suffer. So, what makes you think he’s going to let you live the next time you meet?” she asked, and I shrugged.

“There’s no reason for me to think that.”

“Then why even go?”

“Because I have to,” I said, and she frowned.

“No. You can stay. You can choose to live, and choose to continue protecting everyone. No-one would blame you, Nate. I wouldn’t… you could-”

I shook my head.

“I can’t do that, Casey.”

“Why?” she asked, her voice cracking a little.

“Because I made a promise. Because my mother would never smile at me ever again if I broke it. Because to not go would be ugly, and I’d rather die a beautiful death than live an ugly life.”

*Slap.

I stared at Casey in shock, and she seemed slightly shocked herself, even as she delivered the sudden, cracking blow.

Evie jumped awake in her seat, and even Bianca seemed to stir a little.

Casey took a panicked look around, then turned and bolted for the door.

She hesitated when she got there, but she quickly shook off the indecision, as she opened the door and left.

“What was that about?” Evie asked, and I sighed.

“A difference in opinion, I guess.”

She studied me.

“Is it anything that we need to be worried about?” she asked, and I shook my head, but I noted that her expression seemed pretty bothered. “Are you sure? Losing Cameron and having you out of action has really weakened the leadership department of the group,” she explained, and I nodded.

“I see…”

Come to think of it.

If I were really heading off to meet my doom, then the group would have to figure this out, and as of right now, Casey was the only one who’d even taken on a leadership role.

I mean, there was no guarantee that Cameron would even return after my death, so who would be the best candidate to fill that void?

Casey would be the obvious choice, but could she handle it?

I mean sure, I would no longer be there as a distraction; but while she had so far been invaluable to the planning side of managing things, her personnel management skills were sorely lacking, and she was no combatant either.

Francesca could no doubt be counted on there, but… leading from the front lines had been so important to our successes, so it would certainly be a problem going forward.

Evie gestured to my arm, and I nodded, as she settled into position and prepared herself for my healing session.

“Can you talk? While doing that, I mean,” I asked, and she quickly nodded.

“Once it gets started, I don’t need to focus as much,” she said, studying me.

I waited until the tingling sensation kicked in, then studied Bianca, before returning my attention to Evie.

“Who do you think is best suited to lead our group in my absence?” I asked, and Evie stared at me.

“You mean while you’re gone? Casey should be able to keep us in check; I mean, it would just be a few days at most, right?”

I licked my lips a little, shaking my head.

“No, I mean. If I’m gone for good.”

Evie stared at me.

“Gone for good?”

I nodded.

“It’s a possibility we need to consider,” I began, and she quickly shook her head.

“No. Everyone is training. We’re not gonna lose Cameron, and we’re especially not gonna lose you. We- we’d be lost without you, Nate.”

Evie seemed a lot more panicked by the idea than I realized she would be, and as she continued to work on my arm, I decided to leave the topic alone.

As the session came to an end, I glanced at Evie, wondering if she was going to take care of me on her own again.

She certainly needed the energy boost, but as I peered into her core, I found myself wondering if maybe she didn’t need a little bit of boosted regenerative sleep herself.

Our eyes met as she fished out my part, but as she leaned in to suck me, I raised a hand to stop her.

“You need some sleep too,” I said. “When you’re done here, promise me that you’ll go get some rest. Maybe get Molly to help you to a little boosted regeneration too.”

She stared at me, a biting her lip, as if she were thinking about something.

“Actually, do you think we could-?”

As she gestured to me, I studied her.

“Are you sure?” I asked, and she nodded.

I studied Evie as she stood up and quickly stripped off her cotton pants.

I had been fairly certain that she had little interest in penetrative sex, but as I eyed her for some indication as to how she wanted to proceed, she climbed onto the bed, straddling me.

“Have you ever done this before?” I asked, and she shook her head.

“Not with the real thing, at least,” she admitted, and I smiled.

As she examined my still flaccid cock, however, she leaned down to offer me some oral stimulation, but again, I stopped her.

“Do you mind?” I asked, gesturing for her to lean down to me, and she shook her head.

She moved in, and we kissed, but between the restraints on my arm and Bianca sleeping at my other side, there was an awkwardly small amount of room to work with.

But Evie was a good kisser, and it didn’t take long before I began to stir, and she glanced down as my erection began to press into her belly.

“You’re a pretty good kisser for a guy,” Evie said, and I chuckled a little.

“Bad experiences?” I asked, and she nodded.

“Most of them just kind of attack me. I mean, there’s a time for that kind of kissing; and we’ll get there eventually, but so many times guys act like if it’s a race or something.”

As she reached under herself and grasped my rod, she stroked me a little, then rested my length against her slit, before leaning down to kiss me again.

Her eyes were closed as we exchanged kisses, and she moved her body subtly against me, dragging the length of her lips along my shaft, and coating me with a healthy sheen of her juices, but as she broke away from the kiss, and moved upright, positioning my cockhead at her entrance, she looked at me with a strange glint in her eyes.

“Nate,” she began, and I moaned a little as she lowered herself, and I felt her lips parting around me as I slipped inside of her.

She let out a long, extended sigh, throwing her head back as she did, before turning to look down at me as she rested there, with my cock deep inside of her.

“I have a bit of a favor to ask,” she said, and I chuckled a little.

“This is a hell of a time to ask it,” I noted. “What is it?”

“I want to start a family with Molly. We’ve flip-flopped over it for some time now, but now… I’m done finding excuses to put it off.”

I studied her.

“Have you discussed it with her?” I asked, and she nodded.

“After that day when I walked in on you, we decided; she was gonna ask you, but… it makes more sense for me to be pregnant than her. I just thought that there was more between you two, so I didn’t say anything.”

I smiled at her a little.

“What?” she asked.

“Oh, I’m just imagining the look on her face when you tell her that you’re carrying my child,” I said, and Evie giggled a little, and I moaned a little as the resulting vibrations along my rod sent an almost euphoric wave of pleasure through my body.

Evie shot me a slightly devilish look, as she placed her hands on my chest, and leaned forward, moving tentatively against me.

“So, will you do it?” she asked. “Will you… give me a baby?”

I nodded almost hypnotically as Evie worked her hips, riding me slowly but with a sensual kind of intent.

“That is so good,” I moaned, and Evie smiled broadly.

“Mmh. I agree. You fuck as good as you kiss,” she said, and I eyed her a little, as it was quite unusual to hear a swear word coming from her mouth.

Evie grabbed the hem of her cotton t-shirt, and she pulled the thing over her head, then tossed it to the side beside her discarded pants, and I stared at those delicious pear-shaped breasts as she continued to ride me rhythmically, not missing a beat.

I wanted to reach out and grab them, but Bianca was still asleep on my arm.

As Evie’s riding began to intensify, however, I felt a slight stirring from her beside me, and as I glanced over, I suddenly realized that her eyes were open, and she was staring quite intently at Evie as she rode me.

Evie didn’t seem to notice, however, as her eyes were on me.

She reached up, taking one of her own nipples between her fingers, and she massaged the breast in her hand as she rode me.

“I’m sorry- I know I shouldn’t be taking my time, but this feels so good,” she moaned.

Bianca was watching with serious interest now, and I used the opportunity to sneak my hand away, but even as I rested it on Evie’s hip, life was still only just beginning to return to it.

Evie took the hand and brought to her breast, and I fondled the fatty mass as Bianca shifted a little, to give Evie a little more space to work with.

I glanced at Bianca again, trying to gauge her reaction to what was happening, but she seemed to be entranced, almost, as she took in Evie’s performance.

Evie was moaning steadily now, biting down on a finger as she rode me.

“Nate; I think I’m gonna cum,” she said. “Are you close?”

I quickly looked over at Bianca, whose breathing was a little uneven now, and as she caught my gaze, she turned and kissed me, but out of the corner of her eye, I could see that she was still focused on Evie.

I moved away from her lips and began to kiss along her neck, and she let out a little moan, but the soft sound was quickly drowned out by Evie’s orgasmic cry.

Evie went still for a moment, and I moved my hand to her hips to try and help keep her moving to stimulate her properly through her orgasm, but she quickly collapsed into an exhausted heap on my chest.

“Nate, I…” she began, but her attempts at moving were proving futile, and Bianca looked at me, suddenly understanding what was going on.

She turned and sat up a little, lifting her shirt up and leaning forward to smother my face into her bosom, and I moaned a little as I thrust up into Evie, subtly moving my cock inside of her.

Evie let out a soft whimper with each thrust, trying to move as well in a last-ditch effort to spur me to a climax.

“I’m close,” I muttered, and Bianca nodded, placing her hands around my head and ruffling my hair as I nuzzled her chest, until suddenly, I felt myself go over the edge, and I groaned into her breasts, twitching a little as I began to unload my seed into Evie’s womb, and she moaned pleasurably, only just barely conscious, but evidently lucid nonetheless.

“Thank… you,” she whispered, as she slipped from consciousness on top of me, and as I panted, Bianca looked back studying her with interest.

“Nate… how many girls have you fucked?” she asked, and I bit my lip nervously.

“What are we talking? Otherworlders only? Or Kobalt included?”

“Everyone. I want to know who they all are.”

I chuckled a little.

“Do you want that list chronologically, or alphabetically.”

“What? Just, name them,” she said, and I sighed.

“Uh, Cameron obviously. Francesca-”

“Ugh! No wonder she thinks she’s so cute,” she said, folding her hands angrily. “When did you fuck her?”

“Uh, that was before you’d even pledged to me. Back in Kleiner Hein,” I explained, and she frowned.

“Who else?”

“Molly, Casey,” I continued.

“Figures,” she said, nodding for me to continue.

“Uh, Gisela. Eradne.”

“Who’s ‘Eradne’?” she asked.

“Uh, the princess’ sister. That was back in Kleiner Hein too, the night before Candace was murdered.”

She nodded.

“And Cameron’s servant girl, right? Is that it?”

I shook my head.

“No, uh, Danica.”

“Who’s that?”

“A girl we met when we went scouting; back when we were attacked by the geisterung and aufhöcker.”

She frowned.

“You were fucking around and fighting a battle, and I just slept through everything?” she whined, and I nodded.

“Sorry,” I said, but her expression seemed thoughtful, and she was biting her lip, a little nervously.

“So… did you make all of them cum?” she asked finally, and I studied her.

“What?”

“Orgasm, I mean,” she clarified, and I nodded.

“Yeah.”

“Are you sure? Like, they weren’t faking it right?” she asked, and I rested my hand against her cheek, then let it slip into her hair at the side of her face, caressing the spot gently.

“They weren’t.”

“How do you know for sure?” she asked.

“I mean… maybe on earth it might be difficult to tell, especially if someone was really good at acting. But here; you can tell from their cores when it really happens,” I explained, and she nodded.

“I know. I saw it just now,” she said, glancing down at Evie, who seemed to be soundly sleeping on top of me, and I let out a yawn, as my own state of depletion seemed to be quickly catching up to me.

“Do… do you think everyone can do that?” Bianca asked, and I studied her.

“Maybe. Maybe not,” I said. “You know about Julie, right? She was the only girl I was ever with on earth, and when we first started having sex, she’d cum every time, but in the later years… she almost never did anymore.”

She studied me.

“Why?”

I shrugged.

“I’m not sure, really. Sometimes it seemed like if she hated me, though I don’t really know what for.”

Bianca looked away, shifting uncomfortably as she did, but as I studied her, waiting for her to respond, I found myself quickly slipping from consciousness.

“Do you… do you think… *inaudible*… me?”

“Wha-?”

I tried to focus, but it was becoming more and more difficult.

“Do you… *inaudible*…”

“I…”

I had no idea what she was saying, and wasn’t even sure what I was trying to say either, as I quickly drifted off to sleep.

***

“Should we move her?”

“Yes; it should be obvious! How will he recover if he cannot breathe!”

“She is uncloaked. It is not permissible, Astrid.”

*The sound of sighing.

“Then fetch a god!”

As my eyes fluttered awake, I shifted slightly, and Evie moaned in response.

_Fuck. I’m still inside of her!_

My organ was smeared, and as it shifted subtly against her walls, I felt myself instinctively stirring to life.

“Easy, auslander. The part is connected, but the Goddess must sleep. Do not rouse her.”

I nodded dumbly, as my eyes adjusted to wakefulness, and as I looked around, I saw Astrid standing beside the bed.

“Are you here to heal me?” I asked, and she shook her head.

“I am here because the veil is lifted. My sight returns, and you are past due for a reading.”

I studied her, yawning a bit as I did.

“Will that drain my core?” I asked, and she shook her head.

“The energy utilized will be of my own.”

We waited for a bit, until Gisela appeared in the room, followed by three other girls that I did not recognize.

Together, they rolled Evie gently off of me, and she let out a soft groan as my semi-erect cock slipped finally from inside of her, but as they scooped her up, they quickly moved her to another cot in the far corner of the room.

The girls quickly covered her with a light blanket of some kind, then bowed, before quickly leaving the room.

“Nathan. Are you well?” Gisela asked, as she moved to my side.

She placed a hand over mine, her brow wrinkled with worry, until Astrid drew our attention to herself by making that sucking sound through her teeth that usually indicated her annoyance.

“You are a servant of the high one. Remember yourself,” Astrid chided.

Gisela’s cheeks reddened a little, but as she tried to withdraw her hand, I took it into mine.

“This one has permission to forget herself whenever she pleases, and whenever it pleases me,” I said, and Astrid scowled.

“To think; I believed the high one the most disruptive force in existence. You suit her too well,” Astrid said. “Fine. She will enjoy washing you, then.”

Gisela seemed a little flustered by my comment, but she quickly began to move at Astrid’s instruction.

Astrid unclasped the restraints on my hand, but as I tried to withdraw it, she scolded me.

“The bones are knit, but the bond is weak. Let us not test it,” she said.

I kept my hand in place as she walked across the room and retrieved a pair of wooden supports, and after helping me out of my shirt, she fitted the items on either side of my hand.

I noted, with interest, that the thing fitted my arm quite snugly, as Astrid fastened them together with some kind of reed.

“This will do,” she said, examining her work with some pride.

She gestured to Gisela, and the girls eased Bianca onto her side, before helping me up and off of the bed.

“Uncloak him, and see to his cleansing,” Astrid ordered, and Gisela blushed, moving with me to the bathroom attached to the room, while Astrid began to clean the bedding, which I imagined must have been a mess after my last session with Evie.

“I heard that the princess woke up,” I began, as Gisela helped me to slip my pants off.

“This is fact,” Gisela said. “I worry, though. Her core remains vulnerable.”

As she led me to the shower area, Gisela’s eyes seemed to be glued to my organ, however, and I smiled a little.

 _If my time here is really coming to an end, then I must taste her again,_ I thought.

The idea caused me to stir, and as my rod stiffened, Gisela quickly became flustered.

She untapped the line that produced fresh water, then scrubbed at my body with her hands, but she seemed to be avoiding the place that her eyes were most drawn to, so I took her hand in mine and brought it to the part.

“If you don’t mind, it needs to be washed,” I said.

She quickly shook her head.

“O-Of course. At once,” she said.

She reached out, running her hands along the inside of my thigh, before cupping my balls and massaging them gently.

Then her hand moved to my shaft, and she stroked it a few times; slow, long strokes, as she washed the area thoroughly.

But as her gaze remained glued to the organ, I chuckled a little, as she seemed to be losing herself a bit in the act.

“Do you mind uncloaking?” I asked, and she suddenly snapped back to attention, studying me.

“Forgive me, Nathan; my attention falters.”

“Your clothes. Can you take them off?” I asked, and her eyes widened a little.

She quickly nodded, stepping away from the shower and stripping.

As she returned to my side, however, I took ahold of the water line, and as I gestured to her, we swapped places, and I began to shower water over her body as she began to wash herself as well.

I licked my lips as I observed her shapely form and the erotic sight of water upon her skin, glistening slightly.

She stepped out of the shower area as soon as she was done, but as she moved to retrieve her clothing, I stopped her, and she eyed me carefully as I moved to my knees in front of her, my eyes locked firmly onto her stomach.

My child was growing inside of there, but in all likelihood, one I would never come to know, and as I leaned forward, I planted a kiss there.

“Mmh. Your affection is desired, Nathan, but we are watched,” Gisela said, a little worriedly, and as I looked up at her, I smiled mischievously.

“I know,” I said, kissing her again, and as I moved the kiss a little lower, Gisela’s knees seemed to buckle, and she grasped onto the nearby table for support.

“You will have me even so?” she asked, and I nodded.

“I desire it. I desire you,” I said, and she made a soft thrilling sound as I planted a kiss against the bare skin just above her sex.

She lifted a leg, almost as if by instinct, and I crept under her, allowing her to drape the leg over my shoulder as I drank in the sight of her delectable slit.

I had seen some amazing things since I came to this world, but none seemed to enthrall me so much as the sight of her thin glistening lips, slightly parted with a hint of wetness, and the perfect little rosebud of her clit.

I looked up into her eyes as I leaned in and planted a soft but pressing kiss onto her sex, smearing my lips across hers before extending my tongue and drawing it out widely across her lips, licking her all the way from her entrance to the clit, and slurping up the delicious nectar of her juices as I did.

Her knees seemed to buckle, and the long growl that my onslaught evoked was sure to have alerted Astrid to our shenanigans.

Nevertheless, I continued to lick and suck Gisela’s mound, desperate to taste every drop of her juices, eager to explore every fold of her pussy lips, and determined to send pleasurable jolts through every sensuous nerve.

I was determined to give this woman the oral experience of a lifetime, and I smiled as she brought a hand to her mouth, trying in vain to muffle her whimpering moans, her breasts swaying as her chest heaved with every pant.

“Nathan! The pleasure overwhelms me!” she cried out, and as I felt her body shudder in my arms, an orgasm evidently imminent, I buried my tongue into her clit, and began to flick her almost maniacally, and as she came, her hips began to thrust, and I eased the intensity of my licking, instead pleasuring her through her orgasm, and lapping up the flood of juices that her climax produced.

Eventually, she slumped down, collapsing into me, and as I plopped down, supporting her as she rested her head against my chest, panting, I turned and caught the sight of Astrid just beyond the doorframe, a wild look in her eyes, and her own breathing seemingly uneven.

She blushed as she caught my gaze on her, seeming unsure of what to do, until she shook off the momentary stupor and approached.

“A sight came to me,” she finally said, frowning a little, and as Gisela looked up at her, a slightly embarrassed look on her face, I nodded.

“What did you see?” I asked, and she let out a sigh.

“The way forward,” she answered ambiguously, and as I tilted my head at her, she continued; “though I do not understand it.”

I studied her, waiting for an explanation, but before she could explain further, the door to the room behind us opened, and Miriam stepped into the room, shooting me a teasing smile.

“Your understanding is limited by your lack of reference,” Miriam said, and I smirked a little.

 _You speak English now?_ I thought, and to my surprise, she glanced at me, and nodded.

“Yes, my sweet. Even in slumber, I have not been idle; but the uttering is without practice.”

 _“You will guide me, will you not?”_ she asked, projecting the question to my mind, and I nodded.

 _Of course,_ I answered, smiling.

Gisela seemed to go into a momentary panic as she heard the princess’ approach, and she quickly grabbed up her clothes, and began to dress; but as Miriam caught sight of her, she merely shot the girl an amused grin.

“What reference do I lack?” Astrid asked defensively, and Miriam looked her over, a disapproving expression on her face.

“How a lover’s embrace can soothe the chaos of the heart,” Miriam answered. “You will learn, though,” she added, before returning her attention to me and offering me her hand.

I took it into my own and brought the limb to my face, nuzzling it a little, before rising.

 _I missed you_ , I thought, and she smiled.

 _“Such a thing is unnecessary. I watched over you every step of the way,”_ she said into my mind.

As she finished speaking, she turned to Gisela who seemed to be slinking away into a corner.

“If it pleases you, will you cloak mein Götze? Or do you require his part be rendered visible that all will know it as well,” Miriam asked teasingly, and Gisela’s face went flush, as she grabbed up my clothes and quickly helped dress me.

“All? You will take him from his treatment?” Astrid asked, a scowling look on her face, but Miriam merely waved away the protest.

“His treatment is insufficient. The body heals, but his wound lingers; I will instruct you on how to properly tend to it,” Miriam said, her tone seemingly indifferent to the anger that her words evoked in Astrid.

“You princesses are all the same. Believing yourselves better by virtue of birthright!”

Miriam shook her head, clicking her tongue in disapproval.

“I forgave your insufficiency in attending to my love, because the fault lay in your instruction. But do not assume that I will continue to allow your provocations without retaliation,” the princess said.

There was just the slightest hint of warning in her tone, and Astrid swallowed uncomfortably, remaining quiet as she did.

Satisfied that she’d made her point, Miriam turned to me and smiled, gesturing to me to follow.

“Where are we going?” I asked.

Gisela also seemed to be a little worried too, but it was Astrid who answered; to my surprise.

“Your God-kin; Raul, has recreated the baths of Kleiner Hein, at Alva’s direction.”

I tilted my head at this.

“Isn’t he in training?” I asked, and Gisela shook her head.

“It was decided that he would see to the protection of this grove in your absence,” she explained, and I nodded.

 _Not that it matters anyway,_ I reminded myself. _I mean, it’s not like I really needed all of my best fighters to come along just to watch me die._

I chuckled a little at the thought, and Miriam tutted at me, prompting me to study her a bit.

 _Gisela is carrying my baby,_ I thought, and she stopped, turning to study the girl with interest, and as Gisela caught where her gaze was directed, she began to blush.

“My lady, I-”

Miriam quickly dismissed the protest.

“She will make a fine advisor to our little one,” Miriam countered, and Gisela nodded, though still blushing a bit.

As we exited the tree, I took a deep breath of the fresh outdoor air, and noted that I had been correct about the hour, as while it was already dark, enough Kobalt were still going about their business that I was fairly certain that darkness had only just recently fallen.

“Nate!”

I turned around at the call and spotted Sheila approaching me.

“You’re awake! You’re alright! Oh, thank god,” she said.

She was coming at me so quick, I thought she was going to leap into me for a hug, but she pulled to a stop, a little awkwardly, just in front of me, and I gestured to her that it was okay to proceed.

She gave me a little squeeze, then furrowed her brow.

“I’m so sorry- we had no idea that Ethan was gonna-”

“It’s fine; he must have been planning this for a long time,” I said, and she frowned.

“I know. I’m just… I’m so sorry that this happened. You’re a really good guy, Nate…”

“No better than anyone else,” I countered. “How is everyone else doing? Is anyone having problems adjusting?”

She quickly shook her head.

“Not really. The guys have been working on some kind of construction project thing; Blair is with the fighters most of the time. And I joined up with the medical team, with Samantha,” she explained. “Sometimes, it feels like hardly anyone’s really talking to us, but… it’s not like we don’t understand why. I mean, as part of the medical team, I saw just how bad the aftermath of that battle was. So, I think everyone understands,” she said.

“I see. Well hopefully things will get better when we get Cameron back. Honestly, the faster we get this whole fiasco over with, the better for everyone.”

Sheila smiled, nodding; but I noted the princess was eyeing me with a teasing look.

“Fraulin; have my sweet taken to the baths and prepared for me,” Miriam said.

Gisela bowed, leading me off, but as I glanced back, I caught the princess whispering to Sheila, who was staring at me intently as she listened.

I tried to get a gauge on what was being said, but I was quickly whisked through the entry hall of the nearby grove tree and out of sight.

Gisela led me down the hallway to the stairs, but as we began to climb, I noted that we were going further up than I expected.

We came to the eighth floor, I think it was, when we finally headed off to the corridor, and as I glanced around, I found that most of the rooms were empty as I expected, until we came to a large open space which had been outfitted with around ten medium size hot-tub styled baths, and with lots of changing rooms attached along the outer rings of the area.

“Wow,” I breathed, slightly taken aback by the unexpected sight, and Gisela beamed.

“Alva brought forth the suggestion, but it was the princess who eventually pushed through bringing the concept into reality,” she explained. “She reasoned that a place of comfort would be required as the seed-bearers bring forth the new life to sustain our budding garden, and help it flourish into an orchard.”

I felt a strange tightness in my chest, but quickly dismissed it from my mind.

Gisela led me to one of the rooms where I was changed into a bathrobe similarly styled to the ones we’d used in Kleiner Hein, but to my surprise, the material was a different, softer, more comfortable kind of fabric.

“What is this called?” I asked, gesturing at the material.

“The robe?”

“What’s it made from?” I clarified, and she nodded.

“Cherub-weed.”

I rubbed my chin.

“Is this something we can cultivate?” I asked, and she nodded.

“Yes, but… the preparation method requires specialized retainers.”

Come to think of it, there were a lot of seeds available via the catalog that would allow us to produce our own garments eventually.

And maybe we could even find ways to expedite the process using our cores.

I made a mental note to pass on the information to Casey, so that she could guide my successor to properly utilize the idea.

Gisela led me back to the baths, but as we walked past the tubs closest to our rooms, I suddenly noted that there were tubs closer to the outer wall, which allowed me to gaze outside at the cluster below.

 _A hot tub with a view_ , I thought with some amusement.

The water, however, was anything but hot, though given that the air always seemed hot and stuffy, these cool water baths really did hit the spot.

As I settled in, however, a stream of Kobalt girls seemed to be entering the room, and Astrid scowled a little.

“This is her doing,” she grumbled, and I eyed her.

“Is this what you foresaw?” I asked, and she waved a hand.

“In a less specific manner, yes.”

“What do you mean?” I pressed.

“The future can be told in many ways; sights, sounds, even a touch. This premonition was one of feeling, Nathan. Of what you will be made to feel; and I do not approve.”

I wasn’t quite sure what she meant by that, but as the girls began to disappear into the various changing stations around the room, I caught sight of Miriam entering the chamber with Sheila in tow, their arms linked, and Miriam beaming as Sheila looked around with an expression that was equal parts amazed and overwhelmed.

I bit my lip nervously, and Astrid made that sucking sound through her teeth.

“She is being too much! What good will come from such needless carousing and indulgence!”

I smiled to myself, however, as if these really were to be the final days of my life, maybe a little bit of revelry was in order.

“I hope my princess isn’t pushing you around too much,” I said, as Sheila approached, and she smiled.

“I’ll admit, she’s a hard woman to refuse, but I am here out of my own curiosity. I mean, I knew that you were the leader of your group, but I had no idea that that extended to king of an entire people.”

“I’m not their king,” I began-

“Not yet, but soon,” Miriam assured the girl, and she eyed me, offering me a little curtsey.

“To think, I’d been rescued by a real-life prince charming. Maybe these fairy tales I’ve been promised are true after all,” she said, and I chuckled.

 _If they were true, Cameron would be beside me…_ I began thinking, before quickly shaking my head and burying the thought.

Miriam shot me a quick look, before gesturing to Sheila to step into the bath, accompanying her as she did.

“Mein future king is a kind one, though his consideration often keeps him from shedding the weariness of war. What is your opinion on this?” Miriam asked. “After the flesh heals, should a warrior not seek the comfort of a lover to soothe the anguish of the essence?”

Sheila blushed a little, nodding.

“He should,” she agreed, licking her lips absently as her eyes locked onto my own gaze.

“You’d better tread carefully,” I warned Sheila. “If you allow yourself to be swayed by her silky words, you might find yourself in trouble.”

“I see what you mean. He is reluctant,” Sheila said to Miriam, and the two women shared a conspiratorial look, before Sheila moved towards me. “Unless, there’s someone else you prefer?” she added, eyeing me a little, and as I dismissed another thought about Cameron, I shook my head, fixing my eyes onto hers.

She was a pretty girl with dirty-blonde hair, much like Cameron’s, and also a slightly matured look that told me she was a slight bit older than the early twenties look that most of the others seemed to have.

As my eyes flicked to her bust, I noted that there was no lack in that department, and her body had all of the curves of a woman in the ripest child-bearing years of her life.

My eyes came to rest on her stomach; it was flat, much like everyone else’s, given the way our bodies seemed to mold into perfect versions of our earth selves, but I found myself fantasizing that there was a bump there, with a child of our own growing within.

Miriam gestured to Gisela, and said something rapidly in their tongue, and the girl nodded, before heading hurriedly away.

“I don’t want you thinking that you need to do this kind of thing to earn your stay here,” I began, and Sheila smiled.

“Is that how you view women? Helpless little creatures that desperately want to please you in the hopes that you’ll offer us protection?”

“No- I just mean-”

She pressed a finger to my lips, cutting me off.

“I imagined doing this from the moment we met,” she said. “Do you think I was thinking about you as a safety net back then? You were a red flag; a dangerous unknown. But those things have a way of stirring desires too…” she finished, resting a hand against my cheek as she climbed onto my lap, straddling me.

She was being forward…

Almost too forward.

I knew she’d been pushing to talk to me at every opportunity, even back then, but I began to wonder if this was Miriam’s influence at play here.

But as I looked over at her, she smiled.

 _“Her desires are her own,”_ she said, speaking into my mind, and I nodded, leaning into Sheila, and pressing my forehead against hers.

_Cameron…_

_Would I ever again know her touch?_

I drowned the thought with a tentative kiss; a kiss which Sheila eagerly returned, and she wrapped her arms around me as we kissed.

I slipped a hand up the front of her robe, bringing it to rest on a smooth thigh, and as I caressed the curves along her hips and sides, my mind wandered again to Cameron’s body.

Almost instinctively, I moved my hand, palm facing outward, to her stomach, and as it slinked across the toned but flat surface there, I felt a slight twang in my chest.

“Believe it or not, I remember there being a bit more flab there,” she said, breaking the kiss, and I chuckled.

“I believe you. My body probably didn’t know what muscular tone looked like until I came here.”

She took my hand, and moved it up to cup one of the fleshy mounds on her chest.

“Did it know what breasts like these felt like?” she teased, and I snickered.

“On earth? No,” I admitted, and she smiled.

“I see. So, here has been a different story?” she asked, and I nodded, a little sheepishly, but she quickly shrugged off the sentiment, leaning in for another kiss.

As we kissed, however, the rest of the girls seemed to be filing into the tubs around us, and I quickly noted that many eyes were glued to us.

Sheila took a quick look around, and bit her lip.

“Is this gonna turn into one of those wild orgies?” she asked, and I shrugged, but the princess moved to sit beside us at this.

“They are here to fulfill any desire, should it be required of a god or goddess,” Miriam explained, and Sheila bit her lip.

“Do any of them specialize in giving backrubs?” she asked, but even as the question seemed to be given in jest, Miriam raised a hand, and one of the girls quickly came over.

She whispered to her, and the girl nodded, moving into position behind Sheila.

“Your robe, high one,” Miriam said, and Sheila allowed the girl to slip her covering over her shoulders, revealing her naked form in earnest.

She met my gaze with a teasing smile, then then let out a long, satisfied moan as the girl began to massage her back.

“May I?” Miriam asked, and as I nodded, she helped me to scoot forward just a bit, and she snaked her petite frame into position behind me, wrapping her arms around my front as she did.

Her hands, however, wandered into the open front of my robe, and as she began to stroke me, I caught Sheila’s eyes cast downward, studying my part with interest.

“Never had sex in a tub before; I always thought the idea seemed impractical,” she said.

“Now that you mention it, I guess I haven’t done it either,” I said, and she smiled.

She shot a look at Miriam, then eased herself up a little, and I let out a soft moan as her breasts came to my lips, and I took one into my mouth, and suckled the tit.

They were a bit larger than Cameron’s, with areolas that made wider circles, and a nipple that didn’t quite stick out perkily the way Cameron’s did.

As I suckled her, however, I felt my cock being positioned, and without much of a fuss, she began to lower herself onto me, her body shuddering in my arms as she took me all the way in.

I moved my arms from her hips to the base of her back, nuzzling my face between her breasts as I did, and Sheila wrapped her arms around my head, cradling me.

But the feeling, while pleasurable, only made me long for Cameron’s embrace, and I silently cursed every night that I spent doing anything other than nestling myself inside of her, and sharing with her those moments of orgasmic bliss.

 _“This too, shall pass,”_ Miriam said into my mind. _“But until it does, lose yourself a little. Enjoy the sensation of another, and plant the seed of an affection that might yet flourish into something useful.”_

I moaned into Sheila’s breasts, and as she began to ride me, I dismissed my yearnings, and focused only on the sensations at hand.

The water around us was moving, and Sheila’s rhythmic riding began to create a wave pattern that crashed on the rim of the tub in time with every cresting movement, and I found the uniformity of it strangely comforting and pleasurable in of itself.

“Mmm. Either sex is better in this life, or this moment is a special one,” Sheila admitted, and I moaned my agreement into her breasts.

I rested my face against the side of one of the fatty mounds, and planted kisses there as she rode me; but there was no urgency in her riding, and I was more than satisfied to simply sit there and exist in that euphoric state.

“Nate,” Sheila finally said, slowing down her movements, and I broke away from her bosom, to look into her face. “Could you do it to me?”

She was biting her lips, a slightly pouty look on her face, and I nodded as the girl behind her helped her off of me, and she moved into position with one knee on the bench along the outer ring of the tub, and as I moved behind her, I noted that the looks around us seemed to take on a different kind of intensity.

I entered Sheila from the rear, and she moaned appreciatively as I did, and I reached around and cupped her breasts, groping them a bit, and placing a hand on her hip as I set to work.

My conviction was a bit more intense now, and after making a few tentative thrusts, I began to pick up the pace a little, thrusting roughly against her, and pleasurable yelps began to escape her lips with each wet smack.

“God, that feels so good!” Sheila said, “do it harder! Faster!”

I obliged, reaching around her waist to press a finger against her clit, allowing our movements to stimulate her, and she placed her hand over mine, pressing it firmly in place.

“Keep that up- ahn, yes! Yes!”

She seemed to be close, and I quickly channeled all of my focus into maintaining the steady rhythm of my thrusts, but as her orgasm neared, a warm breath blew down my neck, and a voice whispered seductively into my ear.

“Let yourself go, my sweet. Her capitulation into ecstasy will happen with or without your willing. Allow yourself to feel this moment, and share it with her. Relinquish control, and let the flood burst forth from your tip.”

I gulped.

My rhythm faltered as my mind seemed to go hazy, but Sheila quickly adjusted to compensate, thrusting back slightly into me and keeping my hand pressed firmly to her clit, but as I felt myself tumbling helplessly down the precipice of my own orgasmic release, rational thought forsook me completely, and while I had a vague recollection that I was filling the very fertile womb of a stunning, if unsuspecting young woman with serving after serving of my virile seed; I felt completely helpless to stop it.

My mind went blank, and when I came to, I was panting; my head in the lap of a Kobalt girl who was stroking me comfortingly.

Sheila was lying on her side, panting as well; but my eyes were drawn to her sex, which was oozing a thick, white cream, and I studied the scene with worry.

_“Ease the mind, my love; if she does not desire the child, it will not come. Such is the will of a goddess.”_

I shook my head.

_People often desire things which do them harm. Even if she accepts it, regret might still come._

“Tell him,” Miriam said, and as I glanced at her, I followed her gaze to Astrid, who was now looking down, an awkward expression on her face.

“The child will be loved; and bring unparalleled happiness to the one who bore him,” Astrid said, and as I returned my gaze to Sheila, the girl crawled up into a sitting position, her hands around her knees as she hugged herself, a strangely warm smile on her face.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I could have stopped you, but… I didn’t want to. Are you mad?”

I was still panting as I studied her, but as I shook my head, I smiled a little, trying to convey to her some reassurance.

“I was just worried,” I said, and she smiled.

“The heaviness upon his heart lingers,” Miriam said, and Sheila studied me, crawling over to my side as she did.

“Was it… that woman? The one who took care of us when we first arrived here?” she asked, and I nodded; but I shot Miriam a slightly pleading look as I wasn’t particularly eager to talk about it, and she nodded her understanding.

“Let us leave the discussion of the wound to another time; for now, we will fill him with mindless pleasures. Will you aide me?” Miriam asked, and Sheila nodded, moving to my part, with Miriam at my side.

She leaned down and kissed the organ tentatively, blushing a little as she tasted the combined remnants of our orgasmic release, but as she released me, Miriam leaned down and wrapped her lips around my cockhead, bobbing up and down a bit as she sucked me clean.

Sheila took one look at what Miriam was doing, before leaning down, and joining her, taking my sack into her mouth, and gently lapping at the place, cleaning up the mess there as well.

I watched in amazement as the two women serviced me, but the sensory overload was only just beginning, as two girls knelt beside me on either side of my body, quickly moving to kiss and caress the muscles across my chest, as another descended on me from above, bringing her face to mine, and pressing her olive green lips to mine in a kiss.

Her face was youthful and the kiss, sloppy; but as she kissed me, several tongues moved to join the others that were stimulating my body all over, and I felt as if I were floating away on a cloud, encased in a cocoon of pure, carnal ecstasy.

My mind was lost in a state of pure bliss.

I was vaguely aware of the tongues wrapped around my cock releasing me, but only long enough for a body; petite and light, as far as I could tell, to mount me, and sink my cock into the midst of a tight, snug embrace.

I lost all sense of time and reality, moving instead to a realm of only sensations; soft breasts pressing against my body, and finding erogenous zones in places I didn’t even know existed; a lashing of tongues that feasted on me with an insatiable hunger; lips that traded places constantly in a never ending stream of kisses; and finally, emptying my seed over and over into unknown wombs in the multi-orgasmic sexcapade to satisfy me in this life and every other.

I woke up from the experience as a man awakening from a deep sleep, yet knowing from my heightened state of arousal and the weariness of my limbs that I had not slept a wink for the duration.

Sheila was on top of me, my cock nestled snugly inside of her sex, but as I glanced around, I caught many other Kobalt girls resting in the other baths, exhausted and worn expressions on their faces, and I wondered for a moment how many of them I had just seeded.

“Help her up,” a voice said, and I glanced up to spot Astrid.

Two Kobalt girls helped Sheila to her feet, and they cloaked her in a robe, and led her from the bath area.

Astrid then helped me up, with some difficulty; signaling to another Kobalt girl as she did, and as I studied her, I noted that she seemed to have a slightly bothered look on her face.

“That must have been some vision,” I teased, but she merely shook her head.

“This was not the end of my sight,” she answered, and I frowned.

“What was it then?” I asked, and she looked away.

“It will soon come to pass,” she answered, her tone just a little bit ominous.

One of the girls helped me into my robes, and another moved to my side, giving Astrid a hand in guiding me, and I lumbered along, not really sure where I was being guided, but following along nevertheless.

The destination, however, seemed to be a room with grandly designed doors that reminded me of the ones that led to the meeting room in Gert’s tree, but as the doors opened, I found myself in the presence of my princess, laying upon a quite large, elegantly adorned bed, and in a room which had the décor of some kind of celebratory event.

The princess herself was wearing a sleek-fitting slip with that same X-shaped design that accentuated her lithe frame, and a mini-skirt styled matching pair of bottoms.

“Your princess awaits,” Astrid said, bowing, but as she pulled the door shut behind me, there was that glint in her eye.

As if all was not as it seemed.

“Tell me, my sweet. Were your accommodations to your liking?”

“It left me for want of very little,” I admitted, and she smiled.

“Save, perhaps nutrition,” she suggested, gesturing to a platter on the end table beside the bed.

I nodded, suddenly realizing that while I did suddenly feel hungry, the feeling was not overwhelming.

How had I been sustained during my treatment?

It was curious, and I made a mental note to enquire about it sometime later.

I ate, taking a drink of a sweet-tasting liquid that didn’t seem to be the same alcoholic beverage that we’d been served on our first trip to Palancar.

_Cameron really liked that drink, didn’t she?_

The thought vanished on its own without any conscious urging on my part, and I smiled.

 _Maybe it is nice to indulge the senses,_ I thought. _Indulge and forget…_

But Miriam was studying me with a new look; this one, slightly intense.

She watched as I ate, but as I finished and came to sit on the bed beside her, she studied me for a bit, taking a deep breath in.

“Few moments in life will I approach with greater reluctance than this,” she said, and I studied her.

“What do you mean?”

She raised her hands, and gestured for me to come closer.

“There is something you must do, my love. To steel yourself against the coming storm.”

“Will Cameron come back?” I asked, and she shook her head.

“Such a thing you cannot hear from one such as me. What I must prepare you for, is to depart this grove in the best possible manner; after all, nothing but your best efforts will suffice in the coming war.”

I nodded.

“I’ll do anything,” I said, and she sighed.

“I know you will, my sweet; but this hurts me, even so.”

She took another deep breath, and I noted this time that she was gathering up the energy into a spot near her heart, and as she stared into my eyes, they seemed to emit a faint light.

“Open your heart to what you have lost. Feel everything, my love. Feel as you never have, that this wound may heal…”

As she finished the uttering, a sudden jolt went through my chest; at first, just an unpleasant sensation that made my breathing feel slightly labored, but after a few shallow breaths, I found myself grasping at the hem of my robe.

“I- I can’t breathe,” I said.

I stared at Miriam, and saw the saddened look in her eyes, and for a moment, I began to wonder if I’d been betrayed; if the drink I’d just been offered had been poisoned maybe.

I fell backwards, grasping at my throat.

“W-Why can’t I breathe?” I asked again.

Then the pain began to shoot through my chest, and I doubled over as it coursed through me.

I wanted to cut open my chest, and forcibly remove whatever it was that was causing that pain to shoot through me.

“M-Make it stop... please!”

I tore at my robes, shedding them, as everything that I touched seemed to bring me even more anguish.

Even my skin I would shed if I could.

“AHHHH!” I screamed out, writhing on the floor.

_Cameron…_

_I want you._

_I want you here, in my arms._

_I always thought that I was keeping you safe, but in your arms, I was the one who felt protected._

_Where are your arms?_

_God, I need them right now._

_I need them so much._

_This world is wretched._

_I don’t want to live in it without you._

_I don’t._

_I don’t._

_I don’t!_

_Please give her back to me._

_Give me back the moment with her in my arms, our baby growing between us, and Lucia at my side._

_I don’t want to do this._

_I can’t…_

_I need you._

_I need your strength, your comfort, your warmth, your presence._

_The teasing looks._

_The sound of your voice._

_The feel of your skin._

_The taste of your sweat._

_The womanly scent of your arousal._

_The blissful feeling of being inside of you._

_Give it back!_

_I need you._

_I need to wake up to your loving gaze, ever watchful, keeping me safe in my sleep._

_Don’t let Julie take this from me._

_Please…_

_Let her take anything but this!_

I was sobbing, crying and clawing at myself.

I felt like a child throwing a tantrum, and as I screamed and wailed and thrashed, I didn’t care.

Ethan…

He ended my child’s life, and I couldn’t do anything to stop him.

He took away the woman I loved, and I was helpless.

And there was no chance that I would get strong enough to take her back.

Was my life a fair trade?

I was willing to offer him my life to get her back; but that was as ugly as a life lived hiding from that confrontation, and I knew it.

I needed her.

I needed to make sure that she would come back home where she belonged.

I had no idea how long I spent in that state, but Miriam stood by, enduring the onslaught by my side; and that was when I caught the feeling of her, like a thin almost imperceptible membrane around my heart.

She looked at me, and as I shot her a longing look, she nodded, and I crawled to her, and she opened her arms to receive me.

“Let it all out; my sweet, special one. Let it all out.”

I curled into a ball, and she wrapped herself around me as I rocked back and forth, desperate for the fleeting comfort that she offered.

For a second, I was in my mother’s womb again; in my adopted mother’s arms as she held me as a babe.

In my grandmother’s arms as she held me lovingly; and Julie’s embrace, as we made sweet, illicit love.

Her arms were the arms of every woman who had nurtured me; who fostered my strength, and offered me solace from the discomforts of existence.

And I curled myself up, and cried.

I cried until I felt numb; devoid of any feeling… and suddenly I understood what it truly meant to not feel.

I was a psychopath, was I not?

Was the absence of feelings not a thing I knew intimately?

No…

This was different.

This was emptiness; a feeling in itself, and not so much a lack, as an overabundance of despair.

I let the feeling wash over me with an almost masochistic abandon, then laughed; the sound not enunciated, but echoing through my mind.

Is this what you felt, Julie?

Was this why you could no longer tolerate my touch?

What caused this?

What made you feel this way?

It couldn’t have been me; I never gave you the despair that your son inflicted upon me…

Yet I was certain; this was the thing that drove her to become the bitter, hateful person that she was.

I remained in my little safe space for a while, before finally stretching out, and letting out an awkward kind of laugh, that in truth, might have been more of a sigh than a laugh.

What a fool I must have looked like.

I wondered for a moment if an outburst like that would have embarrassed me if I was capable of that kind of feeling, but as I looked at the woman holding me in her arms, I suddenly felt an overwhelming burst of desire for her.

In the moments of my anguish, she had transformed herself into the vestige of every woman I’d ever adored in my life, except for the one for whom I’d cried, and I began to wonder if that in itself was no co-incidence, but an intentional omission on her part.

“Yes, my love. The feeling of her presence in the body of another would have done naught but wound you further.”

I snickered at the comment, as she was clearly reading every thought in my mind.

“Were you always able to do that?” I asked, and she shook her head.

“This was a parting gift; from one queen to another, it would seem.”

I smiled at her, and as she returned the smile, I leaned up to kiss her, and as she returned the kiss, I recognized her as the mystery consoler during my nightmares.

“Your core is weakening,” I said as I studied her, a worried look on my face, and she smiled.

“Yes; but for this moment, I will endure it. And afterwards, it will flicker no more.”

She helped me to a sitting position, before standing up, and shimmying off the short skirt that she was wearing, baring her sex to me, along with those wonderful, sleek slender legs, and as I looked up, she stripped off her top as well.

I leaned back, resting my weight on my hands as she moved to stand over me, hovering for a second before lowering herself into the space between my legs, with her own legs on either side of my hips, I sat upright to meet her, and she directed me closer until our bodies were touching in all of the right sensuous ways.

And I knew that this was it.

From this moment, I would be her king, and she, my queen.

She wrapped her arms around my neck, and kissed me lovingly.

“Nothing will ever replace the child that was taken from you,” she said. “But nonetheless, I will give you a kingdom, a queen, and a legacy to eclipse all lore.”

I stared into her eyes, and for the first time I realized it was less of a promise and more of a prophecy.

How did I never notice what a force this woman was?

She guided my hands to her hips, and as I lifted her up a bit at her direction, she brought her knees around, wiggling her feet under my own legs from behind, and locking our bodies together as she came down, a single hand reaching down to position me before she sank onto my length.

She kept her gaze on me, and there was no reaction from her to the intrusion.

“Did it not bring you pleasure?” I asked, and she smiled, bringing a hand to rest against my cheek.

“It did, my love; but my faculties must remain intact to bring our vision to fruition.”

She brought my arms into position, wrapped around her slender, lithe form, and she wrapped her arms around my head again, pulling us tightly together almost into a single, contiguous form.

Then she began to move, a slow, rocking movement, and even after my euphoric fuck-fest, I had to admit, this feeling was something else, and not simply because of the pleasurable stimulation.

She seemed to be transforming herself into that woman again; a being that encapsulated the essence of every woman I had ever loved and been loved by, and I found the presence awakening in me desires that I never even knew existed.

I held her close, reveling in the feeling of comfort, and moaning at the stimulation of her slippery, warm tunnel wrapped sensually around me as our bodies rocked back and forth together.

For a moment, I felt a desire to drive her to orgasmic bliss, but the moment quickly passed as I realized that I was the one being tended to; and as I surrendered myself to her whims, I felt my pleasure ascending to even greater heights.

“Yes, my precious one. Let me bring you to the cusp and coax from you the seed that will birth a future queen.”

I relaxed my body in her arms, and surrendered completely to her ministrations, and I was rewarded with the heavenly sounds of her moans.

“We will cross this threshold as one,” she urged me, and I nodded absently, only partially aware anymore of what was going on, and placing my complete trust in her direction.

“Mm,” I nuzzled her neck, and she cradled me as her movements quickly picked up intensity, and our cries, muted slightly though they were, melded together into one sound.

“I’m… coming,” I moaned, and as I began to empty my seed into her womb, she slowed her movements, but continued the soft, rocking motions; flexing her hips and coaxing me into a state of extended orgasmic bliss.

The feeling was euphoric, and my seed seemed to spew forth in a never-ending stream, each spurt followed by another orgasmic wave that continued on and on with each rocking thrust.

I had no idea an orgasm could last that long, but our eyes remained locked together during our sustained, mutual climax, and a feeling of warmth radiated between us, culminating in several pulses which seemed to come from my core itself.

We wound down from that state slowly, my cock still pulsing and oozing little remnants of my cum into Miriam’s already well-seeded womb, and as she held me, she slipped backward, down onto the bed, guiding me down with her, and bringing my head to her bosom where she cradled me like a child, and I nuzzled her lovingly as she whispered soft, soothing words into my ear that I couldn’t quite understand.

I was falling asleep and fast, but images were going through my mind; my grandmother, her warm smile and knowing gaze; my mother, that anxious look on her face as she fussed over my safety; Julie, the teary-eyed expression that she wore when she came running to my room for comfort; and… another woman, shrouded in shadow, small, but exuding an aura of elegance, as if she had grown accustomed to standing above all things for so long that she could no longer be bothered.

Then there was one more.

A small shadow; a girl, her frame upright as she stood proudly with the poise of nobility.

But she seemed to regard me with a curious kind of reluctance, and as I approached her, she began to retreat.

I gave chase, a curious desire to know who she was suddenly overtaking me, but as I chased her, she led me deeper and deeper into the shadows until I lost myself, falling into a deep, dreamless, but restful sleep.

*

I awoke to my princess lying beside me, her eyes on me, ever watchful; that typical, playful expression on her face, and wearing a light, cotton dress; and to my surprise, I found that I also seemed quite fresh and clean, with fresh sheets somehow finding their way onto the bed as I slept.

“Good morning,” the princess chirped, and as I raised an eyebrow, she smiled. “Is that not how it is said in your lands?”

I nodded, smiling.

“Yes; it was just a little weird hearing it from your lips. How would you have greeted me normally?” I asked, and she thought about it for a while, before leaning in to kiss me on the lips.

“May your roots, this day, draw the sustenance needed that your branches stay the wither of another cycle,” she said, smiling, and I chuckled a little.

“Is that what everyone else says every morning?” I asked, and she shook her head, smiling.

“There is no standard way to awaken one’s mate; and from the visions of your past life, I fear that such a practice leads to the utterance of words that while possessing sentiment, are delivered without sufficient tenor.”

“Hn~. That’s definitely true,” I replied.

I held my right hand up as I lay on my back, and clenched it into a fist, then flexed my hand a bit, and to my surprise, I found that while the muscles felt tight, it certainly didn’t feel as if it had been severed clean just a few days ago.

As I examined the arm, however, I noted a slightly glum expression seemed to have crept onto Miriam’s face, and I turned to study her.

“What is it?” I asked, and she gestured to the door.

“An unpleasant interaction perhaps, awaits,” she said, and I smirked.

“Astrid?”

She nodded.

“She is useful beyond measure; of that I am certain, and I am relieved that she is endeared to you. But her irksome protests inspire in me the urge to silence that wagging tongue.”

It was so curious; whenever Astrid spoke to her out of turn, she seemed to respond with such calm grace.

Yet it seemed as if the girl had gotten under her skin more than her demeanor would have suggested, and I chuckled, as it brought me some amusement.

My reaction seemed to bring a mischievous smile onto her face.

“You know… you could silence that tongue. She seems to revile your amorous displays with an intensity that can only stem from possessive jealousy.”

I snickered at the thought.

I had to admit; I did feel the impulse to ‘silence’ her ever since she’d berated Gisela for her affections.

Not to mention that Astrid was an exceptionally beautiful girl, and there was no doubt in my mind that I would enjoy it, and she would too.

“It would bring her a vision as well; I am certain of it,” Miriam continued, reasoning her way through the mischievous plot. “Perhaps it could even save a life. The lives of all tongued folk!”

“Alright, alright,” I said, reigning her in a bit. “Is she by herself?”

The princess closed her eyes, listening closely for a bit, then nodded.

“Two others are a little distance behind; one Gisela, the other a lesser companion.”

I nodded, rubbing my hands together, and creeping to the door.

I stood near the wall, on the side of the two-door entryway which I’d observed was often the only door used, and as it opened and a figure stepped into the room, I pounced.

“Ahh!”

A wooden platter went clattering to the floor as I wrapped my arms around her, pulling from view, before kicking the door shut.

She wrestled with me quite vigorously, before realizing whose arms were restraining her, bringing a pause to her struggle.

“Nathan! What are you doing? Come to your senses!” she began, but I cut off her protests by bringing her hands together at her front, and pinning them together with my left hand.

“I apologize; my princess demands your blood, so it must be shed,” I said, and as she glanced at Miriam, a brief look of panic crossed her face.

“This is madness, Nathan. You are not yourself!” she cried, and I laughed wickedly into her ear.

“Maybe not; but I’ll have your flesh nonetheless.”

I kissed the spot just beneath her left ear roughly, while my right hand snaked into her robes, lavishing the curve of a naked thigh.

She thrashed a bit, kicking about as she did, but I held her firm, nuzzling her neck as my fingers explored that silky-smooth skin.

I’d now all but confirmed that Kobalt women grew no hair anywhere on their bodies except their heads, but this dried fruit diet of theirs seemed to do wonders for the skin as well, as I’d never spotted so much as a blemish on any of them.

At least, any that I’d privy knowledge of, at least.

Astrid’s thrashing seemed to have stopped, but as she squirmed, I let my right hand wander a bit, exploring the smooth expanse of skin along her side, almost all the way up to where I could feel that subtle outer swell of breast, and she shuddered at this.

Then the door burst open, and a slightly panicked looking Gisela poked her head inside; but she took one look at the princess, then the scene unfolding on the floor beside the doorway, before turning, and quickly dismissing whoever else was following her in.

She stepped into the room, then pulled the door shut, leaning against it as she studied the scene with a slightly awed gaze.

Astrid’s squirming seemed to intensify at this; but again, I held firm.

“Nathan, please…” she said, casting her eyes away from Gisela, and I traced her side again, kissing her gently.

But as much fun as it was, she was still someone I wanted on my side; so, I released her, and as she moved off of me, she slumped back against the wall, studying me.

Her breathing was uneven, and her face flushed.

“Not as easy to resist as you imagined, is it, little Kahnwald?” Miriam asked, and Astrid straightened herself out.

“So what? Does that mean I should lose myself at his whim? I am not so weak-willed a Kobalt,” she answered, eyeing Gisela as she did.

“Then taste it yourself,” Miriam offered. “He is due for a reading, is he not? Taste it and tell me then what you will and will not lose.”

Astrid seemed to consider the request, glancing at me as she did.

“Fine. But only because a reading is required,” she answered, and I raised an eyebrow at this.

_Giving in a little easily, aren’t we?_

Though, the conversation began to make me wonder… just what were the requirements for this skill to be activated?

Astrid had phrased it as ‘drawing’ a premonition out of her, hadn’t she?

I eyed the girl as she moved to the bed, sitting on the edge.

She turned to me, an expectant look in her eyes, and as I moved towards her, a bit uncertainly, she gestured to the bed beside her.

“Are you waiting for an invitation, Auslander? Or is your prowess limited to the assault of unsuspecting maidens in the performance of their duties?”

Miriam clicked her tongue in annoyance.

“See? She was not deserving of your mercy,” Miriam said, and I snickered in response.

“I am beginning to agree with you,” I said, ignoring Astrid’s request to sit by her side, and instead crawling over to Miriam’s side. “Perhaps she should be taught a little lesson.”

“Yes. Instruct her!” Miriam added encouragingly.

Astrid scoffed at this, keeping her gaze turned away from me.

“There will be no instruction save my own; and it will be to teach your wandering advisor how her duties may be performed whilst maintaining the dignity of her standing.”

Gisela bit her lip, seeming quite embarrassed by the comment.

“Maintain the dignity, huh?” I asked, my tone a little teasing, and Astrid nodded.

“Yes. Even if one is tasked with carrying the seed-life of a God,” she said, and I smirked.

“Well then; let’s test your resolve.”

I led Astrid onto her back, and as she looked up at me with that defiant look, I swiftly claimed her lips, but the kiss did little to sway her; as she kept her own lips sealed, and made no effort to kiss me back.

I quickly moved to kiss along the side of her face, moving in on the sensitive spot on her neck, just below her ear, and moving further down the length of her neck.

She still resisted, but I could easily sense a flicker; a quickening of her heart rate, a slight rush of blood, and her breathing becoming ever so slightly ragged.

But she kept her body tense, and her fists firmly clenched.

“Is that all, my king?” she asked, a little sarcastically, and I cackled in response.

“This is getting fun,” I said.

I moved off of her, guiding her further onto the bed, and stripping off my cotton shirt.

My eyes zeroed in on her hands which were still balled into fists, and I went to them; unclenching them, and bringing them to rest on my sides where a firm row of pecs were quickly developing, and I smiled, as her fingers almost instinctively traced a little path along the outline.

I moved to kiss her again, and an arm slipped around my back, and this time, her lips parted slightly.

Her breathing was definitely labored now, and as I kissed my way down her neck for the second time, I spotted the unmistakable clamping of her legs as her arousal started getting the better of her.

I trailed my kisses further down her shoulders, slipping the loose fitted sleeve of her robe over them as I did, and as her breasts came into view, I grasped one firm mound in my hand, and gave it a tentative squeeze.

 _“Herr Götze, your goddesses; the one with the scars upon her neck. She peers in from the window yonder,”_ Miriam said into my mind, and I looked over to the window.

“Bianca! You can come in if you wanna watch!” I called out, and the sudden sound of something clattering to the ground sounded outside.

I tilted my head, watching intently, and after a few seconds, Bianca’s head poked timidly out of the side of the frame.

“Come on, now,” I said, gesturing to the bed, and with some difficulty, she climbed in, then awkwardly headed for the bedside.

 _“This one is special to you…”_ Miriam noted, and I nodded.

She turned, studying her a little, then moving to her side, she took Bianca’s hand, and led her to the bed.

“Come; observe with me,” Miriam suggested.

Bianca nodded, hypnotically almost, her eyes glued to Astrid and the rather lewd state in which we’d been caught.

As I returned my attention to Astrid, however, I noted that she seemed to have used the momentary distraction to steel herself, but with Bianca’s addition to the audience, I had a new motivation for breaking down her resistance.

As I moved in to kiss her, however, she placed a hand to my chest.

“That’s quite enough stimulation,” Astrid said. “The parts are ready enough to be properly utilized.”

I snickered at her.

“I think I’ll decide what’s enough, thank you.”

She frowned, but as I began to kiss her neck, the hand against my chest quickly slipped around my head, and as I kissed and nuzzled my way back to her breasts, she quickly returned to that hot, bothered state that I desired.

“How much of this do you intend to apply? There are pressing matters,” she said, her voice a little shaky, and I put a finger to my lips, as I pretended to give it serious thought.

“Until you ask for it?” I replied.

“Ask? I have already made the request that we move proceedings along to the next stage,” she replied, and I smirked.

“Have you, now~? I couldn’t really tell.”

Astrid made a slightly grumbling sound, but it was much huskier than her usual grumbles, and as she cleared her throat, I continued my assault on her breasts.

But I didn’t go right for the sensitive nipples on each peak.

Instead, I nuzzled my face in the valley between the swells, then placed a tentative kiss on the side of one breast, then the other, before settling on her left breast while I reached for her right with my hand.

Her legs were regularly shifting now, moving together as she tried in vain to bring some much-needed relief to her sex.

“You are being impertinent, Nathan. The pleasure will come; why will you not turn your attention where it is needed?”

I released her breasts, moving a little lower down her body and planting a soft kiss on her stomach, looking up into her eyes as I did.

“I dunno. I just don’t think you’re serious enough about that request yet. I mean, I’m not certain where you want my attention even.”

I kissed lower down her stomach, and finally, she brought her hands to my head, pushing me, trying to force me to lower.

“Why do you suddenly not know the place, Nathan? I have witnessed you many times, bringing your attention to it with many others.”

I snickered a little.

“Hn~? I can’t remember. Refresh my memory,” I teased. “Maybe it’s here?” I continued, planting a kiss on her hip.

“No? How about here?” I asked, going for the sensitive spot on her pelvis.

“Nathan!” she scolded. “This is quite far enough!”

I cackled at her.

“Is it~,” I continued, teasing her. “I’m not sure. I mean… you haven’t even begged yet…”

She groaned, but as I began to kiss down from her pelvis, bypassing the place to which she was trying to direct my attention and moving to the juicy inner thigh of her leg, she almost screamed in frustration.

But I ignored her, kissing the sensitive length of her inner thigh, while letting my hands trail delicious little paths along her sides.

Her chest was heaving now, making for quite the erotic sight…

But she wasn’t broken yet, and I knew I’d need to push her that final few steps over the edge.

I moved up her body again, working my way to her breasts, and as I did, I placed a hand between her legs, as if adjusting myself, and in the process, I let my knuckles just brush against her sex, and her body jerked at the contact.

“Oh~. That’s interesting… was that the mystery ‘destination’ that you were referring to?” I teased.

“You know well, Nathan. I will not play your- ahn!”

I brushed my finger against the place again.

“That’s interesting… what’s it called? Us foolish godlings know so little of these things,” I said, feigning innocence.

Astrid stared at me, her expression as livid as it was desperate, and I could see her working out how to proceed while getting me to relieve her of her torture.

“My… entrance,” she said, finally, and I smiled.

“Entrance? That’s odd… what about this, then?” I asked, bringing a finger to her lips. “Can’t I ‘enter’ from here?”

She gritted her teeth.

“I despise this game,” she said, and I snickered again.

“Do you~? It can end at any time, you know… You just have to tell me which entrance requires my attention.”

I began to kiss her breasts again, and she thrusted her pelvis up, desperate almost to get some relief by grinding against me in any way possible, but I withdrew my leg just enough to deny her, and she growled.

“My sex, Nathan. My sex requires your attention,” she spat.

“Requires? I’m not sure I understand… maybe I’ll just stay here,” I teased, and she groaned.

“Nathan, please!”

“Please, what? What do you want me to do?”

She bit her lip, her expression almost teary, but I took a nipple into my mouth this time and sucked on it firmly, drawing a moan out of her lips.

“Please suckle the nectar from my sex! I must have it!” she cried out, and I smiled.

“Are you sure?” I asked, moving down her body, and she readily spread her legs to accommodate me.

“Yes, Nathan. Please!”

“I’m not sure I believe you yet~,” I teased.

“Please Nathan. Right now!”

“Hnn~. If that’s the case, then allow me to go fetch someone to perform this task,” I began, and she grabbed me with an intensity that said ‘don’t you dare’.

“I need you, Nathan. You! I desire the pleasure of your tongue upon my sex this instant!”

 _There’s the magic word_ , I thought, and I kissed her gruffly, as I cupped her sex with my hand, and began to smear her leaking juices all over her cunt.

She growled into my mouth, and I quickly tore myself from her lips, then descended to her dripping wet place and dove in.

I kissed, sucked, and slurped her juices up, smearing them all over my face as I dragged my lips from side to side, letting them tease her slit while my tongue flicked about, lapping up her sweet nectar with abandon.

“Yes!” she cried out. “Suckle me!”

“What was that? Did you want me to stop?” I asked.

“No. Don’t ever stop! Pleasure me, Nathan!” she cried out, grasping my hair and forcing my face onto her sex.

She was leaking more juices than I could reasonably devour, and as I slurped them up one final time, I moved my assault to the little rose-bud of her clit, and as I buried it inside of the hood, she screamed out in ecstasy.

“Yes! Pleasure me with that wonderful tongue!” she cried out, and as I obliged, a steady stream of moans began to issue from her lips.

She brought a leg up under my arm, then wrapped it around me, grinding her hips into me as I sucked on her, and before long, her hips began to buck as she orgasmed, moaning lewdly and with abandon as she did.

When she finally went still, her silvery hair was matted to her forehead with a thick sheen of sweat, and her light green skin was coated all over with beads of perspiration.

She twitched and heaved from the exertion of our tryst, but as she looked down at me, there was a new look in her eyes, and as she pulled me up into her arms, she began to kiss me hungrily.

Her hands reached down, scrambling almost to retrieve my part from its confines, and as soon as she fished me out, she pressed me to her entrance, and without a second thought, she eased me inside of her.

“You possess the skill, Nathan. Use it. Look into me,” she said, her chest heaving, and a slightly wild look in her eyes, and as I peered into her core, a strange sensation began to course through me.

A wave of weakness seemed to wash over me, and as I collapsed on top of Astrid, she held me, gyrating her hips to stimulate me underneath her as she continued to kiss me with an almost zealous fervor.

I steadied myself, then moved to meet her thrusting with my own movements, but my eyes were no longer on her.

Instead, I felt myself being thrown through some kind of web, with images zooming past me too quickly for my mind to properly process.

I could feel Astrid underneath me; her lips pressing to mine, her glorious cunt wrapped around my cock as I slid in and out of her, but I was quickly losing myself in the web of images, until finally, I felt myself on the verge of an orgasm.

Astrid was coaxing me, trying to plunge me past the point of no return, and as I finally ascended to that pleasurable cusp, the web seemed to stretch out before me, until a single threat stood out, and as I grasped onto it, a scene appeared before my eyes.

“It’s a girl!” the voice said, and I shook my head, quickly recognizing it to be Evie’s.

Evie seemed to be holding a little bundle in her hand, and as I followed her gaze, I spotted Cameron, an uncertain look on her face.

She was panting, completely drenched in sweat, and tears running down her cheeks.

“Please tell me she’s okay… please,” she begged, and Evie nodded.

“She’s… perfect,” Evie said, moving to her side. “Here; you can hold her.”

Cameron was shaking, and as she took the child into her arms, she began to sob.

“Thank god… I’m holding you in my arms, thank god… I just wish Nathan were here.”

There was a slightly bothered look in Evie’s eyes at that, but as Cameron held the child close, she continued:

“I’ll never let you go… Never…”

And I gasped, as I suddenly came back into myself, collapsing onto Astrid as I did.

Bianca seemed worried, and the princess was keeping her in check, as she stroked her hand reassuringly.

“He is fine,” she said, studying me as she did. “You saw something, did you not?”

I nodded slowly, trying to process what I’d just seen.

I mean, maybe I could have used a little confirmation that the child that Cameron was going to bear would again be mine…

But maybe it didn’t matter.

Cameron would be fine.

She would come back.

And she would have a child which she desired and loved…

I climbed off of Astrid, and let out a relieved sigh as I did.

“Were our visions the same?” I asked, and Astrid shook her head. “What did you see, then?” I asked, and she bit her lip.

“I will need to think on it before I answer,” she replied, but as my gaze flicked to the stream of cum oozing out of her sex, she suddenly blushed.

She grabbed up her robes and quickly donned them, then tried to somewhat straighten herself out.

“I am needed elsewhere,” she said, but as she moved for the door, she came to a pause beside Gisela.

“My assessment of your frivolity was incorrect,” she said. “Accept my apologies.”

Gisela quickly nodded, taking her hand as she did, and the girls shared a brief moment, before Astrid turned and headed off.

Miriam was grinning at me, and Bianca was looking between us with a slightly uncomfortable expression.

“How do you feel?” I asked, as I peered for a moment into Miriam’s core, and she waved away my concern.

“I am fine. Witnessing your conquest was worth the exertion,” she announced, and I shook my head disapprovingly.

She let out a yawn, however, as her low energy levels finally seemed to be catching up with her, and Gisela moved to her side.

“Do you need to be tended? Frau Evelyn still slumbers,” Gisela noted, her brow crinkled with worry.

“It is fine. The matter of my regeneration is settled,” she said, and Gisela let out a gasp, as her eyes immediately following Miriam’s hand to her stomach.

“A future queen,” she announced proudly, and I tilted my head at that.

 _She will be a princess_ , I thought. _You are the only queen I require._

Miriam studied me, and I thought I saw an unusual look in her eyes, but Gisela was quickly ushering us away so that the princess could rest.

As we left the room, however, I noted Bianca’s eyes on me.

“What?” I asked, eyeing her as we walked.

“Nothing,” she said. “You just seem to be in a much better mood.”

I smiled a little.

“I guess I am, huh.”

“Did that girl really show you the future?” she asked, and I nodded.

“I think so.”

“What did you see? Was it that we’d beat Ethan?” she asked, and I shook my head.

“No. I saw Cameron giving birth to a baby girl, and happily taking the child into her arms,” I explained, and Bianca’s eyes went wide.

“So, your baby? It survived?”

I shook my head, a little sadly.

“My child, were it still alive, would have been a son.”

Bianca frowned, and after another moment’s thought, she added:

“But that means we’ll succeed right? You’ll bring Cameron home, and you two will have another baby?”

I bit my lip, rubbing the back of my head nervously.

“Uh, the vision never showed me that the child was mine, so there’s no guarantee that I’m making it back. But Cameron is,” I said, and Bianca studied me.

“What? Cameron would never have a baby with anyone else,” she countered, and I shrugged.

“Difficult to think that now; but if I die on this rescue mission, who knows what the future will bring?”

Bianca frowned, coming to a stop, and I turned to study her.

“Guess you’ll have to find someone else to be important to, huh?” I asked, smiling a little, and Bianca blinked a few times, then shook her head.

“No,” she replied, and I chuckled.

“You say that now, but life will go on; with or without me,” I countered, and she shook her head, stomping her foot this time.

“No. It won’t. If you’re not coming back from this, then neither am I.”

I chuckle a little, but as I studied Bianca, I noted that despite the childlike response, her expression was quite serious.

“You can have a life without me, you know,” I began. “You’re a warrior now- a super soldier?”

“I don’t care. I don’t want a life without you.”

I shook my head at her.

“Bianca-”

“I’m done talking,” she said, pushing her way past me, and I let out a sigh as I followed her down the corridor to the entry hall.

As I stepped outside, I took a deep breath in, enjoying the fresh outdoor air once again, and raising my hand in the light to take a look at it.

“Nate! You’re up, oh my god!”

Francesca leapt into me, hugging me, and in all of five seconds she started crying.

“I’m so sorry,” she began, but I quickly cut her off, pulling her into my arms for a hug.

“There was literally nothing you could do,” I said, and she nodded, wiping at her eyes.

“I know… I felt so helpless. I wanted to be your spear, but instead I was nothing.”

I shook my head at her.

“I still need a spear,” I said. “Because we’re gonna get her back.”

Francesca wiped at her eyes, nodding again.

“We’ve been training. All day and as much of the night as we could manage.”

“I heard,” I said, patting her on the head, and ruffling her hair a bit, and she smiled, leaning her head onto me.

“I’m so scared, though. What if we’re still not good enough…”

I shook my head, then let out a sigh.

“It’s fine. I don’t think he harbors a grudge against anyone but me,” I explained, and I caught Bianca staring at me as I said that. “Besides. I have a plan.”

Francesca’s eyes lit up a bit at that, and she smiled.

“I knew you would,” she said, smiling a bit.

As we spoke, I spotted Casey coming over to join us, a slightly awkward expression on her face.

“Are you cleared for combat practice?” she asked, gesturing to my hand, and I rubbed the back of my head nervously.

“I think my attending physician is still unconscious,” I said. “It still hurts a bit, so definitely not for physical combat, but… I am developing some pretty cool skills that don’t require me to wield a weapon.”

Casey swallowed uncomfortably, nodding as she did, and as I stepped forward, I looked around for the others.

“We have, what? Four days till Ethan’s deadline?” I asked, and Casey nodded. “So, let’s say two days to train, and two days to get there,” I added, and Casey studied me.

“Are you sure about that?” she asked, and I nodded.

“I sort of know where he is,” I explained, rubbing the back of my head nervously as I did.

“So, two days to train, then?” Francesca asked, and I nodded.

“Yep; so we better make it count,” I said, cracking my neck, as I steeled my resolve.

_We’re coming for you, Cameron._

_And we’re gonna bring you home!_


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nate assembles his pantheon and prepares for the fight.

_***_

_Author’s note: Special thanks to Ardon G. Fowl, Jack Gwen, Reversal, Swedish Millionaire, and VC whose contributions made this chapter possible._

_Enjoy the chapter, and as always, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment! I love hearing from my readers, so don’t hesitate to tell me what you loved, hated, or what you’d love to see more of in the future. :D_

***

“So, what’s this plan of yours?” Francesca asked, and Casey eyed me carefully.

“You have a plan? To fight Ethan?” she asked, and I rubbed the back of my head.

“Well… sort of,” I answered, and Casey stared at me.

“Sort of? We need more than ‘sort of’ here, Nate. Or did you forget how fucking strong Ethan was?”

“How about we hear him out, first,” Francesca offered, and Casey took a deep breath in, massaging the bridge of her nose.

“Okay. What’s this plan?” she asked, and I took a deep breath before answering:

“Aletta.”

“Aletta? How do you even know her, by the way?” Casey asked, and I swallowed uncomfortably.

Bianca and Blair both knew who she was, didn’t they?

Although Blair wouldn’t have really known the implications of her real name… but Bianca surely did.

So, did she not tell Casey on purpose then?

“Um… let’s just say she’s someone that we all know… sort of?”

Casey’s eyes narrowed on me.

“What does that mean?” she asked, and I took another deep breath in.

“She’s Irileth,” I explained, and Casey’s eyes went wide.

“Are you fucking kidding me? We’re harboring _Irileth_ in our grove right now? _The_ Irileth? Wait- who the fuck else knew about this? Bianca?”

I quickly shook my head.

“I’m probably the only one who figured it out,” I lied, and she scoffed.

“And you want us to ask her for help? Irileth? The five hundred-year-old monstrosity?”

“I actually don’t think she’s quite so monstrous anymore,” I explained, and Casey raised an eyebrow at me.

“You what? People don’t revert from that. Not even regular humans who resorted to core-vampirism, much less actual monsters. No-one comes back from it!”

“Well… maybe Danica did something? Look, I don’t have your company’s inside knowledge, but I looked into her core. You did too, didn’t you? It’s just like ours; just like the baby aufhöcker that’s running around here? Her core isn’t tainted anymore,” I said, and Casey shook her head.

“And we just ignore the five hundred years of terror that she spread from her domain? How many monstrosities do you think she created in that time, huh? How many minions? And how many people do you think they ate? You know she definitely ate too, right? Ate _people_? Not just their essence, but their flesh?”

I let out a sigh.

“I get it, I do. I’m just not sure that the monster that you’re talking about is the same person in there,” I said, gesturing to the tree that we’d designated for medical treatment, and Casey sighed.

“Let’s say for a second that she isn’t… why would she even help us?”

“For the same reason that she’s stuck around,” I said. “I think she needs us. Or, me, rather.”

“You?” she asked, and I nodded.

“Yeah. I don’t think she can track Danica on her own, and I’m one of the only people who she interacted with while she was here. So, Aletta probably views me as the only link to Danica she has left.”

Casey shook her head.

“This is crazy, Nate. Even with a damaged core, she’s completely uncontrollable! What’s to stop her from going off and… ‘fixing’ her own core?”

“About that,” I replied, letting the words hang a little, and Casey stared at me.

“What?” she asked, and I bit my lip, as I knew how Casey was probably going to react to what I was about to suggest.

“I’m actually not opposed to giving her a child,” I said, and Casey’s mouth fell open.

“Are you kidding me? You _want_ to fix her core? The core of a _monster_ who was able to subjugate a monstrosity like Hans? A monster who apparently even Danica, a five-hundred-year-old superhuman was unable to kill? Are you fucking _insane_?”

“Maybe, but… can you really deny how useful she’d be to us if she were on our side? I’d say in her current state, a child would be a pretty solid way of endearing us to her.”

Casey turned to Francesca.

“You’re gonna say nothing?” she asked. “Do you realize what he’s suggesting?”

Francesca shrugged.

“She did fix his arm,” Francesca said, and as Casey stared at her incredulously.

“And that means she’s suddenly good?”

“No, but it doesn’t mean nothing. Maybe she has her own agenda, but can you really deny how useful she could be? You saw her skills yourself. The kind of training she could offer might actually be the edge we need. Or do you want Nate to just walk over to Ethan and hand his head to him on a platter?” Francesca reasoned.

Casey was staring at her.

“No, I don’t; but-”

“Hold on- could you give us a sec?” I asked Francesca, and the girl nodded, moving off to rejoin the training group.

Casey’s face was red with anger and close to tears, but as I pulled her along with me to the grove tree with our rooms she followed wordlessly until we were in my room.

“Look, Nate-” she began, but I cut her off by pulling the door shut, and closing the space between me and the door.

She shifted uncomfortably, biting her lip, but continuing nonetheless:

“Please don’t go to fight him. This group needs you, Nate. I need you. Please…”

I shook my head.

“You know I can’t do that.”

“Nate…”

“You need to understand. I’m not choosing Cameron over you,” I said. “If Ethan had taken you from me, I’d be doing this exact same thing.”

She lifted her gaze to meet mine, and I held it as she studied me.

“Choose me,” she said. “I don’t care if it’s selfish. Choose me…”

I shook my head.

“You aren’t asking me to just choose you; you’re asking me to renounce everything that I believe in. Everything that makes me the person you care about. I can’t just-

She cut me off with a kiss, and I tried to resist; but I’d tasted her so rarely since our fight, that I quickly found myself melting into her arms.

She pushed me, guiding me as we kissed to the bed, but as she pushed me onto it, climbing over me and straddling me at the hips, she looked down into my eyes, a determined look there.

“I’ll give you a baby,” she said, and my eyes traveled instinctively to her stomach, then back to her face.

There was an impressive look of resolve there, and for a moment, I even felt like testing it.

But as she leaned in to kiss me again, I placed a hand against her chest, and she made a soft whimpering sound; almost like a wounded animal.

“So, it’s her, then…” she said, but as she made to get off of me, I stopped her, pushing her onto her back on the bed and climbing onto her, trapping her under me.

“I am choosing you, Casey… just not in the way that you want me to,” I said, and she turned to look up at me.

“How? How can you say that when you’re going to fight him? You can’t win, Nate. High tier fighters like that don’t lose to low tiers, no matter how many you throw at them… no matter what you scheme or come up with.”

Her reasoning was sound, but I shrugged it away, studying her with a smirk, and she eyed me warily.

“I’m not gonna lose,” I said, and she studied me.

“You really have that much faith in Aletta?” she asked, and I shook my head.

“No. I have that much faith in you. Aletta is the tool; but I need you to help me utilize her to the fullest extent of her potential.”

“Nate…”

“Look, Casey. I know this is scary, and there are no assurances; but for all we know, if I don’t go out there and face him, he’ll just come back here and murder me and everyone else to boot. Just… trust me for once? I know that this is what I need to do; but I need you. Help me to do what I need to do.”

She stared at me for a long time, before letting out a sigh as she turned her gaze over to the window by the far wall.

“Cameron would have let you come for me, wouldn’t she?” she asked, and I nodded, smiling as I did. “I couldn’t replace her if I tried, could I?” she asked, and I shook my head.

“No one can replace her. But no one can replace you either.”

I got up off the bed and pulled her up, but as she moved for the door, I kept my hand on her, and reeled her back in, resting a hand against her cheek as I leaned in for a kiss.

“By the way, my answer is yes,” I said, and she shook her head, blinking a few times, her confusion evident on her face.

“Yes? To what?” she asked, and I smirked at her.

“’Yes’ to having that baby,” I said, snickering at the shell-shocked expression on her face. “Don’t worry,” I reassured her, “I’m gonna make sure you’re smiling when we’re making it,” I said, and as she stood there, rooted to the spot, I moved past her to the door, and shot her an expectant look as I held it open.

She quickly shook off her stupor and headed through the door, but as we walked down the corridor and made our way out of the tree, she seemed a bit skittish to my amusement.

“Nate!”

It was Bianca, and Casey had a flustered look on her face as the girl approached us.

“I’m gonna go find Evie,” Casey said, and I nodded as she headed off.

“What’s up?” I asked, turning to Bianca as she followed Casey out of the room with her eyes.

I snapped my fingers, and she suddenly spun around.

“Right! You probably need to see this,” she said, grabbing my hand and dragging me outside.

She pulled me quickly along to the training area, and as I got there, I suddenly noted that Francesca seemed to be on alert for some reason, a tense expression on her face as she watched over some sparring.

It looked like Blair was engaged with someone, but I couldn’t quite tell who, as there were just flashes of movement obscured by the bodies that stood between us and the scene.

As I moved through the gathering, however, I realized that Blair was practically seething, and the person she was engaged with was none other than Lucia.

“What’s going on-?”

Francesca raised a hand, silencing me, and I noted that her entire body seemed tense, ready to leap in at any moment, and as I turned my attention to the sparring bout, I quickly realized why.

“You little fucking-”

Blair was making slashes at Lucia with a wooden axe; and pressing her with a flurry of swings that seemed to prevent her from even getting a proper counter attack in.

But Lucia seemed to be moving with a strange kind of ease, and as I watched the exchange, I quickly realized that despite not making an attack, she was in complete control of the fight; dancing around Blair with her fluid movements and leading her along to a rhythm that she dictated, and while she hadn’t yet landed a strike on the older woman, Blair seemed quite clearly at her mercy.

This seemed to completely piss Blair off; though to her credit, she still maintained her sense of composure well enough to keep up the assault, but there was no mistaking that when she did strike, there was a venom in those blows that made me worry a slight bit for Lucia’s safety.

Then it all came to a head when Blair miscalculated one of her fiery swings, hyperextending just a little, and as Lucia nicked her on the knuckles, she yelped, juggling the weapon to her weaker hand as she shook the other hand gingerly.

She gritted her teeth, then threw the axe into the ground.

“Fucking… fuck this!” she yelled, storming off, and Francesca relaxed her guard, letting out a sigh of relief.

I shot Bianca a quick look, and she nodded, slinking off after Blair.

As Lucia spotted me, however, her eyes lit up, and she let her wooden dagger slip to the floor as she ran to me, leaping into my arms.

“Nathan!” she cried out, and as I picked her up, she wrapped her arms around my neck, crying. “Nathan, Cammy’s gone…” she continued, and I patted her back comfortingly as we hugged.

“I know, kiddo. But we’ll get her back. We’ll get her back.”

She sniffled a bit, wiping at her nose, and as I held onto her, Francesca shot me a worried look.

“How did that conversation go?” she asked, and I smiled.

“Well enough,” I said, as I took a look around. “How do you really feel about my plan?”

“To talk to Aletta?” she asked, and I nodded. “I’m all for anything that improves our chances. And not just in this fight. We’ll need to be stronger collectively going forward.”

I nodded in agreement.

“She could be a very worthwhile investment,” I agreed, but as we spoke, I suddenly felt an unnerving presence, and as I turned, I spotted Aletta approaching us, her ‘puppy’ in her hands, and a slightly uncomfortable looking Casey at her side.

“You and I have things to talk about,” she said, smiling, and I set Lucia down, and cast a quick sideways glance at Francesca.

“Come on; let’s get you depleted,” Francesca said, and Lucia nodded, shooting me a slightly reluctant look before letting go of my hand and heading off with her.

_Is it just me, or is she like… three or four inches taller than I remember?_

I shook the thought away as I returned my attention to Aletta.

“I’ve heard some interesting things,” Aletta said, smirking at me a little suggestively, and Casey scowled.

“There’s something I need to know first,” I replied. “Why did you seek me out?”

Aletta smiled, shooting me an impressed look.

“Caught onto that too, huh? Guess there isn’t much sense in keeping anything from you; especially if we’re going to enter _that_ kind of partnership,” she said, winking. “I sought you out because I know that Danica is gonna come looking for you one day,” she explained, and I nodded.

“You still want to fight her?” I asked, and she quickly shook her head.

“God, no. I want to see her again. Properly make my peace with her for everything.”

“And why do you need me for that? You tracked her to me from her smell, right? Why can’t you just track that to her?”

“Because, she doesn’t want me to. She extinguished her presence, so you’re all I have.”

I eyed her.

“So, you want to see her again. That’s all?”

She nodded.

“Prove it then,” Casey said. “Pledge to him.”

Aletta turned and scoffed.

“Pledge to him? He’s got some potential for sure, but sweetie, do you know who I am?”

“Who you were, you mean?” Casey asked. “I was told you left your monstrous days behind.”

Aletta turned to me and smiled.

“I did. But I’ve got enough fight left in me to take him by force if I wanted to,” she countered, a daring look in her eye, and I smirked at her.

“Can’t see Danica being too pleased with that. She might be less inclined to hear you out if you go that route, won’t she?” I countered, and Aletta studied me.

“Feisty little one, aren’t ya? Danica must have loved that,” she said. “Fine; I’ll take a limited pledge.”

“A limited pledge?”

She nodded.

“My subjugation skill is much _much_ higher than yours. It allows me the option to offer myself to you with clauses.”

I studied her.

“So, what are you pledging to me?” I asked, and she smiled.

“A non-deceit agreement. I won’t lie; won’t trick you. Won’t manipulate you. That sort of thing.”

“But you have free reign otherwise?” I asked, and she nodded.

“Yep,” she said, and I shook my head.

“Won’t do. I want full control,” I said, and she eyed me.

“That’s a pretty huge ask, hon. I mean, I’m pretty vulnerable in this state. What if you order me to go fight that little friend of yours? I might want to see Danica again, but I can’t have you getting me killed before then.”

I eyed Casey for a second, before returning my attention to Aletta.

“I understand your concern; but I don’t think my people would feel comfortable about you staying on with us after your core is repaired without some kind of assurance that we can stop you from murdering us all,” I explained; but to my surprise, she laughed.

“Oh hon, you think I’m gonna be big bad Irileth again when my core is fixed? That would take another five hundred years,” she said, and I raised an eyebrow at her.

“Come again?”

“A damaged core doesn’t just revert back to the power it once contained; my capacity will be what it is now until I develop it all over again. And as I am; I’m no stronger than this one,” she said, gesturing to Casey, and my mouth fell open.

“So, Danica…?”

“Yep. Though, God knows that won’t stop her from holding her own in a fight. She was always a skilled fighter. Reminds me of that one,” she said, gesturing to Francesca in the distance.

I bit my lip, then turned to Casey.

“What do you think?” I asked, and she thought about it.

“Can the terms of the pledge be altered once made?” she asked Aletta, and the girl nodded.

“Sure can.”

Casey nodded.

“If she breaks the terms, we’ll just kill her,” she said, and Aletta laughed.

“Don’t think I’ll make it quite as easy as that,” she countered, and Casey shrugged.

“I didn’t think it would be easy. But we could manage it,” she said, kind of matter-of-factly, and Aletta pursed her lips a little.

“Alright then.”

She walked up to me, and taking my hand she brought it to her chest, but as her gaze flickered to Casey, she shifted my palm over to one of her rather full breasts, and she pressed my hand into the mound, forcing me to squeeze it a little.

“Nathan. I pledge myself to you,” she offered.

“Leti,” I said, and as the blue wave pulsed out from her, I found myself experiencing a new sensation, though, this time… I had no clue whatsoever what it was.

By reflex, almost, I transmitted the feeling to Casey, and from expression, I figured that she was pretty confused by it as well.

“Whew! Well, then. We might as well get to it,” she said, and Casey glared at her.

“Get to it?” she asked, and Aletta shrugged.

“What? This baby isn’t gonna put itself inside of me,” she replied, and Casey cut her off.

“Who said we were gonna give you _his_ baby?” Casey asked, and I smirked a little, as Aletta studied Casey with a slightly shocked expression, and she put her hands on her hips.

“I’m not settling for anything else. If Danica’s having his child, then I will too,” she said, and I stared at her.

“What did you just say?” I asked, and she turned to study me.

“You didn’t know? Oh my god… I get it,” she said grinning a little as she did.

“Get what?”

“She made you pump her real full that night, huh? Guess she knew that having her core damaged was a possibility,” Aletta said, and I stared at her, my jaw slightly agape.

_She conceived a child on purpose to survive?_

“Fine; even if it’s him, we can’t just have him expending energy randomly like this. You’ll wait until he’s ready to deplete,” Casey said, and I shot her a slightly impressed look, which for some reason, still seemed to annoy her.

“Fair enough. I just got a little excited,” Aletta admitted. “I’ve never had a child. I mean, unless monster spawning counts.”

Casey swallowed uncomfortably at this, and I chuckled.

“I understand. But, about our training…” I began, and Aletta cracked her knuckles.

“I’ve been watching your youngsters. There’s a few that have some potential and are already developing some decent signature skills. They just need a push to figure out how to utilize them,” she explained, and I nodded.

“Will it cost you a lot of energy to train them?”

She shrugged.

“Training their skills by actually training with them would have been much more efficient, but it can’t be helped. Even if you impregnated me now, my natural regenerative ability isn’t gonna return for at least a few days anyway, so I’ll just have to offer what guidance I can.”

I nodded, turning to study the group.

“Guess I should start with the brown-hair. She’s by far the second-best fighter you’ve got.”

I turned to study Aletta with a look of surprise.

“Second-best? I was sure she was more skilled than I am,” I began, and Aletta laughed.

“You? Sweetie, you’re probably a distant fourth by my reckoning,” she said, and I furrowed my brow, however I noted that Casey seemed quite intrigued by the observation.

“Wait, then who’s the best fighter?” I asked, and as she gestured across the training ground, I followed her gaze but couldn’t quite figure out where she was indicating.

“She’s angry and green, and a real fighting machine.”

“Lucia?” I asked, somewhat surprised, and she nodded.

“She needs to grow into her body a little bit, and her core capacity seriously limits her, but she’s got the right mentality and the right unique skill to bring it all together.”

I rubbed my chin.

“What is that skill?” I asked.

“Prodigious talent. Notice how almost every skill she has is already at level one? Without skill training, getting that many skills to that level would take even one of you at least a month.”

“Is there any way I can mirror that?” I asked, and Aletta laughed.

“Mirror? That skill is coded into her genes. That’s not the thing you could learn, even, but… might be worth it to foster that into a legacy. You probably won’t find another prodigy for her to ‘procreate’ with, but her kids will all be carriers, whether they manifest it or not.”

Casey stared at me as I rubbed my chin, giving it some thought.

“Are you seriously thinking about this?” she asked, and I shrugged.

“She’s my daughter now, basically. When I become king, that’ll make her a pretty significant marriage candidate. Wouldn’t hurt to choose a partner for her with the right kind of skills to establish a bloodline of highly skilled warriors,” I reasoned, and Aletta clapped her hands together.

“This is getting exciting,” she exclaimed, and as I nodded in agreement, Casey shot a disapproving look between the two of us.

“So, Francesca,” I began, trying to change the topic, and Aletta nodded, turning her attention to the girl.

“Yeah. Her skill is unique, but not quite as rare as yours or hers,” she said, gesturing towards Lucia.

“What is it?” I asked.

“Combat awareness. Makes for a pretty good fighter, but kind of tapers off when you start fighting opponents with mixed mental and martial skillsets.”

“So, it’s mostly effective against martial skills?” I asked, and Aletta nodded.

“Don’t get me wrong; below T-three that’s basically the only kind of skills you really ever encounter, but around T-four, you start realizing almost everyone is supplementing their combat skills with some kind of mental skill; whether its disruptive, offensive, or defensive, and it gets a lot harder to win using only martial abilities.”

“Speaking of tiers; you got a pretty good look at Ethan, didn’t you?” I asked, and Aletta nodded.

“Guess I did.”

“What’s your assessment?”

“His speed is a little over tier four. Maybe halfway to five, even? But his other skills are just about the three to four range.”

I frowned.

“Doesn’t sound that formidable,” I replied, and she snickered at me.

“Sure didn’t stop him from kicking your asses, though.”

I studied her for a bit.

“So, you don’t think we can take someone of that level? Even if we prepare?” I asked, and she nodded.

“You sure could. But do you think he’s waiting for you alone? If you do, we could go get that gal of yours right now,” she said, and I bit my lip.

“So, you’re preparing us to face him and a small force,” I asked, and she nodded.

“There’s been some movement around my grove recently. The monsters were sticking to the eastern sections, but otherworlders have been moving around the western fringes.”

I turned to Casey.

“Did anyone interrogate Taylor?” I asked her, and she tilted her head.

“Taylor? Is that the prisoner?”

I nodded.

“She isn’t talking at all,” she said, and I bit my lip.

_Guess we’ll have to interrogate her, then._

“Yeah, yeah,” Aletta said, as if reading my mind. “You go off and do what you need to. I’ll start with the brown-hair, then probably the other two.”

As she turned to leave, however, I stopped her.

“Wait; you said I was fourth. Who’s number three?” I asked, and she smiled.

“You tell me, stud. You’re smart, aren’t ‘cha?”

“Bianca?” I asked, and she smiled.

“Brain and a half on this one,” she said, smiling at me, and I shook my head as she headed off.

“Fuck. Is Bianca really that good?” Casey asked, and I shrugged.

“She picked up fighting pretty quickly, didn’t she? Plus, she even wounded a monstrosity in her first fight. Initially I wanted to say it was luck, but I’ve been judging her based on her ability to go toe to toe with Lucia, and if Lucia is as good as Aletta says, then I’ve been misunderstanding what ‘unable to beat even a child’ really meant.”

Casey frowned a bit.

“You were right. She’s a major asset,” she conceded, and I smiled at her.

“If you keep that up, I might fall for you all over again,” I warned her, and she frowned.

As we walked past the grove tree where our rooms were, however, I noted that Juliette seemed to be sitting by the window, looking wistfully down at the scene below.

“Did Evie or anyone else take a look at her?” I asked, and Casey followed my gaze, before swallowing uncomfortably.

“Uh, yeah. She overexerted her core somehow… it’s not muscular atrophy, but the nerves in her legs are all unresponsive.”

“Is there a fix for that?” I asked, and she frowned.

“I imagine there should be, but it’s not really my field of expertise,” she replied.

I bit my lip as we walked along.

“We’ll need to get her a wheelchair or something in the meantime then,” I said, and Casey nodded.

“I think Jayden’s already working on something with Raul,” she said, and I nodded.

“Is Raul really focusing on construction, by the way?”

Casey shook her head.

“He’s using it to keep the boys occupied until we can figure out who we can trust with weapons and armor going forward. Oh, Wilt and Colt also decided to stay on, by the way.”

“Figures,” I replied. “So, Raul will be handling our security while the rest of the team is out?”

Casey nodded.

“We’re hoping to have at least two more fighters figured out by then, so that we have decent coverage.”

“Who are the candidates so far?” I asked.

“Jayden and Devin,” she replied, and I nodded.

“They have my endorsement.”

As we headed into the grove tree, I noted that Casey was leading me away from the usual staircase, and down a few corridors which eventually led to stairs that went downward.

 _This is like that basement area, isn’t it?_ I thought, as my mind went back to the day when the princess first gave me my armor.

“Here,” she said, coming to a door off of the main hall.

“No guard stationed?” I asked, and Casey shook her head.

“No, but they do routine checks at a random time, at least once per segment.”

There were two bolts across the door, at the top and bottom, and as Casey slid them open, she opened the door to reveal a slightly withered looking girl sitting in the corner, her arms wrapped protectively around her knees.

It reminded me slightly of Bianca, however, as I looked across the room, I noted that there was a platter of food that seemed untouched, and her face looked slightly hollow.

“You aren’t eating?” I asked, and the girl looked up at me.

She didn’t answer, and as I approached, I saw tear streaks on her face.

I turned to Casey.

“Could you give us a minute?” I asked, and she nodded.

“I’ll be with the training group,” she said, and I nodded as she headed off.

As the door closed, Taylor looked up at me, her eyes tearing up a bit.

But there was also a stern look there, and before I could say anything, I felt that weight on my body, as Taylor’s eyes began to glow.

I let out a sigh, summoning up the image of her, and quickly paralyzing her.

She let out a whimper, slumping to the floor, and I quickly created a clause to paralyze her if she tried to attack me again.

“Please kill me,” she said, her voice a whimper almost, and I frowned.

I leaned against the wall, then slid down beside her.

“That ability of yours. It helped me to defeat a pretty strong monster and protect my group. I can’t help but think you could do the same thing for us eventually,” I began, and she studied me.

“You want me to join you?” she asked, and I shrugged.

“It’s definitely on the table,” I said. “Why? Do you have something better to do?”

She wiped at her eyes, looking ahead with that dead expression.

“You killed them… like they were nothing,” she said, and I studied her.

“I did what I had to. Maybe we could have saved that other guy too, but your group did attack us… have you never killed?”

She shook her head.

“He… he was my brother. The one you killed.”

Tears streamed down her face, and I let out a sigh.

 _Guess I might have to cut my losses here_ , I thought; but as I gave it a bit more thought, I decided to press on.

“What were you fighting for?” I asked. “You and your brother?”

“To go home,” she said, staring at me as if I were crazy. “Isn’t that what everyone wants?”

I bit my lip a bit, and she studied me.

“There’s no way home,” I said. “We more or less have confirmation about that.”

She continued to stare at me.

“You’re lying,” she said. “If there isn’t then what are the tickets for?”

“We don’t know everything, but a few people who’ve bought tickets have just returned as monsters. One of them is with us here, actually. And I plan to find out more. But the fact that she ticketed out and is still here basically confirms it for us,” I explained.

She cried, burying her hands into her face.

“I don’t believe you,” she whimpered. “I don’t believe you.”

I let out a tired sigh.

“Look; I don’t expect you to like me, considering who I killed. But I don’t like burying people if it can’t be helped. Eat your food, okay? Your brother would want you to live…”

She stared up at me, a slightly angry, slightly shocked expression on her face, and I got up, then headed out of the room, bolting the doors shut as I did.

As I got outside, I noticed Juliette again, and as I approached her window, a smile crept on my lips.

“But, soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliette, the sun. Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon who is already sick with grief, that thou her maid art more fair than she!” I called out, and Juliette began to giggle.

“That was pretty good,” she called back.

“She speaks!” I replied. “Oh, speak again, bright angel! For thou art as glorious to this night, being over my head as is a winged messenger of heaven unto the white-upturned wondering eyes of mortals that fall back to gaze on him, when he bestrides the lazy-pacing clouds and sails upon the bosom of the air.”

She leaned forward, smiling brightly now.

“Oh Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name. Uh- oh, crap…”

“Or, if thou wilt not…” I offered, and she nodded.

“Or, if thou wilt not, uh…”

“Be but sworn,” I said, helping her along again.

“-be but sworn my love, and I'll no longer be a Capulet! Oh my god, I’ve been waiting my whole life for someone to do that! I can’t believe I screwed it up!” she called out.

“Do you mind if I come up?” I asked, and she quickly nodded.

I confirmed the directions to her room, then headed on up.

“Hey,” I said, as I let myself in, and she turned to me, smiling as she returned the greeting.

“You were really good at that,” she said, and I smiled.

“I played Romeo a few times in high school plays. My adoptive sister was really into it, and she made me play opposite her almost every time we got an opportunity.”

“You played Romeo opposite your sister?” she asked, raising an eyebrow, and I rubbed the back of my head nervously.

“Adoptive sister,” I replied, but as I studied her position by the window, I furrowed my brow worriedly.

“Do you stay there all day?” I asked, and she shook her head.

“When Jayden comes over to check on me, he moves me back to the bed,” she said, and I chuckled a little.

“Jayden, huh? Did you two know each other on earth?” I asked, and she shook her head.

“I don’t think anyone knew each other before this,” she said.

“We need to get you a wheelchair; asap,” I said. “I’ll ask the builders to put it on priority, okay?”

She shook her head.

“It’s fine. You all seem to have your hands full. That battle was pretty intense the other night, huh?”

I nodded.

“Do you wanna come over to the bed?” I asked, as she shifted a little, turning awkwardly to talk to me, and she nodded.

“Do you mind?” she asked, and I shook my head.

She put her arms around my neck, and I picked her up, then moved over to the bed, where I rested her gently down.

As she settled into place, I gave her situation some thought, as being up here on her own was far from ideal…

“Have any of the Kobalt girls been up here to check on you?” I asked, and she nodded.

“They’re pretty helpful,” she admitted. “They kind of treat me like I’m royalty or something,” she added, smiling a little, and I nodded in agreement.

“Not to give you any ideas, but they kind of think of us as Gods,” I said, and she laughed.

“Wow. You all really lucked out running into them, huh?”

“It’s true. We wouldn’t have lasted this long without them,” I admitted, and she smiled.

“Is there really a princess here too?” she asked, and I nodded.

“Yup. And she’s a real treat. Do you wanna meet her?” I asked, and she eyed me.

“You know her?”

“I’m… technically married to her,” I boasted, and her eyes went wide.

“Well, look at you. What does that make you, a prince?”

“Soon to be king, I think. My princess is due to be crowned queen, in I think… four days?”

“Sheila’s gonna be pissed,” she said, smirking a little, and I regarded the comment with some amusement, given the lengths that my relationship with Sheila had already progressed to, unbeknownst to her, obviously.

“Have Sam and Sheila been up here to check on you?” I asked, and she nodded.

“And another girl. Ellie, I think?”

“Evie,” I suggested, and she quickly nodded.

“That’s the one. She really seems to know her stuff,” Juliette said, and I nodded.

“She’s been in the thick of it, with all the wounded these last few conflicts have produced. Kind of thankful that she has Sam to help out now as well.”

“Sam? How come?” Juliette asked, and I chuckled a little.

“She’s a med student,” I said, and Juliette gave an impressed nod.

“Wow. I had no clue,” she replied.

As I studied Juliette a bit, something occurred to me.

“You haven’t really seen the place yet, have you?” I asked, and she shook her head.

“Jayden says he’ll take me around when he gets the chance, but I know that everyone’s kind of had their hands full since that last fight,” she said, and I nodded.

“It’s been a rough few days. And it’s probably gonna be rough for a few more. I actually have some time right now, though. If you wanna take a little look around.”

“That sounds like fun,” she said, but as I moved to pick her up, she pursed her lip, seemingly reconsidering the proposal.

“Something wrong?” I asked, but as she shifted uncomfortably on the bed, I caught her stealing a quick glance towards the bathroom, and I chuckled. “It’s fine; I’ll go fetch some of the girls to help you out,” I offered, but a teasing smile quickly crept onto her face.

“Or… you could help me,” she quipped, and I stopped to study her.

“You’d be comfortable with that?”

She shrugged.

“I’m not really comfortable with anyone helping me go to the bathroom, but I’ve got very little choice,” she said, and I smirked at her.

“Fair enough. Why me, then?”

“Guess I wanna see what lengths ‘my king’ is willing to go to please his subjects,” she teased, and I snickered at her.

“Well now, we’re definitely doing this,” I said, and she studied me with interest as I helped her up and carried her to the bathroom area.

As I studied the area, however, trying to figure out what the best approach would be, Juliette giggled at me.

“Not getting cold feet, are we?” she asked, and I shook my head.

“Just trying to figure out the approach here,” I said.

Much unlike everything else which had been designed in a way that imitated modern furniture, Kobalt toilets were a little bit different, as they were much more like a hole in the floor, with ridges on either side designed for one to squat comfortably over the opening, unlike traditional toilets which you could sit on.

“You’ve gotta get my feet in the right place there, then kind of hold me over the- you know,” she said, and I nodded.

“Okay.”

“Wha-?” she began, yelping a little as I lifted her up and hauled her over my shoulder before stripping her pants off, and as I got her into position, crouching down in front of her and holding her in place around the hips while she held onto my neck for support, I smirked a little, and she blushed, as we were quite close, considering what she was about to do.

“Are you sure _you_ aren’t having cold feet?” I teased, starting to enjoy her little game a little, and she pouted a little.

“You can’t make fun of me; I’m practically disabled right now,” she countered, and I snickered in response.

“Little late to play that card,” I teased, and she smiled.

It took her a little while to get going, but I didn’t tease her as much and as soon as she was done, she looked around for the little bamboo stem that the Kobalt used for washing themselves when finished ‘attending to business’.

“Could you help me grab that?” Juliette said, and I smirked a little.

“I’ll do more than that,” I teased, as I untapped the line, then washed her off, and she giggled, holding onto me, as I also used the line to flush down the waste.

“Where does that go?” she asked, and I shrugged.

“Truthfully, I don’t know everything there is to know about these trees. I’m just thankful as fuck that they work as efficiently as they do, or else we’d still be digging holes and burying stuff wherever we could.”

She giggled again, and I shot her a smile before hauling her up over my shoulder, retrieving a towel as I did, and heading back to the bed.

“Do I have to towel you off as well, my lady?” I asked, and she shot me a cheeky grin.

“Obviously!” she answered, and she giggled again as I tossed her the towel, before heading back to the bathroom to retrieve her pants.

“I have to say, I’m kind of impressed. No inappropriate touching, no staring at my lady bits. I feel like I’m in a modern Victorian romance novel,” she said, and I chuckled at her.

“Well, I’m glad I could be of service,” I answered, bowing slightly, and she smiled.

“You were pretty efficient though; have you done that before?”

I nodded.

“My dad made sure we all did some volunteer work growing up. Homes for the elderly, the differently abled; that sort of thing. He said it was an important experience that everyone should have.”

“Your dad sounds awesome,” she said, and I shrugged.

“He was a brilliant instructor; just, not so much a brilliant father, I guess.”

She frowned.

“What do you mean? Like, he wasn’t affectionate?” she asked, and I shook my head.

“Not just that. He never really talked to or interacted with his kids. I didn’t really mind, but my other siblings really hated him for it.”

When she was finished toweling off, I turned around and she wiggled back into her pants.

“All done,” she called, shooting me a shy look.

“Ready to head out then?” I asked, and as she nodded, I picked her up and headed for the door.

“I didn’t really have any kind of relationship with my father,” she said.

“How come?”

“He was always away. With work.”

“And your mom?” I asked.

“She died when I was really young.”

“Hnn~. So, you were raised by single dad too, huh? You think our parents would have gone to war while we fell in love?” I teased, and she giggled.

“Well, considering what you’ve seen me do; I might have to marry you anyway,” she replied, and I chuckled.

“I’m a taken man,” I reminded her, and she waved a hand dismissively.

“You kings never stop at one woman anyway, do you? Or is it that you won’t consider the cripple?” she teased, and I snickered at her.

As we continued down the corridor heading out of the tree, we ran into Jayden who did a double take as he spotted us.

“Oh, hey. I was just on my way up to come check on you,” he said, shooting a slightly worried look between the two of us.

“Our ‘king’ came to check on me himself. Aren’t I a lucky girl?” she asked, and he rubbed the back of his head nervously.

“King?” he asked, and I chuckled in response.

“Ignore her; she’s getting a little carried away,” I said, shooting her a slightly disapproving look. “We were just heading down to the training area. Wanna come with?”

Jayden nodded, but as he accompanied us on the way down, I noted that he seemed to be pretty uncomfortable with me carrying Juliette.

“Do you think you can take this load off of my hands?” I asked him, but even as he readily agreed, Juliette pouted at me.

“What? Am I too heavy to carry?” she asked, and I chuckled nervously.

“Not at all; but I had this hand severed clean in a fight two days ago,” I said, and Juliette stared at me, a slight look of shock on her face.

“What? How are you already using it again?” she asked, and I rubbed the back of my head.

“We have pretty good healers, I guess,” I replied, and she frowned a bit.

“Bet this would have turned out a little different if we’d met up with you sooner, huh?” she said, gesturing to her legs, and I shook my head.

“From what I’ve been told, your problem should be healable,” I offered, and she nodded.

“I figured. That guy did say that the technology behind cores and healing was much more advanced than what we had back on earth,” she said.

“I don’t think we should mention him,” Jayden said, nudging Juliette a little, and her hand went to her mouth.

“Oh my God. I’m so sorry,” she said, and I waved a hand dismissively.

“It’s fine. You all had no idea what he was about anyway,” I replied, and she frowned.

When we got down to the training area, I noted that Francesca was in a three-way sparring session with Bianca and Lucia, while Aletta seemed to be giving Leanna some instructions over by the burnt-out tree, so I decided to head over there first.

“Wow. What happened to this one?” Juliette asked, looking at the tree.

“Fire,” I replied.

“Nate!” Leanna exclaimed, quickly moving in to hug me.

She seemed pretty happy to see me, but as Juliette frowned a little, Leanna shot me a slightly awkward look.

 _Should I have not done that?_ she asked, voicing the question in my mind, and I quickly shook my head, conveying to her that it was fine.

“Are you training her too?” I asked Aletta, and she nodded.

“I’m coming with you,” Leanna said. “To get Cameron back. She was really nice to me,” Leanna said, and I nodded.

“It’s gonna be a pretty tough fight, though,” I warned, and she nodded.

“I’m getting used to the feel of a weapon; and I can move around much better now in armor,” she said, and I shot her an encouraging smile.

“Hah! Someone with your kind of powers using a weapon! Kid, I subjugated half this forest without ever drawing a blade,” Aletta boasted, and I smirked at her.

“Real modest,” I said. “You also got your ass handed to you by a fighter though, didn’t you?”

Aletta scoffed.

“In what universe is Danica ‘just a fighter’? Trust me, kid. You have no idea what she had up her sleeve.”

I waved a hand at this, turning to look at the tree.

“So, what’s the exercise.”

Aletta smiled, turning to Leanna.

“She’s overdependent on sight to control her little shadow stalker. I’m trying to break that dependency.”

“You can see through its eyes though, can’t you?” I asked Leanna, and she nodded.

“Yeah… but I only did it that one time. And I’m not really sure how…” she explained.

“Well, this is where we figure it out. You’re gonna sit here and get shadow-san up to the fourth floor, and to that window over there,” she said, gesturing overhead.

Leanna swallowed uncomfortably, then nodded.

“Is it alright if I sit?” she asked, and Aletta shrugged nonchalantly.

“Do whatever makes you comfortable; just don’t cross this line,” she said.

With that, Aletta directed us to step away from Leanna, and we watched as the shadow emerged from her and darted into the tree, but it didn’t seem to take long before Leanna turned to us, shifting uncomfortably.

“It’s fine,” Aletta called out. “Just keep at it.”

“So, is her ability… how did you refer to it? Genetic?” I asked, and Aletta shook her head.

“It isn’t,” she confirmed, and I nodded.

“Does that mean I can copy it?”

“Copy?” Juliette asked, and I bit my lip.

“Uh, yeah. I have an ability that allows me learn abilities from watching others,” I explained, and she studied me.

“I see.”

I turned to Aletta, who shook her head.

“You’d need to copy the basic form, then build your way up to that. But you don’t have the time right now… or maybe, ever, actually. That ability of hers is almost level three, and combines three other pre-requisite skills together to create it. So, not a unique skill, but definitely an advanced one.”

I frowned.

_She must have spent a lot of time thinking about those shadows, huh?_

Aletta plopped down by the roots of a nearby tree, and after finding a good spot for Jayden to set Juliette down, I joined them.

“Can she really depend on that skill entirely without much combat skills in a fight?” I asked, and Aletta laughed.

“Are you kidding? When she develops that skill, I doubt any of your fighters will be able to stand a chance against her,” Aletta said. “That shadow is already faster than any of you, even in your T-three speed armor.”

That was true.

I mean, the first day I encountered it, my first instinct was that it was actually a harbinger of some kind.

But as I watched Leanna send the shadow into the building again and again, I began to wonder if she would be able to gain enough control of it to be of use in the upcoming fight…

My first instinct had been that she would be staying behind, but… she did seem determined to go.

And I didn’t really want to discourage her, now that she’d found a kind of resolve to be more involved with the group.

As we spoke, however, Francesca made her way over to us, and Aletta shot her a disapproving look.

“I don’t remember telling you that you could take a break from sparring,” she said, and Francesca frowned.

“Uh… it might be slightly more useful for me to deplete, rather than just helping them train, won’t it?”

She looked to me for support, but I decided to see what Aletta had to say first.

“Helping them train? Hah. This one’s a real joker. Kid, they’re training you,” Aletta said. “Besides, core capacity is meaningless if you die in the first five seconds of your first fight. Maybe, get skilled enough to win a fight before trying to develop the capacity to fight repeatedly, yeah?”

Francesca bit her lip, her pride seemingly taking a hit, but she bowed nonetheless, returning to the sparring session with Bianca and Lucia.

As she did, however, I decided to observe, and as she caught my eyes on her, a nervous look appeared on her face.

 _That’s interesting,_ I thought.

The three were free, it seemed, to attack each other at will, so there was little circling or movement until the fight actually began.

Francesca was the first to move, going after Bianca with her spear-styled stick.

She swept at her legs, but planted her feet firmly, maintaining a pretty good sense of balance as she did, and as Lucia struck, she smiled, jabbing the butt end of her spear at her; but Lucia’s reaction was on point, as she leapt onto the stick, using it a springboard to give some momentum to her attack.

Her target, however, turned out to be Bianca, who seemed to be caught unawares after evading Francesca’s swipe, but she still managed to block the attack with her dagger-sized stick, before shifting from defense to offence, and moving in to strike.

She and Lucia exchanged a few quick blows, before Francesca forced them apart with another sweeping strike.

This time, however, she pressed Bianca, stabbing and slashing as she pinned her back, but she’d ignored Lucia; evidently, it seemed, to her own peril, as Lucia darted in for a quick strike, and managed to rap her on the knuckles, before landing a quick jab into her gut.

Francesca grimaced slightly, as she withdrew from the bout.

I thought she’d head over to us, but instead, she merely sat cross legged, a little way from where the fight continued between the other two, but watching them intently.

“They’re kind of tag teaming her,” I noted, and Aletta nodded.

“Indeed. They seem to be developing a kind of ‘kindred bond’ over their shared weapon of choice.”

“Were you trying to teach her how to deal with multiple enemies at once?” I asked, and Aletta shrugged.

“It’ll be useful for you to learn that, obviously, but more importantly; close quarter fighters like Bianca and Lucia are probably the biggest threat to spear fighters, and she really needs to learn how to adjust to the different kinds of fighters that you all might encounter on your rescue mission.”

“So, they have the upper hand from their weapon types, and you’re letting them tag-team her? Aren’t you being a bit hard on her?” I asked, and she shrugged.

“She needs to be able to lead the lines; you’re their leader, but you’re not suited to leading in combat. Your strong point is analyzing your opponent, looking for weaknesses. They need to be good enough to give you the time to do that.”

I bit my lip, nodding a bit, but I noted that Juliette seemed to be studying us.

“Are you comfortable?” I asked, and she nodded.

“I’m starting to feel as if I’m missing out though,” she said, and I chuckled.

“Is the whole ‘being in a fantasy story’ thing something you dreamed about?” I asked, and she nodded shyly.

“Not necessarily fantasy story. Just… being in a story in general, I guess.”

There was an inflection in her expression, however, as she regarded her legs, and as I gestured to Aletta, she nodded, following me a short distance away.

“Do you know how we can fix her legs?” I asked, and she shook her head.

“Healing isn’t my forte. Us monsters can basically just regenerate any parts of our body at will. If you turned her, I could teach her how to do it, but the chances of her beating the thirst are less than zero.”

I frowned.

“I imagine that with these kinds of weapons, people lose limbs all the time. What about prosthetics?” I asked, thinking about Casey as well, and Aletta frowned.

“Sorry, hon. I wasn’t human long enough to find out about that kind of thing. And most people who’ve crossed me and lost a limb haven’t really lived to tell the tale.”

“I need to create better information networks, huh? Was there anything like that for adventurers back in your day? Before you turned, I mean.”

Aletta shook her head.

“Your group is already beyond anything I accomplished or saw while in human form,” she said. “Part of why I agreed to stay here is because I find this project interesting.”

“Well… let’s hope I live long enough to continue it.”

“I think you will,” she said, smiling at me, and I eyed her.

“Premonition?” I asked, and she shook her head.

“Shit, is that an actual skill that exists?”

I nodded.

“Naw, just a feeling in my gut,” she said, and I sighed. “Speaking of gut, that one is not to be trusted,” Aletta added, and I turned following her gaze to Blair, who seemed to be cautiously approaching from the cluster’s outer perimeter.

“I know,” I said, and Aletta smiled.

“Want me to train her anyway, huh?”

I nodded.

“In those last fights, she and I made quite the team,” I said, and she studied me, with a slightly amused expression.

“This time, you won’t be fighting monsters though,” she said, and I gave a little nod, conceding the point.

“True. What was your assessment of her, though?”

“She’s not bad. Needs to get her combat ability up to scratch, but what she lacks in technique she more than compensates for with tenacity and pure aggression. Do you mind if I put her up against this one?”

I followed her gesture to Jayden, then nodded.

He was slated for potential guard duty when we left, wasn’t he?

This would be a good opportunity to get him up to speed.

As Aletta moved over to speak to Jayden however, a voice spoke into my head:

_Nate? Can you come find me? I’m in the grove tree where we’ve set up the infirmary._

The voice was Casey’s, and as I took a look around, I returned my gaze to Juliette.

“Can you watch her for me?” I asked, and Aletta nodded.

“Sheesh. You ask that like if I didn’t manage an entire domain for five hundred years,” she teased, and I snickered a little, waving at her as I headed off.

As I entered the grove tree, I noted that Casey was deep in conversation with Gisela and Astrid, and she quickly waved me over.

“What’s up?” I asked, and Casey nodded to Astrid.

“There is suggestion, Nathan. Of artifact which may aid your purpose,” she began.

“Okay. What does it do?” I asked, and Astrid shifted uncomfortably.

“Its purpose is unknown to my people,” she admitted, and I frowned.

“Premonition?” I asked, and she nodded. “Have you looked at it?” I asked Casey, and as she shook her head, I gestured to the two. “Well then, shall we?”

Astrid nodded, leading us from the entryway to that staircase which led down into the bowels of the tree, and down a few corridors which led to a room with that same grand entryway like the one that led to Gert’s room.

“We moved what artifacts we could salvage to this place,” she explained, and I nodded, as I noted that guards had been stationed at the doorway.

“Well, this tree is usually well protected,” I said, and she nodded.

As we entered the room, I noted that the layout was the same as the tree back in Palancar where the princess had taken me after that first fateful night, with pedestals and displays; though, most of them, I noted, were empty.

Astrid led us across the room to a long table adjoining the far wall, and with hexagon-shaped stones laid across them.

Elevated above the stones, however, was a small, coin shaped object which Astrid retrieved then handed to me, and I held the object up, observing it a little.

As I activated sensory perception, however, I suddenly noted that there seemed to be some kind of connection between the object in my hand, and the stones on the table.

There were no energy threads connecting them, but as I held the coin in my fist and concentrated, instinctively closing my eyes as I did, I suddenly realized that the rest of the stones were visible to me, even with my eyes closed, and I gasped.

“What is it?” Casey asked, and I rubbed my chin.

“I’m not sure, but test something for me?”

She frowned a little, but as I picked up one of the stones and handed it to her; I closed my eyes, focusing on the coin, and as the stone came into view, Casey’s shadow did as well.

“This is interesting. I think it might be a location tool,” I said, and Casey frowned.

“As in, you can track whoever is carrying a stone?” she asked, and I nodded.

Astrid, however, shook her head.

“I believe there is more to it than mere tracking, Nathan,” she said. “These stones are not artifacts, but the very material after which our people were named.”

“Kobalt?” I asked, and she nodded.

“They are capable of storing life essences, in almost unlimited amounts,” she explained.

“Life essences?” Casey asked.

“I think it means energy,” I offered, and Gisela nodded.

Casey rubbed her chin.

“And we can access that? When using abilities?” Casey asked, but Astrid rubbed her chin.

“It is a bit like, using this ‘energy’ externally. If you use yours, it is fine. But another’s must be suitably compatible, or the affliction will result.”

Casey rubbed her chin.

“So, how do you store energy in them?” she asked.

“It is like the activation of the seed,” Gisela answered, gesturing to me. “Energy is poured in, and it is absorbed.”

As Casey examined the stone, however, I turned my attention to the coin.

“This can absorb energy as well, can’t it?”

Astrid nodded.

“My feeling is such,” she confirmed, but as I considered the connection between the coin and the stone, something occurred to me.

“Hey; Casey. Could you pour some of your energy into that stone?”

She eyed me, biting her lip a little uncertainly.

“Uh… sure, I guess.”

She focused on it, and as I sensed the energy flowing into it, I held the coin in my hand again, focusing on it and closing my eyes, and this time, to my surprise, I saw Casey as clear as day.

“Hold up some fingers,” I said to her, keeping my eyes closed, and as she held up two fingers, I said, “two,” and she gasped.

“You can see me? Even with your eyes closed?”

I nodded, rubbing my chin thoughtfully.

“Let’s try something else,” I suggested. “I’m going out that door, and I want you to do the same thing again.”

Casey nodded, and I headed outside, but even without her raising her hand, I knew as soon as I closed my eyes that I would be able to see her.

But it didn’t stop there… there was a pull telling me exactly where she was, and as I returned to the room, she eyed me.

“How many fingers?” she asked.

“Four,” I answered, moving to examine the stones. “How many of these stones are there?”

“Twelve, I think,” she said, and I turned to Astrid.

“You said these could be made?” I asked, and she nodded.

“Yes, Nathan.”

“But can they also be connected to this?” I asked, holding up the coin.

Astrid put a finger to her lips, as she regarded the question.

“What is this ‘linked’?” she asked.

“It feels as if the energy of the stone is somehow connected to this,” I said, and as she observed the coin, she bit her lip.

“It is without reference,” she answered, and Casey eyed me.

“What are you thinking?” she asked, and I rubbed my chin.

“If we hand these out, we can know where all of our people are. It’ll make things a hell of a lot easier for scouting; and especially on this rescue mission.”

As Casey studied the stone, however, she furrowed her brow.

“I can’t help but feel like if there’s more to it than that,” she said.

“Well… there is one who is certain to know of it,” Astrid began, and Casey eyed her.

“Who?” she asked, and as Astrid turned to me, Casey shot her a questioning look.

“The one who created this artifact,” Astrid answered. “Jacinda, the queen of old.”

“That’s interesting,” I said, rubbing my chin. “Maybe it’s time we have another chat.”

“Over an artifact?” Casey asked, and I shrugged.

“She had a vision. It might be important for all we know,” I said. “Besides. The two of you can watch me while I do it, right?”

I turned to Astrid, and she quickly nodded.

“I am able and willing,” she answered.

Casey bit her lip, then nodded.

“I should probably go keep an eye on training,” Casey said. “You can handle it, right?” she asked Astrid, and the girl quickly nodded.

“It is within my capabilities,” the girl answered, and Casey nodded before heading off.

Gisela also excused herself to return to her own duties, but I noted that Astrid seemed to react a little awkwardly to suddenly being left alone with me.

“Your room is in this tree, isn’t it?” I asked, and she bit her lip.

“My room was destroyed in the fire. I am temporarily housed here,” she answered, and I nodded.

“That should work, then. Do you mind?” I asked.

“It will suffice; but would you not be more comfortable elsewhere?”

I shook my head.

“Lead the way,” I said.

We gathered up the rest of the stones then headed up the corridors to the main stairwell, but as we got to the second floor and approached Astrid’s room, she shot me an uncomfortable look.

“Are you certain this will be to your pleasing?” she asked, and for a second, I began to wonder if she was trying to keep me out of her room.

“It should be fine,” I replied, eyeing her as she opened the door a bit nervously, and as we entered the room, I took a quick look around.

To my surprise, however, the room seemed rather plain, with not much to differentiate it from the other rooms where we stayed, but as I moved towards her bed, I noted again that she seemed a little uncomfortable.

“Herr Nathan; unless it displeases you, might we perform this ritual on the floor?” she asked.

She retrieved a padded cushion from one of those sofa-type chairs that were off to the side of her room, and I rubbed the back of my head as I considered the request.

“Sure, but you know… I’m not gonna jump you as soon as we sit on the bed, right?” I teased, and Astrid shook her head.

“Of course, Nathan,” she replied, and I shrugged, retrieving the little core as I did, and as I examined it, I wondered again at the darkness which emanated from within.

“Is there anything I need to know before going in?” I asked, and she shook her head.

“I will touch your mind, so that your desires are felt.”

I nodded, and as Astrid moved to sit in front of me, placing a hand against my chest, I noted a small flicker in her eyes, and a subtle shaking in her hand.

Was she afraid?

I studied her carefully.

“This isn’t dangerous for you, is it?” I asked, and she shook her head.

“No. The task is merely to shake you from your trance-state,” she replied, but I quickly noted that her skin was slightly flushed, and her breathing was just a slight bit irregular.

“Astrid… are you afraid of me?” I asked, and she stared at me for a second, before quickly shaking her head.

“Nathan, this is- I mean, I just…”

She was flustered, and I quickly placed my hand over hers.

“Hey, relax. I’m not gonna do anything, I promise,” I offered, and she shook her head, taking a deep breath.

“I am at fault, Nathan. I tested your divinity, and questioned the resolve of the one who advises a future queen; but the desires you awoke in me were so powerful. I felt myself succumbing to them, and the loss of control was… exciting, but also terrifying. I fear that feeling… I fear myself,” she admitted.

“Come over here for a second,” I said, and she studied me, a searching look in her eye.

She seemed hesitant, so I offered her a reassuring smile.

“You don’t have to lose control,” I explained, and as she studied me, I tugged gently on her hand, guiding her to me.

She studied the hand, eventually moving at my direction, and creeping timidly towards me on her knees until she had nowhere to sit but in my lap, and as she eventually obliged, her discomfort quite apparent, I placed a hand on her hip, from around her back, and taking my free hand, I brought her face to mine.

She was looking into my eyes, a slightly fearful look there, and as I leaned in to kiss her, she shuddered a little, and her skin did that curious fluttery thing, changing hue in wave-like ripples all across her body.

“I’m not going to bend you to my will,” I said as we broke the kiss, and she looked into my eyes.

“Yet even so, I bend, Nathan.”

“Then I will be your support,” I offered, and she stared into my eyes.

“You will?” she asked, and I nodded.

I kissed her again; soft, gentle, just barely brushing our lips together in tender smacks, and as her lips parted, she sighed into me, her hands reaching for my face.

She tried to press into me a bit, but I broke the kiss and tutted at her.

“Easy,” I said, and she took a deep breath, nodding.

We kissed again, and this time, I noted there was something inside of me that seemed to be reaching out to her.

Like, the activation of a skill, which in turn extended threads out to her, and as I kissed her, I noted that her breathing seemed to be evening out, and her body itself relaxing in my arms.

We kissed for maybe five minutes before I broke away from her, and she shot me a slightly dissatisfied look.

“This custom… what is it?” she asked, and I chuckled a little.

“Another practice of the gods, I guess?” I offered, and she shook her head.

“And what is the purpose?” she asked, and I gave it some thought.

“It’s a bit difficult to put into words,” I replied. “When you feel an affection for someone; or a desire to be close to them. This is a way of expressing it; physically, I mean.”

She bit her lip, studying me carefully.

“Then, this is not meant to prepare for the seeding? Or the transcendent pleasure of the sex?”

I shook my head.

“Nope. I mean, don’t get me wrong, it certainly can do that. But it doesn’t always have to lead to that.”

Astrid studied me for a bit, an uncertain look on her face.

“Then… for what purpose did you engage me as such?”

I rested a hand against her cheek, and smiled a little.

“I know I was a little rough on you earlier… with the princess. I just didn’t want you to think that that was how I really felt about you. I like you. And I want you to feel comfortable with me. Especially when we’re alone. Like this.”

She bit her lip a little studying me.

“I know this to be your act, Nathan, but… even so, I find it comforting,” she said.

“Does that bother you?” I asked, and she shook her head.

“No. But, maybe… a kind heart is not required for one be a kind person.”

At my direction, Astrid eased herself off of me, but as I returned my attention to Jacinda’s core, I noted that her gaze seemed to be flickering occasionally to my lips.

“Are you ready?” I asked, and she nodded, reaching tentatively for my chest, but I noted this time as she rested her palm against me, the touch was much more relaxed and steadier.

I shot her a quick smile before turning my attention to the core and focusing on it, but no sooner had I delved into the consciousness therein than an overwhelming presence engulfed me.

 _“I was wondering when you would be back, my little one,”_ Jacinda said. _“And it seems your princess came along this time to watch over you; though, I do not recall her presence being so meek…”_

“Princess?”

Fuck, I didn’t mean to ask that… but inside of here, words seemed to have a way of just spilling out.

 _“Yes. She is touched by my presence. The princesses are the only ones with this blessing,”_ she reasoned. _“Unless you have subjugated a matron for your own purposes? Unlikely, though. Such a thing, I imagine, is beyond your capabilities.”_

“This blessing you speak of… is it the ability to peer into the future?”

Jacinda laughed.

 _“No… even you have glimpsed the future, haven’t you? What I have given the princesses is something beyond even that,”_ she said, and while I felt the urge to press her, the playfulness in her tone told me that she would reveal no more.

But it did make me wonder now about Astrid and her past…

I shook off the diversion, returning to the matter of the artifact.

“I found an artifact of yours,” I began, and Jacinda made a thoughtful sound.

_“Hnn? Ahh, I see. The circle…”_

“The circle?”

 _“Jasper’s favorite toy… he did like having his servants,”_ she mused.

“Servants…?” I asked.

Maybe the thing was more insidious than I thought; but laughter echoed to me.

_“No, no, my dear. It is not the tool of enslavement. Though your reaction amuses me. Are you not already one who enslaves beings to your will?”_

“The pledges? They were kind of necessary,” I explained, and she laughed.

A hearty laugh that seemed to chill something deep inside of me.

_“Oh? You and I both know that you bend them to your will with far more than mere allegiance. You bend their very souls to you, do you not?”_

“I don’t,” I replied, a little defensively.

_“Really? Tell me then; how many of them would risk life and limb to protect you from harm?”_

“If they would, then they would do so of their own choosing,” I reasoned, and she laughed again.

 _“Yes, such is the beauty of it… now that I look at you, you might be more suited to domination than even he. Were I a lesser woman, perhaps I’d even fall for you?”_ she teased.

“The artifact. Will you tell me about it?” I probed, and I felt her presence swirling around me.

_“Maybe~,” she sang, “but what are you offering me in return?”_

I thought about it for a while.

“What can I even offer you?” I asked, genuinely curious.

_“How about that girl? She was touched by my energy; she could mantle me easily. All you need to do is force my core down her pretty little throat, and I’ll do the rest.”_

I sighed.

Maybe I could find the information on my own?

I tried really hard to concentrate on the artifact, and conjure up its image in my mind as I dove into the sea of energy that were her memories, until to my surprise, I actually came upon something useful.

There was a man; Hans, or whatever his name really was, and he was holding the coin in his hand while twelve Kobalt stood before him, every one of them clad in armor.

He took one of the stones, then touching it to the coin; a light pulsed out of the stone, and the first Kobalt bowed deeply as Hans bestowed the object to him.

The ceremony had all of the airs of a warrior being knighted by a king, and as I peered into the stone, I noted that the energy seemed to align with that of the Kobalt that received it, and I studied the interaction with some interest.

 _“Brave knights, he thought them to be, but fools they were; every last one. Not a single bloodline endured,”_ Jacinda bemoaned. _“Do you think your chosen will do any better?”_

I thought about it for a bit.

“Maybe; most of my chosen might be others like me,” I said, and she made that thoughtful ‘hm’ sound again.

_“Others like you, huh? Jasper tried this as well, but they made for more miserable failures than even my kind. Never mind that, though; I will instruct you nonetheless.”_

“Really? Why?”

 _“Because… watching young mortals like yourself trying to succeed where Gods have failed is always so… interesting,”_ she admitted. _“And I sense that even if you fail, my little one… it will be a spectacular sight to behold.”_

The sentiment made me feel somewhat uneasy, but I wasn’t about to turn down her offer.

 _“Watch closely,”_ she instructed. _“The artifact and the stones are irrelevant in their own right; what matters is the bond between the one who bestows the power, and the one who uses it.”_

I watched as Hans took a stone into his hand, and as it touched to the coin, something from inside of him poured into the stone, and an engraving slowly formed on the surface.

He uttered something as he bestowed the stone onto the Kobalt warrior, and as the energy flowed from the Kobalt into the thing, it seemed to come to life, as a thing with a core of its own.

_“An aspect; given name by you, and put into practice by the one to whom it is gifted. It takes form as what your kind refers to as a ‘skill’.”_

“I see. Then are there skills in all of the current stones?” I asked, and the energy that swirled around me seemed to indicate a negative response.

_“The energy between the user and the stone is linked to them on a fundamental level. Not even another with a compatible energy pattern may use the stone belonging to another.”_

“Then, what happens to the energy inside of the stone, and the skill which manifested, if the one who carried it perishes?” I asked, and she chuckled a little.

_“Those things would remain locked into the stone, only to dissipate when the stone is again bestowed upon a new subject. There is, however, one exception; the offspring or descendent of one who carried a stone may again wield the skill, and access the energy contained within, provided that they carry on the tradition of the aspect tied to the stone.”_

I thought about it for a bit.

“So, the stones currently possess such skills?” I asked, and this time, the energy indicated an affirmative response.

_“More powerful energies than you might imagine; but sadly, for naught, as no descendants of any previous bearers exist in this world.”_

I rubbed my chin as I considered the possibilities.

I mean, just the tracking ability alone was worth using these things in my mind.

But having them develop skills as well that could be passed on for generations?

This was a fantastic boon.

“Are these the only stones existing, or are there others which have been lost?” I asked, and Jacinda chuckled again.

_“The stones can be easily replaced; the technique used to create them is one which you will master in no time at all, little king. It is suitable bearers that you will perhaps find a bit more difficulty to acquire.”_

I took one more look at the process used to bestow the stones onto bearers, before retreating from Jacinda’s core and back into my own mind.

As I left, however, I felt a strange sensation tugging at me, and emanating from her core… but it was an unfamiliar feeling, and with no visual cues to help me, I couldn’t quite discern what it was.

Astrid let out a long sigh of relief as I came to, and I noted with interest that her brow was wrinkled with concern.

“Has your endeavor been met with success, Nathan?”

I nodded.

“Were you worried?” I asked, and she shifted uncomfortably on the floor.

“Her presence chills me in a mysterious way,” she admitted, and I nodded.

As I studied her, however, I recalled her assertion that Astrid had been touched by her presence before.

“Jacinda seems to think that you’re a princess,” I said, and Astrid stared at me, her surprise quite evident in her expression.

“A princess? Why would she think that?” Astrid asked, and I shrugged.

“I’m not sure, but she seems pretty certain. I mean, didn’t your father also say that your skill was one of the skills that the princesses are known to possess?” I asked, and Astrid bit her lip as she considered the question.

“There are others who manifest these skills, Nathan. It is unusual, perhaps, but not uncommon. The existence of multiple princesses however would be an anomaly. Such a thing is unknown to my people.”

I rubbed my chin thoughtfully.

“Do you know if the matron ever came to you as a child?” I asked, and she shook her head.

“There was no selection during the seasons of my conception,” she replied, and I studied her.

“And what about your mother? Do you think she had something to do with it?” I asked, and Astrid shrugged.

“My mother passed as my seed burst forth with life,” she answered. “She was a distinguished Kobalt, and former councilor of Grenze, but nothing else of note.”

I nodded thoughtfully, though something inside of me told me that I should press the matter further.

I made a mental note to bring it up with Gisela at a more suitable time.

As I retrieved the stones, I headed for Astrid’s bed, and again, she stopped me.

“If it pleases you, Nathan, might we instead seat upon the divan?”

I rubbed the back of my head, studying Astrid with an amused expression.

This woman was trying her hardest to keep me off of her bed; now I was certain of it.

Yet I could not understand for the life of me, why.

Was she still fearful of me?

Or of the temptation to use the bed, perhaps?

It was strange, but I quickly shook away the thought as I began to focus on the stones which we’d brought along with us from the basement chamber.

Twelve stones, huh?

Most likely I’d have to give one to everyone who would be coming along on the rescue mission, though that list itself wasn’t finalized as far as I could tell.

I mean, even if Leanna were combat ready by then, I wasn’t entirely certain that her psychological state of mind was stable enough for her to handle the rigors of fighting.

As I studied the stones, however, something came to mind, and a smile crossed my lips as I began to work out how best to put the plan into action.

“Astrid?”

“Yes, Nathan. What is your desire?”

I smirked a little, before shaking myself back into focus.

“I’ll need to arrange a meeting with my group. Sometime around the fall of darkness,” I explained, and she nodded.

“Will the final segment of light suffice?” she asked.

“That’ll work,” I said. “Is it alright if I stay here?”

She took a tentative look around, eyeing the bed with a reluctant look.

“I’ll stay away from the bed; I promise,” I said, and she let out a sigh.

“If it pleases you, Herr Nathan.”

She bowed slightly, before heading out of the room and down to the others, and as I set to work, that smile crept onto my lips again.

***

“Nate?”

Casey poked her head into Astrid’s room, and I yawned a little as I stood up and stretched out some aching muscles.

“Here,” I said.

“Astrid said you wanted to gather everyone together for something? They’re organizing a communal meal right now,” she said, and I nodded.

“That’s perfect,” I said. “Did you make any considerations on who’s going on this rescue mission yet?”

“I have a team in mind, but I figured you’d want to have a say on it.”

“Gimme the names,” I said, cracking my knuckles a little.

“Francesca, Bianca, Jordan, Jeannie, Molly, Blair.”

“Jeannie and Molly, huh? They haven’t developed superpowers by any chance since I was out, have they?”

Casey shook her head.

“They’re much more solid now, though. I think their participation in that last battle really gave them some much needed experience.”

“I see,” I replied. “I want Lucia as well, though.”

Casey raised an eyebrow at this.

“You’re probably gonna have to kill humans on this mission. Otherworlders? Do you really want a child, much less a Kobalt child, possibly doing that?”

I shook my head.

“There’s a lot of things happening here that I don’t want. But taking her improves our chances of success.”

Casey bit her lip, then nodded.

“What about hunters?” she asked, and I shook my head.

“They’d slow us down, and probably just die.”

“Astrid, then?” Casey asked. “I want you to have a proper navigator. Francesca gave me the bumbling in the woods rundown of how your scouting mission went, and we can’t have something like that happening here.”

“If I have to take someone, Astrid is preferable, but only if she volunteers,” I said, and Casey nodded.

Her eyes flicked to the stones, and as she noticed the newly formed patterns on them, she moved closer, taking one up for inspection.

“You figured out what they do?” she asked, and I nodded.

“With help,” I said, gesturing to the core, and she frowned.

“Well… I hope she didn’t trick you.”

 _A definite possibility_ , I thought.

Although my own examination of the stones didn’t really pick up anything particularly insidious at play.

“So, that’s what this gathering is for? To hand them out?” she asked, and I nodded.

“Yup. Now we just need to name it something cool. I know I’ve thrown around the idea of a king’s guard before; what do you think?”

“-that referring to you as my ‘king’ is going to cause me serious psychological turmoil,” she answered, and I smirked a little.

“Well, if you just accept my offer to be my queen, that wouldn’t be a problem.”

She scoffed.

“Can’t fool me. You’re going out there to rescue your queen,” she replied, and I rubbed the back of my head as I chuckled nervously.

 _Can’t argue with that_.

“What’s wrong with ‘King’s guard’?” she asked, and I frowned.

“It’s so basic… and _white_. I want something… cool,” I said, which prompted Casey to roll her eyes.

“Is this what my advisory duties have come down to?” she asked, and I snickered in response.

“It might be the single most important decision I ever make in my life,” I countered.

“Guard is a good word, though. Safe. Doesn’t imply that you’re planning on sending out kill squads all over the place.”

“Hmm. So, something like mediators? Oh! Arbiters! Arbiters of justice?”

“How is that any less basic than ‘King’s guard’?” Casey asked, and I sighed.

“I know. I’ve been at this all afternoon,” I said, and Casey raised an eyebrow at me.

“All afternoon?”

I shrugged.

“What? This is important. It’ll affect how the Kobalt view us, and how other civilizations regard us later on,” I said, and she eyed me.

“Huh… really planning ahead, then, are we?”

I nodded, and she let out a sigh before moving to take a seat on the sofa.

“What about a pantheon? They think of us as gods, so it might work? The elder gods of Eltari?”

“Pantheon, huh? I think that works well, actually. Then I could still use ‘arbiters’ for the individual names…”

I shot Casey a smile, and she rolled her eyes again, before smiling a little.

“Am I gonna be in your pantheon?” she asked, and I shrugged.

“Do you want to be? It was gonna be more of a warriors thing,” I added, but she quickly waved her hand dismissively.

“It’s fine. I guess we’ll probably have more titles to fill along the way, though. As things progress.”

I nodded.

“They’re not a bad way to keep people happy. Though I’m not feeling too badly about the Kobalt’s systems of governance. They seem to function well enough.”

Casey nodded.

“Would be easier for them to adjust to as well. We just need to make sure we keep our own people in check.”

I studied her as she added that.

“Has anyone been a problem?” I asked, and she shrugged.

“Nothing unexpected. Just, a few of our new additions are probably looking forward to having their own little servant girls.”

I frowned.

“Let’s definitely hold back on assigning servants to random otherworlders then. Maybe have qualifying terms? Combat service? Or being useful, I dunno.”

“That shouldn’t be a problem. But, maybe hold off on that announcement until all of our fighters are back here,” Casey said, and I swallowed uncomfortably.

Not that I didn’t think Raul could handle it, mind you. I just didn’t wanna come back home to a desolate graveyard of otherworlders.

“Just make sure Gisela and the others know where we stand,” I said, and Casey nodded.

“Frei-Casey?” a girl called, just as a knock sounded at the door.

“You can come in,” Casey replied, and the girl stepped timidly into the room, bowing as she did.

“Everyone is gathered at the entry hall,” the girl offered, and Casey nodded.

“We’ll be there in a bit,” she answered, and the girl bowed again, before leaving.

“Before we head down, there’s something we should discuss,” Casey said, and I studied her.

“Hn~. What is it?”

“I think you should cut the training short, and head out tomorrow,” Casey said, and I shot her an admiring smile.

“I see. What prompted that suggestion?”

“I talked it over with Aletta,” she explained. “She’s given our fighters a good idea of how to turn their own developing abilities into useful techniques in combat, but it doesn’t seem that training them without actual fighting experience will do them a whole lot of good.”

“So, one extra day won’t do much except give Ethan an extra day of prep?” I asked, and Casey nodded.

“More or less,” she replied, but as I smiled at her, she shot me a confused look. “What?” she asked, and I shrugged.

“Oh, nothing. It’s just nice having my advisor back,” I replied, and she rolled her eyes in response.

“Just don’t go expecting me to get right back to your sick little ‘advisorly duties’,” she chided, and I waved the suggestion away.

“It’s fine; I’ve had enough sex in the past day to last me a lifetime,” I replied, and Casey groaned in frustration.

“I did not need to hear that,” she muttered, massaging her temples agitatedly, and I snickered in response.

“Well then, shall we?” I asked.

“After you,” she replied, and I chuckled as we got up and headed out of the room to where a familiar face awaited us.

“Mein Herr,” the girl said, bowing a little, and I smiled.

“You’re Alina, aren’t you?” I asked, and the girl nodded timidly as she followed us down the corridor that led to the stairs, and I smirked a little, as it was quite the odd conversation to be having with a girl that I had just recently impregnated.

“Cameron seemed to really like you. Is it alright if I rely on you in her absence?” I asked, and the girl shot me a slightly awestruck look.

“O-Of course; I am yours to instruct,” she added, bowing slightly, and a little awkwardly, as we walked.

“Good; then there’s something I need, but in a bit of a hurry.”

The girl nodded, listening closely as I relayed the instructions to her, and Casey shot me a slightly annoyed look as the girl headed off.

“You know, I could have arranged that,” she said, and I nodded.

“Sure, but I need you by my side right now,” I said, and she frowned.

“Why?”

“Because if our worst-case scenario comes to pass, the group needs to understand who their second in command is,” I explained, and she frowned.

“This falls apart if you don’t come back, Nate. I need you to-”

“Ugh, that’s not what I mean. I’m not gonna be here sometimes; people need to know who calls the shots then, alright?”

 _Besides,_ I thought. _I’m leaving behind enough kids for the princess to still build the empire she envisions._

I just need my successors to get on board with her vision, and Casey would be key to that.

As we exited the grove tree where the medical staff were housed and made our way over to the tree where all of the otherworlders were gathering, I could see that tables had already been assembled, and an air of grandeur had overtaken the entry hall.

There was also a veritable buzz of excitement there, though I did note with some disappointment that Miriam was not present.

“Hey; could you find out from Gisela if the princess is coming to this thing?” I whispered to Casey, and she nodded.

“Your wish, my lord,” she answered mockingly, and I shot her a wry grin as she slipped away.

As I approached the entrance, however, Alva quickly cut me off.

“Nathan; I am told there will be proclamation?” she asked, and I nodded.

“Uh, yeah… sort of,” I answered, and she furrowed her brow as she looked me up and down.

“This will not suffice. May we at least arm you?”

I frowned.

“It’s not really that big a deal, just a small announcement,” I explained, and she shook her head.

“Many delegations are present this night; your proclamation will be received by many notable branches. We must present you in an honorable manner.”

I frowned, but even as I protested, Alva quickly whisked me away to the nearby entry hall.

“This way,” she offered, and I followed as she led me to one of the guest rooms on the lower floor.

Once there, she stripped me down and gave me a quick washing, but as she hurriedly dressed me in some comfortable robes, I eyed her with a somewhat amused look.

“What?” she asked, and I shook my head.

“It’s nothing. You just seem more comfortable touching me than most other Kobalt,” I replied, and she quickly withdrew her hands. “It’s fine,” I assured her, and she smiled a little, but the moment was cut short as the door behind us burst open, and two companions rushed in, followed quickly by Casey who’d brought my armor.

“They wouldn’t bring it themselves, huh?”

She shook her head, panting a little from probably having rushed over here.

“Sorry,” I said, and she shook her head.

“This is my fault; I should have realized that you’d need to be dolled up a little for this whole thing.”

I shrugged, shooting her a reassuring smile.

“It’s fine,” I said. “I kind of just sprung this out of nowhere anyway.”

I quickly put on my armor with some assistance from the companions, and Alva, whose lack of a reluctance to touch me was making her a much more competent aide than the others.

“Okay, is he good?” Casey asked, and Alva frowned.

“This will have to do,” she said, but as I turned to leave, she suddenly called out to stop me.

“Here,” she said, bringing a little vial to me, and dabbing some of it onto my hand, she took my hand and guided me to apply the ointment beneath my ears on either side of my face.

It was sweet smelling, and as I brought my finger to my nose and took a whiff, I shot Alva an appreciative smile.

“Pretty good,” I said, and Alva nodded in agreement.

“You are acceptable,” she said, after observing me, and I smiled.

“Not as beautiful as your Raul?” I teased, and she shrugged.

“Such a feat is beyond your capabilities,” she replied, and I laughed.

“Give this girl a promotion,” I said, and Casey rolled her eyes at me as we headed back to the main hall.

The extra time taken on our detour seemed to have resulted in some rather impatient looks around the grand hall, but as I swept into the room, all attention seemed glued to me.

“The high one!” someone called, and murmurs began to erupt around the hall.

The newcomers amongst the otherworlders seemed to regard the greeting with some interest, with Blair smirking at me with exaggerated amusement, but as I stepped into the room, I took a quick look around for Alva.

“Has everyone eaten?” I whispered to Alva, and the girl nodded.

“The meals were served, but many will wait until you are seated,” she explained.

“Should I perform the ceremony now, then?”

She nodded.

“It would be customary to perform as such,” she answered.

I was about to ask about Alina when the girl came in on cue, followed by a line of companions who were all dressed in matching robes, with color designs matching Grenze’s crest.

I handed out the stone tablets to them, before standing beside Alina, and as she glanced at them, I noted that they stood prepared to mimic her actions.

 _Cameron chose well,_ I thought.

I cleared my throat, and as all eyes turned towards me, the hall seemed to go silent.

Alva shot me a quick nod, indicating that she would be translating for me, so I began:

“Salutations, tongued folk of Eltari!”

“Our ears for you, Auslander,” someone shouted, and I smiled.

“Our gathering here today is another blessing amongst blessings, given that the monsters of the blighted grove have yet again failed in their quest to eradicate the true inheritors of these woods,” I began. “But for this victory, we have again paid dearly. Though Gods and Kobalt banded together alike to brace this grove, and weather a storm unlike any ever seen; many Kobalt perished that night, and an entire grove fell to our monstrous foes. And even as we earned our victory against them, we stand today upon fallen branches and scattered leaves.”

A silence fell over the gathering as Alva finished translating my words, and I took a deep breath, before continuing:

“But we will not allow their sacrifice to pass for naught. New groves will spread across these lands, that for generations, have been too blighted to touch, and our roots will be planted firmly, that we may yet weather whatever coming storms, and raise up a new generation of saplings that will endure still, long after our own branches are withered with age!”

Alva moved to my side, translating as I spoke, and cheers erupted as she finished speaking.

“To the saplings, Auslander!” a voice cried, and I raised a hand in recognition of the cry, before clearing my throat again.

“But the forest remains perilous; unknown shadows yet linger in the shade of its branches, and if we are to preserve our hard-fought gains, we must venture forth into that wretched grove once more, and purge what remains of that blight!”

“Victory will become the Gods!” someone cried, to the sound of more cheers, and Francesca shot me a slightly confused look.

“Indeed, but do not think that these threats are to be taken lightly. More than once have my best warriors faced the fangs and claws of things that would plague these lands for seasons, and emerged victorious by the slimmest of margins, and only with the guidance and leadership of the princess who would be queen!”

As if on cue, Miriam strode into the hall, and awed expressions swept across the room as she moved to my side.

“My king,” she said, bowing to me slightly, before offering me her hand.

“It is my honor,” she began, “to oversee the selection of the Gods who would serve my mate, and accompany him in the subjugation of the blighted grove. I have decreed this land for my people, and by the will of the Gods, our roots will plant firmly into the fertile earth therein, and raise up a new kingdom!”

She spoke the words in English, and Alva quickly translated, resulting in a series of cheers.

“Impeccable timing,” I whispered, and she smiled.

“As expected, no?”

She turned to me, and I nodded, taking the artifact into my hand, and raising it for all to see.

“Today, I appoint to my service many who have stood beside me through all of these struggles, and whom it is my hope, will continue to do so; for my sake, and for that of my princess’, and that of the Kobalt who would form our new kingdom.”

I gestured to Alina, and she stepped forward, raising her own token as I had.

“Francesca,” I called out, gesturing to her, and she shot me a slightly panicked look, before coming forward at my urging. “To you, I offer the token of the fighter. You have fought many battles by my side, little lion, and none who opposed us will walk these lands again. Will you stand beside me in the battles to come?”

Francesca nodded, smiling at me as she did.

I moved to Alina’s side, and after taking the token and touching it to the artifact, I placed the token into her hand, and she took a deep breath as a wave of energy pulsed from her, and the thing began to glow with an energy matching hers.

As Francesca accepted the token, hooting calls began to break out amongst the group, and I quickly recognized many of our hunters as the ones who were offering their respect to her.

She smiled, then stepped back beside Alina at the girl’s direction.

“Jordan,” I called out, and as he quickly scrambled to his feet, he shook his head, a bit hesitantly, until the crowd began to urge him forward.

“To you I offer the token of the druid; your journey into understanding these woods in an intimate way was thrust upon you, perhaps unfairly, but that journey has only just begun. And just as you have accepted Nymphadora into your own core, it is my hope that you will accept this token as well, as a symbol of the place that you will take up at my side.”

Jordan nodded, bowing slightly as he did.

“I accept,” he answered, as I touched the artifact to the corresponding token, and as he accepted it, that same burst of energy emanated from him, signaling his acceptance of his role.

I moved on to the next companion, then smiled.

“Raul.”

Alva seemed to stand on tiptoe at the mention, and Raul climbed gruffly to his feet.

He, too, seemed hesitant at first, but as Alva shot him a prodding glare, he quickly moved to join me.

“Hey, uh… I’m not sure this is-”

“Nonsense,” I replied. “To you I offer the token of the Paladin. Your oaths have been the source of your strength; from the vengeance you meted out to any who would come between you and your path home, to the devotion you offered me in exchange for your life, and perhaps the oath of Redemption that will lead you to your own salvation, and along the way, the salvation of many more.”

I shot a glance at Alva, who quickly nodded her approval.

Raul looked to her, then taking a deep breath, he nodded slowly.

“I accept,” he answered, bowing slightly as I bestowed upon him the token and completed the ritual.

I rested my hand on his shoulder and smiled, giving him a little squeeze, before moving on to the next companion.

“Bianca,” I called out, and the girl eagerly darted up to my side.

“About time! Watchu got for me?” she asked, grinning widely, and I shook my head at her disapprovingly.

“The token of the rogue,” I began.

“Rogue? What’s a rogue?”

“In a time of monsters, spears, and swords; you have been my dagger. And more than ever, I’ll need such a weapon in the days to come.”

 _And a spy_ , she said, smirking a bit as she sent me the thought, and I nodded.

“Indeed,” I said, as I handed her the token and completed the ritual.

As I moved on to the next companion, I glanced around the room, and made eye contact with Blair, and she smiled.

“Blair,” I said, and she stood up, walking over to me with a slight swagger in her step.

I noted, however, that some of her peers seemed a bit annoyed that she’d been called up.

“Wasn’t sure there was one of these for a wild swinging axe murderer,” she said, and I snickered at the comment.

“The token of the barbarian,” I said. “Your ferocity is your strength; here’s to hoping we can continue to channel that energy into defeating our enemies.”

I handed the token to her, and she did a cute little curtsey, shooting Bianca a teasing look as she moved beside her, next to the companion who bore her token.

“Leanna,” I called out next, and the girl seemed to jump.

She shot a panicked look around at the sound of her name, and seemed to shrink back as the gazes turned towards her, but as she looked to Jordan, she seemed to calm down a bit, and as he gave her a quick nod, she stepped forward to my side.

“The token of the warlock,” I said, and she accepted the token apprehensively. “Like the spellcaster who draws power from his patron, whether that patron be maleficent or benevolent in nature, you have learned to harness the power of the shadows that chased you all your life, into a power that shields you from harm, and that one day, I hope, will be used to protect others like yourself.”

She smiled at me, her hand moving to mine, and as I took it, I gave her a quick squeeze, before directing her to stand beside the corresponding companion.

As I moved to the next companion, however, I took a deep breath.

This one could be problematic, but in my estimate, was worth a shot.

“Nolan,” I called out, and he eyed me.

“Seriously?” he asked, and I nodded.

He didn’t move, so I figured it might be best if I plead my case.

“The token of the ranger. Your knowledge of environments and how to harness them as we settle and expand, will be of great import to our people going forward. Will you accept this token?”

His eyes flashed between Jordan and the others, before settling on me, and after some thought, he stood up and approached.

“Fine,” he said, a little glumly, and to my relief, he accepted the token.

As I moved to the next companion, I spotted Casey shooting glances about the room, probably doing the math, and trying to figure out who else would be chosen, and I smirked a little.

“Casey,” I called out.

The summons caught her unawares, as she seemed to continue glancing about trying to work out who would be next, when suddenly, she noticed that everyone was looking to her.

“Huh?” she asked, and I gestured for her to come forward, and she shook her head disbelievingly, before standing up and moving to my side.

“I thought you said this was for the fighters?” she muttered under her breath, and I smirked a little.

“I only said that because I knew how cute you’d look when I called you up here out of nowhere,” I explained, and she shot me a glum look.

“Not funny,” she said. “What could I possibly offer anyway?”

“The same thing you’ve offered to begin with,” I explained. “The token of the wizard. Your knowledge has been a cornerstone of our battle for survival, and something that will always be required; by both this group, and eventually, our kingdom.”

She bit her lip.

“I have no abilities,” she said, and I shook my head.

“Intelligence is an ability in its own right, as far as I’m concerned. And who knows? Magic in this world is basically technology anyway; and your advice has been all the magic I could ever need.”

She smiled a little, then accepted the token.

“Fine,” she said, before moving off to stand beside her respective companion.

“And finally, Evie,” I said, gesturing to the girl.

Molly squealed a little, hugging her tightly, and shooing her along as she timidly made her way over to me.

“The token of the cleric,” I offered. “Not simply for your faith in God, but your growing ability as a healer. Our survival has depended on you perhaps more so than on any other single member of our group, and your importance is something that we will perhaps never see diminish in the trying times to come.”

She accepted the token, blushing a little as she did, and bowing, before moving over to her respective companion.

“As you can see, there are some spots that still need to be filled; let that be motivation to everyone else to aspire to the heights of achievement set by your peers. But until then, let those who stand before you be known henceforth as the ‘Divine Arbiters of Eltari’; the upholders of peace and paragons of virtue! And to you, my arbiters. May all tongued folk one day know of your wisdom and might!”

“Glory to the Gods! Victory to the Divine Arbiters of Eltari!” someone cried out, and cheers erupted across the hall, as many others echoed the toast.

“Literal chills,” Molly said, as she hugged Evie, then threw her arms around me. “We’re really gonna do this huh? Rescue Cameron? Build a freaking empire!”

I chuckled at her, as Lucia ran up to me and leapt into my arms.

“Nathan! Can Lucia be arbata?”

“You definitely can,” I said, and the girl smiled, but Bianca moved in to tease her.

“Over my dead body. You realize we’re competing for the same place, don’t ya?”

Lucia folded her arms, then threw them around my neck.

“Nate likes Lucia more!” she countered, and I chuckled, as I gave her a little pat on the back.

“Maybe she can be your disciple,” I offered, and Bianca smirked.

“Hear that, runt? You’re gonna be my bitch!” she exclaimed, and I tutted at her.

“Language,” I warned, and she put her hands on her hips.

“Lucia is no bitch! Bianca is bitch!” Lucia countered, and I chuckled at the two, setting Lucia down, as some of the new group members approached.

“How come Blair gets one of those tokens and none of us do? We’ve been slaving around for days,” Wilt complained, and I frowned.

“I know; but she’s going into combat tomorrow. The kind that she might not survive,” I explained, and he shook his head.

“Yeah, yeah. I get it,” he said, grinning a little, before stealing to my side. “About these servant-companion things, though. What’s a brother gotta do to get in on some of that?”

“Keep contributing to our development, and we’ll see about it,” I said, and he grinned a little, before moving off.

Francesca however, quickly stole to my side, nudging me as she did.

“You, uh… you said we were heading out tomorrow?” she asked, a bit nervously, and I nodded.

“I know we have more time, but something tells me that letting Ethan prepare for us is also a bad idea,” I said, and she frowned.

“I’m not sure if I’m ready,” she said. “I… embarrassed myself today.”

I shook my head at her.

“You’re overthinking things. Aletta made you fight those two because their weapon type has an advantage against you. You don’t suddenly suck,” I explained.

“Even so, I was thinking if I focused on like daggers or something for a day, then I could alternate with the weapons well enough to face off against whatever comes at us,” she said, and I shook my head.

“That won’t do. I need you focusing on the spear; it gives us the edge against most of the fighter types we’ll ever encounter. If someone counters you, then one of the others will compensate. That’s how we win. Play to our strengths, and cover each other’s weaknesses,” I reasoned.

She frowned.

“I just hate feeling like I suck,” she continued, “I mean, I couldn’t even beat Bianca anymore.”

I shot Francesca a disapproving look.

“Which would you rather? Being useful to me, or beating Bianca?” I asked.

“Being useful…” she admitted begrudgingly, and I ruffled her hair playfully, before pulling her in for a hug.

“You don’t suck; I promise. Aletta just needed you to see where you’re weakest, so you’d know how to improve, okay? But I can’t have my little lioness doubting herself. Not in this fight,” I said, and she nodded.

“You’re right. I’m sorry,” she said, and I gave her a quick squeeze, before letting her off.

“You have your hands full tonight, huh?” Evie said, as she stole to my side.

“Yeah? Just a sec- I need to get a message to Casey.”

I flagged Casey, and as she moved to my side, I leaned in to speak to her.

“We should have that meeting tonight, huh? To finalize who’s going and whatnot for tomorrow?”

“Already scheduled,” she replied. “We also gathered some info that you might find useful,” she said.

“Info? How?” I asked, and she looked away, a little timidly.

“I, uh… sent some runners out. To do some scouting,” she explained, and I frowned.

“You what? That’s crazy. If they encountered anything at all, their survival probability would be less than ten percent,” I said, and she nodded.

“I asked for volunteers; made sure they knew the risks,” she explained, and I shook my head again.

“That’s crazy. They would all literally throw themselves in front of hell to save any of us. You know that,” I countered, and she nodded.

“I know; I take full responsibility for it, I promise. I just couldn’t let you go out there without some clue as to what we’re up against,” she reasoned, and I sighed.

“If any of them dies, you speak to their families yourself and take responsibility for who they’ve left behind. Understood?”

Casey stared at me, slightly shocked, eventually swallowing with some difficulty, and nodding as she did.

“Understood,” she said, before heading out of the hall.

Evie shot me a worried look as she returned to my side.

“Wasn’t that a little harsh?” she asked, and I frowned.

“I won’t have any of us treat them as dispensable. No matter what,” I said. “And if we make decisions that cost lives, we need to be held to account for it.”

Evie nodded.

“That makes sense,” she said. “I just didn’t think you come down so hard on Casey.”

“Why?” I asked, and Evie shrugged, smiling a little.

“Because you like her,” she said, and I chuckled in response.

“I like you,” I said, and she took a quick glance around, before nodding.

She took my hand, and pulling me with her, she guided me to the little meeting room just off of the main hall, and as she closed the door behind us, she wrapped her arms around me, and pulled me in for a kiss.

I returned the kiss, but as she pressed me, her lips parting and her tongue slipping into my mouth, probing and searching for my own, I backed up into the wall behind us, and she pressed her body to mine, kissing me.

“You’re in a mood,” I said, and she smiled.

“Something about the baby possibly growing inside of me makes me feel fluttery whenever I think about you now,” she admitted, but as she leaned in for another kiss, the door beside us creaked open.

“Baby, huh?” Molly asked, poking her head inside.

She quickly scanned the room, before slipping inside.

“Baby?” she repeated, shooting a questioning look at Evie, and the girl began to blush furiously.

“I- uh, it was kind of a spur of the moment thing. We needed to accelerate his core regen… for healing. I-I swear!”

Molly put her hands on her hips as she eyed Evie a bit angrily, before suddenly breaking into a grin.

“Ugh,” Evie groaned, running her hands through her hair, and I smirked a bit, as Molly’s act hadn’t really convinced me all that much.

“If you make it that easy for her, she’ll give you hell,” I chastised Evie, and she frowned.

“This is a big deal! I’ve been freaking out ever since it happened,” she countered, and Molly smirked at her.

“Freaking out, huh? Is that what you two lovebirds slipped off to a dark empty room for?”

Evie’s shoulders slumped a bit, but Molly quickly came over and took the girl’s face into her hands.

“We’re having a baby,” she said, and as Evie nodded, a little tearfully, Molly kissed her, and the two women embraced. “Kid might be pretty good lookin’ too, considering who its parents are,” she added, shooting me a wink.

I rubbed the back of my head, chuckling nervously, but as Molly kissed Evie again, and Evie returned the kiss, I figured it was best to leave them to it.

“I’ll be outside,” I said, but as I moved for the door, Molly quickly cut me off.

“Make sure that I’m on that team, tomorrow,” Molly said, and I shook my head.

“Are you sure? I only wanted to take the strongest fighters,” I began, and she shook her head.

“I know I’m not that, but your gal-friend taught me some useful tricks. So, make sure my name is on the list. Besides,” she added, turning to shoot Evie a playful look. “I can’t allow the only guy Evie’s ever fallen for to just go out there and die. I’m bringing you back. With or without Cameron,” she said.

“Are you okay with this?” I asked, turning to Evie, and she quickly nodded.

“I would have come too, if I could,” she said, and I shook my head.

“You’re way too important to risk,” I countered, and she frowned.

“Don’t forget the meeting tonight,” I reminded the two, and Molly blew a kiss at me as I waved the two off and headed out the door.

As I got outside, however, all of the faces in the crowd seemed to swirl around me, and I took a deep breath in as a wave of lightheadedness swept over me.

But as a hand reached out, steadying me, a smile crept onto my lips as I saw whose it was.

“Alina; I think I need to sit,” I said, as my vision seemed to blur slightly, and the girl nodded.

She led me from the main hall, down the corridor, and up the stairs to Cameron’s room.

As we got inside, she quickly led me to the bed, before returning to shut the door.

“I’m not sure what’s wrong with me,” I said, but as Alina returned to my side, she placed a hand against my cheek, and as I looked up at her, I caught a slightly nervous look on her face.

“My lady explained this matter to me,” she began, and I studied her.

“You mean Cameron? What does that mean?” I asked, and she took a deep breath.

She seemed about to speak, when the door behind us burst open-

“I told you,” Bianca said. “He’s right here!”

Casey was following closely behind, and she furrowed her brow as soon as she saw me.

“Nate, what happened? Bianca said you looked dizzy, and you left the main hall,” Casey said, and I nodded.

“Yeah; it’s just a bit of lightheadedness. I’m fine,” I said, and she stared at me incredulously.

“A bit of lightheadedness? Nate, you’re going into fucking battle tomorrow. You can’t do that if you’re not well enough for a party!” she chided, and I sighed.

“I’m fine, seriously. It’s no big deal,” I explained, but I could see that even Bianca was a bit worried by what was going on.

“You’re Alina, aren’t you?” Casey asked, and the girl nodded. “Can you excuse us for a bit?”

Alina shot me a slightly panicked look, and I nodded as I raised a hand in her defense.

“Actually, I think we might need to hear what she has to say,” I said, and Casey eyed me.

She turned to Alina, and the girl swallowed uncomfortably, before moving to place a hand against my chest.

“There is something in here. A core,” she began, and Casey sighed.

“We know what a core is-” she cut in, but the girl quickly shook her head.

“It is not the same thing,” she replied.

“Are you talking about his heart then?” Bianca asked, and the girl nodded.

“Yes. This is the word used by the gods for the organ and the center. Here is where the lack exists,” Alina explained, and Casey studied her.

“I don’t understand. He got lightheaded because of that?” Casey asked, and the girl nodded.

“It is like a core, but the depletion leads to a heaviness inside of the part, and to replenish it requires… more than a mere rest,” she explained.

“But his core is fine. How can something like that lead to physical weakness?” Casey asked, furrowing her brow with some annoyance.

“Jesus. Have you never felt sad in your life? Ever?” Bianca asked, and Casey spun to look at her, a slightly shocked look on her face as she turned back to me.

“But- you can’t…”

She stopped short, as she remembered that Bianca was in the room, but-

“Yes. He does not feel as we do,” Alina said. “But the heaviness appears nonetheless. And Nathan is vulnerable to it, because he cannot sense when it begins to accrue.”

“He doesn’t, what?” Bianca asked, and Casey bit her lip uncertainly.

“I’m a psychopath,” I explained casually, and Casey rolled her eyes a little as Bianca’s jaw dropped.

“You’re a psychopath? That’s fuckin’ awesome! Why didn’t you tell me that before?” she asked, as she broke into a grin.

Bianca was studying me with a renewed look of admiration, and I shook my head disapprovingly despite the smile on my face.

“You know; if you wanna torture Casey, I could be into it,” Bianca whispered, though not so subtly, and Casey let out a sigh.

“I’m like, right fucking here,” she complained, and Bianca shrugged.

“We’ve gotta fill this emptiness in Nate’s heart, right? Maybe his torture gauge is just empty?” she suggested.

“I do not have a torture gauge,” I replied, as Alina moved to speak.

“Nathan requires the companionship of his lover; Lady Camryn,” the girl reasoned, and Casey sighed.

“Yeah, well she isn’t exactly here,” Casey said, and Alina nodded.

“This is fact. But my lady provided me with a list of suitable goddesses and companions who might be of service to Herr Nathan in her absence,” Alina explained.

“Oh~, a list? Please tell me Casey is on it,” I pressed, and Alina nodded.

“Frei-Casey exists,” she confirmed, and Casey began to massage her temples agitatedly, much to Alina’s confusion.

“I fucking hate you sometimes,” Casey mumbled, and Bianca frowned.

“What about me? Am I on there?”

“Yes, Lady Bianca. You exist,” she answered, bowing a little, and Bianca smiled proudly, shooting Casey a smug look.

“Looks like I made the cut,” she boasted, and Casey sighed.

“Congrats,” she said sarcastically, rolling her eyes as I continued to smirk at her expense.

“I think I feel better already,” I quipped, but Alina quickly shook her head at me.

“Your mood improves, but the lack persists,” she said, moving to place a hand worriedly against my chest again. “You must tend to your lord,” she explained, turning to Casey, who let out a sigh.

“You can actually see this thing?” Casey asked, and the girl nodded.

“This is my ability,” she explained, and Casey frowned.

“I dunno… his core still seems fine to me,” she said, but as she turned to Bianca, she let out another sigh. “I guess we better put the meeting off for tonight, then.”

I bit my lip.

“Are you sure? I’m fairly certain that I can handle a meeting, and we need to leave at first light,” I replied, and she shook her head.

“It’ll be fine. I was planning on delaying your departure until mid-morning, or midday at least, anyway,” she said, and I eyed her.

“Really?”

She nodded.

“Even if you left a day early, Ethan’s people might expect you at first light either way; later in the day, we might have a better shot at catching them off-guard,” she reasoned.

“Sounds reasonable,” I answered, and she nodded.

She took a quick look at Bianca, before nodding again, but as she made for the door, I sensed a bit of reluctance in her expression.

“I’ll let everyone know about the meeting then,” she said, gesturing to Alina, who followed along as she headed out of the room.

Alina shot me one more glance before leaving, and I sensed that there was something else that she wanted to say to me, but I figured she would want to have that talk privately anyway.

“You might need to keep that info quiet,” I warned Bianca. “Some of the others might not receive it as well as you did.”

“Yeah yeah, watevs,” she said, as she waved a hand dismissively. “Let’s get this armor off,” she said, as she helped me to remove the pieces, and stowed them beside the bed.

Bianca was smirking at me, and as she climbed onto the bed beside me, I ruffled her hair a bit gruffly.

“You’re misbehaving,” I said, and she shrugged.

“Ohh~. Are you gonna snap? Bend me over and pound me until you’re satisfied?” she teased, and I swatted her playfully, but as she giggled, she lay back onto the bed, and patted the bed beside her.

I scooted onto the bed, then eased down beside her, but as she moved over a bit, getting comfortable beside me, her expression changed a little.

“I don’t get it. If you’re a psychopath, how do you always know what I’m feeling? Psychopaths aren’t supposed to be capable of empathy, right?” she asked, and I sighed a little.

“I’m really good at reading expressions; visual cues,” I explained. “And I’m really good at replicating them too.”

She bit her lip.

“So… you fake it, basically?”

I shook my head, chuckling a little.

“I don’t think so. Faking seems to imply to me that I act one way while feeling another. I don’t feel, either way. I do feel enjoyment though, and I enjoy taking care of people. Taking care of you.”

“So… this make you fall in love thing. You were, like, _literally_ asking me for a miracle?” she asked, and I nodded.

“I guess so,” I said, and to my surprise, she smiled.

“Good. Then maybe we are made for each other,” she said, leaning in to kiss me.

We kissed a few times, before she broke the kiss, still smiling.

“Okay, this expression is a new one. What are you feeling?” I asked, and Bianca grinned at me.

“Wouldn’t you like to know,” she teased, and I groaned. “Contentment,” she answered finally, and I studied her.

“Contentment?”

She nodded.

“It feels much better knowing that I’m trying to make someone fall in love with me who might be just as incapable of it as I am,” she said, and I chuckled at her.

“You’re not a psychopath, Bianca. Just a damaged girl,” I said, and she shrugged.

“Doesn’t matter,” she replied, climbing on top of me. “You know, part of me was kind of looking forward to us dying in each other’s arms, like tragic lovers,” she said, and I frowned at her.

“I hate it when you beeline for the easy way out,” I said, and she smiled.

“Relax. ‘A psychopath, and a girl who doesn’t believe in love’. I think I like that story more,” she said. “Too bad it’ll have to wait until we get back from our rescue mission.”

“We could get started now,” I suggested, resting a hand on her hip, and she shook her head.

“Someone else needs you right now,” she said, and I studied her, a confused look on my face.

“What? What do you mean?” I asked, and she bit her lip nervously.

“Casey really needs you,” she said, and I raised an eyebrow at her.

She scooted off of me as I moved into a sitting position, and she fidgeted a little.

“This seems a bit… uncharacteristic,” I said, and she shrugged.

“It’s not. I mean, we all know what happens when Casey breaks down, and I’ve been keeping my eye on her; she’s cracking. And we’ll need her on top of her game to handle things while we’re out.”

I chuckled a little as I shook my head, shooting Bianca an admiring smile.

“I think it’s happening,” I said. “I’m falling in love.”

She smiled proudly, and as I pulled her in, I ruffled her hair again.

“Guess I better go find Lucia,” Bianca said, and I tilted my head at her.

“Lucia? What for?”

“She goes out looking for you every night unless someone stops her,” Bianca said, and I shook my head.

“So, she stays with you?”

“Yup. She’s never happy about it, though. She’s all like, ‘you’ll never replace Cammy’, and then I’m all like, ‘watch me do it, bitch,’ and then we kind of try to stab each other a little.”

“Cute,” I replied, though part of me was kind of worried that Bianca wasn’t joking.

 _Maybe I should try to keep Lucia with me in the future?_ I thought.

As we headed outside, Bianca gave me a quick peck on the lips, before turning, and darting down the corridor with that playful hop in her step.

Casey’s door opened up at that, and as she caught sight of me, she shot me a confused look.

“Nate? What’s going on?”

I headed over to her room, and she quickly ushered me in.

“Do you mind if I stay with you tonight?” I asked, and she quickly shook her head.

“No- I mean, it’s fine,” she said, clearing her throat a little.

She seemed suddenly anxious, much to my amusement.

We’d never spent a night together, huh?

I suddenly remembered all the nights Casey spent in my bed, hoping I’d come join her, and I smiled a little, as I moved to hug her.

“What’re you doing?” she asked, her voice sounding a little panicked, and I chuckled in response.

“Hugging you?” I asked, and she bit her lip.

“I- I’m not ready,” she said suddenly. “I need to take a shower,” she added, and I let out a laugh.

“Well, don’t let me stop you,” I said, as I headed for the bed and plopped down.

“Are you gonna sleep in those clothes?” she asked, and I nodded.

“Yeah, why?”

I sniffed at them a bit, but they still smelled of that perfume that Alva had applied to me, and in any case, these clothes were quite fresh.

“It gets pretty hot at night, is all,” she explained, and I nodded.

“I guess,” I conceded. “How about you take that shower, and then we’ll decide who’s wearing what,” I suggested, and she quickly nodded; but as she got to the bathroom, I caught her casting tentative glances out at me, before finally stripping and heading into the stall.

She seemed so nervous, and knowing that this was the same Casey who always seemed so calm, collected, and self-assured; it brought me quite a bit of satisfaction.

 _Who knew she could be this cute?_ I thought, until I heard her let out a groan of frustration from the shower.

“What?” I called.

“You’re thinking something stupid, aren’t you?” she called, and I chuckled a little.

“Maybe,” I called back.

As I waited for her, I gave the situation some thought, then stripped my shirt off, and as Casey came back into the room, she paused for a second, then sighed.

“You asked for it,” I chided, and she shook her head.

“We’re not having sex tonight,” she warned, and I shrugged.

“I never said we were. Is that the only thing that’s ever on your mind?”

I tutted at her, as I continued.

“I came here seeking emotional support, Casey, and just because I took my shirt off doesn’t mean that you can just treat me like I’m a piece of meat that you can just; wha- hey, ahahaha!”

I squirmed, laughing as Casey lunged at me and began to attack the sensitive places along my side, but I quickly managed to turn the tables, wresting her firmly into my grasp.

“Did that go the way you thought it would?” I asked, and she frowned.

“You’re lucky I’m not an actual fucking wizard,” Casey replied, but as I pinned both of her arms over her head and ran my free hand along the bare expanse of flesh along her thigh beneath her council robes, she squirmed a little, shooting me a slightly panicked look.

“You wouldn’t dare,” she said, and I shrugged.

“Could be my last night here for all I know,” I said, and she gnashed her teeth at me.

“Stop fucking saying that!” she snapped, and I chuckled a little, releasing her from my grip.

“I’m just teasing you, Case. I missed you, you know? I missed all of those advisorly duties that you used to perform,” I said, and she sighed, moving to sit on the edge of the bed.

“I never stopped being your advisor, Nate. I just-”

She sighed, before continuing:

“This was just easier when I could blame everything on the hypnosis,” she admitted, and I smiled, resting a hand on her lap.

“Well, if it’ll make you feel better, I could always hypnotize you,” I offered, and she turned to stare at me.

“You can do that?”

I shook my head.

“Even the smallest suggestion takes more energy out of me than you can imagine,” I said. “But we could pretend.”

Casey scoffed.

“Did you think you were still with Bianca? I’m not some child you can just trick,” she replied, but as I pulled her down onto the bed beside me and looked into her eyes, I saw a slight flash of panic, and her breath seemed suddenly caught in her throat.

“Fall in love with me, Casey,” I said, and she bit her lip.

“Too late for that,” she muttered, turning her head away from me, but as I leaned down, nuzzling her neck a little, Casey sighed, then pushed me away.

She sat up, then to my surprise, she stripped off her council robes, before returning to my side wearing nothing but a skimpy pair of cotton panties.

“What?” she asked, as I stared at her breasts admiringly. “You’ve seen all this before,” she said, and I shrugged.

“I could see it a thousand times, and I’d still stop to admire the sight,” I answered, and she frowned.

“Smooth talk all you want; I’m here for emotional support, not sex,” she warned, and I shrugged, but as she moved onto her side, I slipped a hand around her front and took one of her breasts into my hand.

“Mm. But the feeling of breasts in my hand are so important to my emotional well-being. Or maybe I need them in my mouth,” I mused, and she sighed.

To my surprise, she shifted, turning onto her back, and with her good hand, she brought my head down to her bosom.

I sucked the pale, milky globe into my mouth, but even as I sucked gently on the teat, I shot her a teasing look.

“I can’t believe you let me get away with that,” I teased, and she bit her lip.

“How do you know that I wasn’t just manipulating you into sucking on my breast?” she countered, and I snickered a little.

“Touché,” I conceded, before taking her breast back into my mouth, and sucking on it gently once more, this time pulling her on top of me, as I rolled onto my back.

I released the fleshy mound from my lips, then nuzzled my face into the valley between her breasts, and sighed contentedly into her chest.

“Do you really get that much satisfaction from those things?” Casey asked, a bit skeptically, and I shot her a wounded look.

“Are you serious? There’s only one place in the world that beats being between a woman’s breasts; and that’s being between her thighs,” I replied, and she bit her lip.

I could see the gears turning in her mind, as she tried to rationalize her request, and I smiled, because I knew how easy it would be to convince her.

I urged her forward, kissing her stomach as she scooted forward, and trailing my kisses down towards her pussy, but she stopped me.

“Nate; we’ll make a mess if you do that,” she warned, and I shrugged.

“A happy mess,” I countered, and she studied me, biting her lip as she did.

Her expression was hesitant, but rather than give her the time to reason her way out of it, I wiggled out from under her, and sat upright, cupping her face with my hands as I did.

“I’ve missed this. You. That cute expression on your face when you’re resisting what you feel. I want you tonight,” I said, and she eyed me.

“If we have sex and you go out there and die, I will hate you for the rest of my life,” Casey warned, and I nodded.

“I accept those terms,” I replied, and she shook her head.

“No, I want you to promise me,” she said. “Promise me that you’ll come back.”

I stared into her eyes, then smiled.

“I promised you I wouldn’t lie to you, so I won’t promise you something like that,” I began, but before she could turn away, I stopped her. “I can promise you this, though; tonight, I’m going to make love to you the way I’ve always wanted to, without holding back. And tomorrow when I leave, I’m gonna fight as hard as I can to make sure that I come back home to do it again, and again, and again.”

She looked away, wiping at her eyes a little.

“Nate- I can’t do this without you,” she said, and I directed her gaze toward me again, this time bringing her lips to mine for a kiss.

“Don’t mourn a loss that hasn’t happened yet,” I said. “I’m here now; you’re here now. And I know exactly what I want us to be doing.”

She tried to speak, but I cut her off with another kiss.

I kissed her again and again, until she returned the kiss, and her arms snaked their way around my neck as her lips parted, and our tongues began to dance.

I pulled her body close as we kissed passionately, until I broke the kiss, and moved down her body again.

Casey moved off of me, quickly slipping her panties down her legs and discarding them, before climbing onto me, a leg raised over my shoulder, and as she pulled me desperately towards her sex, I obliged.

She was dripping wet, and I looked up into her eyes as I planted my mouth onto her slit, tonguing her as I sucked and slurped up the heavenly nectar of her arousal.

“God, I love the way you eat me,” Casey moaned, and I reveled in the praise as much as did in her womanly taste.

As I continued to suck and lick her, I adjusted myself, placing my hands around her thighs from below, then I hefted her up and onto my shoulders, pulling her into my hungry mouth.

She moaned her appreciation, running her fingers through my hair and urging me on, and as she came, I opened my mouth and pressed it to her opening in eager wait of the gushing that typically accompanied her orgasms.

She moaned, her hips twitching in my grasp as she came, and I hungrily drank her juices as they squirted into my mouth, licking and kissing her thoroughly through her orgasm as I did.

“Stop,” she finally panted, and I planted one final, gentle kiss, before easing her down onto the bedding, on her back, and she stared up at me, panting as she did.

I caressed her leg which was still raised, and propped against me, but as I moved into her, rolling her hips back a bit to give me access to her rear tunnel, she stopped me.

She reached forward, and stroking my length a little, she guided me to her pussy instead.

I eyed her, searching for some indication of her intent, and she nodded.

“You _will_ come back to see your child,” she said, and I swallowed uncertainly, as I held her gaze.

I paused, unmoving, but she urged me forward, and as I felt my stiffened cock slipping easily into her slick, welcoming tunnel, I let out a soft, low moan.

Casey kept my gaze fixed on hers, and she pulled me down for a kiss as I slid all the way in.

“Make love to me, Nathan,” she whispered, nuzzling our noses together, and I stared into her eyes, my senses lost in a kind of trance.

My hips began to move on their own, slowly, withdrawing my length to the tip before sliding back inside of her, and I reveled in the sensation.

“I love how it feels; being inside of you,” I moaned, and she nodded.

“Then fuck me,” she replied, wrapping herself around me, and urging my movements on.

Her insides were wrapped deliciously around me, and every movement inside of her was pushing me to the point of orgasmic bliss.

“You really want this?” I asked, still hesitant, and she nodded; but as I moved against her, I saw that flicker of doubt behind her gaze, and I sighed.

“What?” she asked, as slowed my movements down.

“You promised you wouldn’t lie to me,” I said, and she frowned.

“I’m not. I- I want this. Because you’ll come back to your child,” she reasoned.

She wrapped her legs around me, trying to coax me into moving, but instead, I hefted her up.

“Casey; I _will_ do everything in my power to come back to you. You have my word,” I said. “But kids can wait until you’re ready to smile for me. In the meantime, though,” I continued, pulling my cock from her pussy, and pressing the engorged head into the small opening just beneath her slit, “I think I’ll settle for that wonderful face you make when I fuck your ass.”

Casey moaned as I slid slowly inside, the juices leaking down from her puss giving more than enough lubrication to easily work my length inside of her.

“God, I have no idea how the fuck I became such a slut for anal, but when you fuck me like this, I feel pleasure like nothing imaginable,” she moaned.

I bottomed out inside of her, thoroughly enjoying the feel of her much tighter rear tunnel, and as I leaned down and brought our faces together, we began to kiss; a passionate, almost animalistic kiss, and as I began to fuck Casey, she growled into my mouth.

“Tell me this is the only ass you’ve ever fucked,” she growled.

“It is.”

“Tell me it’ll be the only one,” she said, and I nodded, as I began to really pound her now.

She was grunting with each successive thrust, and one of my hands instinctively wrapped itself around her throat.

I didn’t squeeze, instead just holding her, letting her feel the power of being in my grasp while I ploughed into her with an almost animalistic intent, and it drove her wild.

I was in heaven, and I grunted loudly as I began to unload, pouring my thick, milky seed into her, and she moaned pleasurably in response, not getting to an orgasm, but enjoying the thorough fucking and seeding nonetheless.

Casey panted, and I did too as I collapsed on top of her, my cock still buried deeply inside of her ass.

“I’ll probably have a lot of advisors, but no-one else will ever be my kinky anal whore,” I confessed, and to my surprise, Casey grinned.

“At least that’s not a list,” she said, and as she giggled, I moaned a little at the resulting stimulation along my sensitive shaft.

I moved off of her, pulling out of her as I did, and as Casey eyed the thick, sticky seed covering my slightly softening cock, she suddenly leaned forward, bending down and taking me into her mouth, and sucking on me until she had sucked up every last bit of my seed.

“That’s interesting,” I said, and Casey shrugged.

“What kind of anal whore doesn’t suck a cock clean after pulling it from her ass?” she asked, and I chuckled at her, but the image triggered a memory-

“Oh, fuck me. I just remembered; I fucked Vanessa in the ass, didn’t I?” I said.

I felt slightly crestfallen, and Casey shrugged.

“Yeah, but I made you do that,” she reasoned. “Maybe you’re _my_ anal whore then,” she said, smirking at me a bit, and I frowned.

“So, what? I have to ass-fuck anyone at your command?” I asked, and she shrugged.

“Maybe we can even expand this ass-play to go both ways,” she teased, and I snickered in response.

“Don’t think that that’s something I’d shy away from,” I teased, and she rolled her eyes.

“Maybe we’ll just stick to doing it this way, then. Unless there’s some ass I decide I want you to plow.”

We took a quick shower and got cleaned up, but after giving the bedding a spot clean, we decided to head over to my room instead, settling in there for the night.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

I was lying on my back, with Casey on her side, resting her head against my shoulder, and she was tracing absent circles across my chest.

“I’m just nervous about tomorrow,” she said. “I don’t know if you’re putting up a tough act or what, but I still remember what it felt like watching Ethan tear through our fighters like they were nothing.”

“Trust me; I am thinking about it,” I replied. “I just don’t feel worry the way you do, remember?”

Casey frowned.

“Don’t you miss Cameron?” she asked, and I sighed.

“More than you can imagine. I just didn’t think you’d want to talk about that,” I teased, and she shook her head.

“My possessiveness ends when people start getting stabbed,” she reasoned, and I nodded.

“Fair enough.”

“I’m still struggling to understand this whole you needing emotional support thing,” Casey added.

“Honestly, I’m not sure I understand it either. Might be something the princess did… or maybe even something I’m doing,” I said.

“Something you’re doing? What does that mean?”

I frowned.

“I guess I promised Cameron that I wouldn’t switch off my ability to feel pain over losing her if I ever did,” I explained, and she stared at me.

“Wait, you’re serious? You’re doing that? Like right now?”

I nodded.

“Hurt like hell yesterday. Honestly, I thought I was going to die,” I confessed, and Casey scoffed.

“You let yourself feel that when you could have just switched it off? That’s crazy.”

“A promise is a promise. Besides; hiding from something just because it hurts is pretty ugly,” I replied, and Casey rolled her eyes at me.

“Ugh. You and this ‘beautiful’ thing. Is corrupting an innocent little girl into being your anal slut ‘beautiful’?” she asked derisively, and I quickly nodded.

“C’est Magnifique!” I declared, bringing my fingers together to my lips and blowing an exaggerated kiss at her for effect, and she groaned, turning on her side facing away from me, and folding her arms crossly.

“I know it’s not the same thing, but I felt like I was dying when you relieved me of my duties back then,” Casey said. “I guess didn’t realize that I was that much in love with you, but… I felt like I would make any compromise if it would make things normal between us again.”

“Well, for what it’s worth, I’m sorry that that happened. I never actually wanted to hurt you,” I offered, but she shook her head.

“Pain has its purpose sometimes. And I was letting my feelings turn me into something that you couldn’t accommodate anymore.”

I slipped a hand under Casey’s arm, and cupped one of her breasts, as I scooted closer to her.

“For what it’s worth, I’m thankful to have both my advisor and my kinky anal slut back in my life,” I said, kissing her neck, and she smiled for a second, before rubbing her forehead agitatedly and letting out a frustrated groan.

“Fucking hell, Casey. That shouldn’t feel like such a compliment,” she argued, and I snickered at her.

“Are you sure? Because you were blushing like a schoolgirl,” I teased, and she sighed.

“I wish you made it just a little easy to hate you.”

“Do you really?” I asked, and as she looked over at me, she bit her lip, shaking her head timidly.

“’Before you think about what it might be, think about what it is’,” she said, and I studied her.

“Who said that?” I asked, and she sighed.

“My professor; back when he was trying to get me on board for the research project under the company.”

“Oof,” I replied, shaking my head. “Not bad advice, but hell of a place it got you.”

“I don’t know how I feel about that place anymore. I’m more important here than I ever was in my previous life; although, almost all of that is on you.”

I shook my head.

“You’ve earned your place, Casey. By this team, and by my side.”

She turned to face me, then resting her hand against my cheek, she leaned in and gave me a kiss.

“And I could lose it all in a heartbeat.”

I scoffed.

“You’re smarter than that. I know you don’t want to hear it, but if the worst-case scenario goes down, you have to lead the way. And you can do it too. I know you can.”

She smiled a little.

“Maybe I can; but I still don’t want to. This advisory position is only worth it because of all of the awesome sex that comes with it,” she said, and I raised an eyebrow at her.

“Who are you and what have you done with my Casey?” I asked, and she shot me a teasing look.

“I’m being honest with myself; that’s what your ‘wife’ taught me,” she said, and I laughed.

“My wife, huh? I figured it would send you into a catatonic state to call her that.”

“It would; except in my mind that whole husband/wife roleplay is just whatever you two get up to in bed. She’s nothing more than a fellow advisor, really.”

I rolled onto my back and let out a sigh, and Casey scooted over, snuggling up to me.

“You really miss her, huh?”

I nodded.

“Does that piss you off?” I asked, and she shook her head.

“Not as much as I thought it would. As much as I wish I could hate Cameron, she makes it really hard to do that,” she explained, and I nodded.

“I know you want me to come back here in one piece above everything else, but I don’t think you’ll like the person who I’ll be then if I come back here without her.”

Casey bit her lip as she studied me, before resting her head against my shoulder.

“Guess I should give this battle plan some more thought,” she said, and I let out another sigh.

“Yeah? It’s still a lot less in our hands than I want this to be,” I said.

Casey was quiet after that, and eventually, I drifted off to sleep.

It was a dreamless sleep, though not as restful or peaceful as my nights in Cameron’s arms and with Lucia beside me, but when I woke up, it was to a strange commotion outside.

“Ugh; what’s going on?” I asked, as Casey quickly slipped her robes on, and went to the window.

“I’ll go check it out. Put your armor on,” she said as she headed for the door, and I quickly got dressed before heading outside.

“Nate! What’s going on?”

It was Francesca, and she was strapping her armguards on as she came out of her room.

“Not sure. Was just heading down.”

I helped her get her armguards on, then we headed down together, but as we exited the tree, I caught sight of a Kobalt hunter on a stretcher being rushed to the grove tree where our infirmary had been set up.

“What happened?” I asked, as I rushed to Casey’s side.

“They were attacked,” she said, and I raised an eyebrow.

“By what? Those wounds looked like regular stabs.”

“I’ll go grab some weapons,” Francesca said, heading off to the supply cart.

“Nathan!”

I turned to spot Astrid coming towards me.

“Astrid. What happened?” I asked, and she furrowed her brow worriedly.

“There was conflict. The children of Accalia have encroached upon our grove,” she said, shaking her head disbelievingly.

“The what?” I asked, tilting my head at the unfamiliar reference.

“Your people call them ‘gnolls’, though like ‘goblin’, this word carries unpleasant sentiment,” she explained, and I nodded.

“I’m guessing this is an unusual thing?” I asked, and she nodded.

“Yet another ‘thing that has never occurred’,” she confirmed. “The children of Accalia have lived for cycles upon cycles in the mountains beyond the trees. This marks the first I have heard of them within Eltari.”

I bit my lip.

“Why did they attack?” I asked, and Astrid frowned.

“There is no reason I can think of.”

As we spoke, a howl echoed to us from somewhere in the distance, and as Francesca returned to my side, handing me my halberd, I clicked my tongue in annoyance.

Then I saw Bianca approaching, quickly strapping on her armor as she did and with Lucia by her side, and I nodded, making up my mind.

“Secure the grove,” I said to Casey, and she raised an eyebrow at me.

“You’re going out there?” she asked, and I nodded.

“We don’t need another threat to worry about while we’re out there,” I said. “Do they speak the common tongue?” I asked Astrid, and she nodded.

“It is my understanding that they do,” she replied, and I nodded as I waved Bianca over.

“What’re we doing?” she asked, and I shook my head.

“Ask questions later. We’re heading out, and in a hurry,” I said. “You have your daggers?”

“Yeah,” Bianca replied, gesturing to Lucia’s as well.

“You need supplies, Nate,” Casey said, and I shook my head.

“They’re less than a mile away. We need to move quickly,” I replied, and Francesca nodded in agreement.

“Ready when you are,” she said.

“Handle the meeting,” I said to Casey, and she bit her lip nervously as we turned to leave.

“You have three hours. No more,” she called, and I nodded.

“Works for me,” I called back, as I picked Lucia up, and we turned to leave.

“What’s the mission?” Bianca asked, as I did a quick check to make sure that we had everything we’d need.

“Make contact, and find out what they want; but let’s not kill anyone if we don’t have to,” I said, and she nodded.

“Let’s do it,” she said, a grin on her face, and I nodded as we darted into the grove, and in the direction of the howl.


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The final conflict.

_Author’s note: Special thanks to Ardon G. Fowl, Jack Gwen, Reversal, Swedish Millionaire, and VC whose contributions made this chapter possible._

_This is a big one! There’ll be one more chapter to wrap up the first arc of the series, most likely to be released here before the end of December. As always, I’d love to hear what you think, especially if you enjoyed the chapter! Take care, and enjoy the read._

_Kousaka~_

***

We ran for what felt like about five minutes before Lucia tapped me on the shoulder.

“Nathan,” she said, and I nodded, pulling up to a halt, and signaling to the others to stop.

“What do you see?”

“Five Accayans,” she said, and I nodded.

How should we approach this?

Darting in with weapons drawn would certainly escalate things, though I did feel as if we needed to make clear that their own aggressions would not be tolerated.

“Be ready. Put on your helmets, but keep your weapons sheathed,” I said.

Francesca nodded, her own spear slung over her shoulder, and at my signal we began our approach; but we got no more than within a hundred feet of the group when howls sounded, and Lucia tugged at me.

“Nathan; surrounding us!”

“Backs together,” I said, and we quickly moved into formation, keeping an eye out for an approach.

Then I spotted one; he had grey skin and wore a kind of protective armor; brown in color, and seemingly some kind of leather at a glance; but the feature that almost immediately drew my eye were his ears, which much unlike our own, were at the top of his head and very much like a dog’s; or maybe a wolves’?

“Nate, they’re wolfmen,” Francesca said, and I chuckled a little.

As the group approached, a few more stepped out into view, and I quickly noted that their noses had a slightly snout-like appearance to them as well; though otherwise, for the most part, they seemed very much human.

“Are you Vasiliás?” A voice called, and I turned toward the sound.

He was a slender man with a lithe, though muscular frame, and a face which seemed to me quite youthful; but in his eyes burned a kind of determination that almost immediately endeared him to me, and in his hand was a spear aimed at my chest.

“King,” Lucia whispered. “Are you king?”

I nodded, understanding what she meant.

“I am. To whom do I owe the pleasure-?” I began, but as I stepped towards him, a growl sounded from deep inside his throat giving me pause.

“Vasiliás is mine; seize the rest!”

The man darted at me, and Francesca cut him off, deflecting his spear with her own; but as she moved to end him, I cried out:

“Don’t kill him! Fight without your spear.”

She shot me a questioning look, but as there were roughly fifteen of the wolfmen descending on us, she simply nodded, slinging her spear over her shoulder as she engaged.

I swept the legs out from under one as he darted at me, and I kicked another in the chest, sending him sprawling, before turning to strike another in the face with the butt end of my halberd.

“Nate; what do we do?” Bianca asked.

Lucia, however, was already in the thick of it, kicking one of the wolfmen in the shins, before leaping into another with both feet; knocking him to the ground as she fell, before rolling back onto her feet and moving beside me.

“Jab at them with your fists, like if you’re using a dagger,” I said, and Bianca frowned.

As I struck another wolfman in the face before sweeping another off the ground with my halberd, however, the group seemed to be backing up, their eyes drawn elsewhere, and as I followed their gazes, I spotted Francesca engaged with the young man, who it seemed, was their leader.

That determined look I’d seen from before, however, now seemed to have been replaced by a look of frustration, and he was baring his fang-like teeth as he tried to pin Francesca down; but she was dancing around him with much ease, easily controlling the fight despite not even drawing her weapon.

“Get out of my way, pest. My quarry lies beyond you!”

She laughed a little, and he growled in response.

“Can’t fight my king if you can barely even keep up with me, can you?”

His ears twitched at her words.

“You are a _girl_? Go home and play with dolls, little girl! Men are here to do battle!”

Francesca’s expression quickly became fiery, and as he lunged at her, she easily sidestepped his spear tip, and grabbing the weapon at the head, she brought it down on her knee, hard, and the wood split and cracked.

She took the spear point and threw it aside, advancing on the man, and he growled, discarding the broken tool.

He leapt at her with his hands, and she drove her knee into his stomach, sending him rolling; but as he struggled to regain his footing, she never gave him the chance, moving behind him and getting her arms around his neck, she put him in a chokehold and began to squeeze.

He fought and squirmed, kicking and flailing in his fight to break free, but Francesca was much stronger than he was, in no short thanks to her armor, and I eyed the rest of his group as his flailing finally weakened, and eventually, he went still in her grasp.

Francesca let go of him, and stepping over his slumped form, she shot a look at the rest of the group, daring another challenger to step forth.

“How can she be that cute and awesome at the same time~?” Bianca whined, and I chuckled a little.

“Didn’t you know? That’s the little lioness of Kleiner Hein,” I said, and Bianca frowned.

A flash of movement from the side, however, sent me on alert, but instead of the retaliatory strike I envisioned, the gathering of wolfmen had instead thrown themselves prostrate in Francesca’s direction, and as their leader let out a wounded whimper, he too crawled onto his knees and prostrated himself before her.

“By right, you are now a polemarchos of Eridia,” the man said, and Francesca studied him, regarding all of the group with an awkward expression, before shooting me a look that said ‘help, please?’

“What’s your name, son?” I asked, moving to the man, and he looked up at me, before turning his gaze towards Francesca.

She shot me a worried look, and I bit my lip as I regarded the gathering, but as I studied the man, I noticed something.

“Wait- that’s armor, isn’t it?” I asked, and Francesca quickly followed my gaze.

“Archontas, your leave to speak?” the man asked, and Francesca looked to me again.

“I think he’s asking you,” I said, and she bit her lip nervously.

“Nate- I, uh. I dunno how to…”

“Tell him to answer my questions, then,” I said, and she nodded.

“Answer to him,” Francesca said, and the man nodded.

“Your command is our duty, Archontas.”

“You can stand up,” I offered, and as the man glanced at Francesca, she nodded, and he climbed to his feet.

“Those slivers,” I said, gesturing to his arm. “Where did you get that?”

“Plundered from the warriors defeated in battle,” the man replied.

“Warriors? You mean otherworlders?”

The man studied me.

“I do not know this word.”

“People like us,” I said, gesturing to Francesca and myself, and he nodded.

“Inferior in skill, but similar in feature,” the man replied, and I bit my lip.

Was he really strong enough to have killed one of us?

In armor no less?

I regarded him with some suspicion.

“What are you called?” I asked.

“Iduma of Eridia,” he replied, and I nodded.

“And why are you here, Iduma of Eridia?” I asked, and the man gritted his teeth.

“A blight has descended upon my people. A blight that traced back to this land.”

“A monster?” I asked, and he nodded.

“But, why attack the Kobalt?” I continued, and he shrugged.

“We have no need of audience from those too weak to hold spears against our weakest fighters,” he explained, and I raised an eyebrow at him.

“And where do you think you would you stand if we met you with that same conviction?” I asked, and the man swallowed uncomfortably, as I moved aside with Francesca.

“What are you thinking?” she asked, and I frowned.

“This monster of theirs might have fled there from Irileth’s domain after the fallout. That’s not really our responsibility, but maybe we can use his newfound admiration of you here.”

“For what? They don’t seem strong enough to be of any use,” she said, and I chuckled a little.

“We could use the connection to their people. The Kobalt had a lot to offer us, maybe they might too?” I suggested, and she nodded.

“What do I do?” she asked, and I gestured to her as we returned our attention to the man.

“Iduma, was it? You said she was, something of Eridia?” I asked.

“Polemarchos,” he replied, and I nodded.

“What does that mean?”

The man blinked a few times.

“It means that she is now the head of _Alítheia_ , proud clan of Eridia.”

“And what does the head of your clan do, exactly?” I asked, and he swallowed uncomfortably.

“Command us as she desires…”

“Nate, I can’t-”

I raised a hand to stop her.

“Is this all of your clan?” I asked, gesturing to the group behind him, and he shook his head.

“These are my people’s fiercest warriors,” he said. “The rest of my clan reside in Eridia.”

“And where is this Eridia?”

“Over the hills, beyond the great forest,” he replied, gesturing off to the west, and I nodded as I processed the information.

That would have taken them through the lands occupied by Ethan’s forces, wouldn’t it?

“I want to hear about your journey here, but let your men tend to their wounded and settle down first,” I said, and he nodded, rising as I moved off with Francesca to join Bianca and Lucia.

“Nate! Do you think I could pet one?” Bianca asked, and I tutted at her.

“Try to hold off on petting any actual sentient beings for now. For all we know that could be an insult to their people,” I said, and she pouted.

“Nate- I don’t think I’m a right fit for something like this,” Francesca said, and I chuckled at her.

“Well, we don’t know exactly what this means just yet; but if they came from west of here and fought otherworlders along the way, I imagine they might have some vital scouting info that we could use.”

While we spoke, however, I noted a rather young ‘wolf-boy’ sizing Lucia up, much to the girl’s annoyance; but before I could say anything, one of the older wolf-people intervened.

“Giorgos! You would do well to leave that one be,” the wolfman said. “She would tame you before you could bare your fangs.”

I shot the man a thankful nod, and he bowed, leaving as their leader approached me.

“Archontas,” the man began, bowing to Francesca. “I stand ready for your command.”

“Tell us about your armor,” I cut in, and Francesca shot me a thankful look.

“On our journey here, we discovered a mobilization of force; but since the matter was of no shared concern, we attempted to navigate the lands without causing disturbance.”

“I see.”

“We moved under the cover of darkness hoping to avoid detection, but our luck didn’t hold. We chanced upon a squad; no more than four, and a struggle ensued. They slew four of my warriors before we raised a spear; but when two of theirs fell, the remaining warriors fled.”

“Hmm. And is it customary to wear this armor as you do?” I asked, gesturing to his arm, and he nodded.

“These things are cursed by your kind,” the man said. “Wearing them in earnest brings valor and protection, but at the cost of a weariness that sickens.”

I chuckled a little.

 _Interesting way to think of it_ , I thought.

“This force you encountered; did you take note of their actions as you travelled here?”

The man nodded, turning to Francesca.

“Is this force one that stands against you, Archontas?”

I nudged Francesca, and she quickly nodded.

“Uh, yeah. We… uh, we’re due to face them in battle,” she said, and he nodded, raising a fist to his chest.

“Then we will stand beside you in this conflict,” he said, and the men behind him, quickly raised their fists to their chests, before releasing simultaneous howls.

“I’m gonna leave this to you,” I said, and Francesca shot me a panicked look.

“You’re leaving me with them?”

I nodded.

“I need to check in with Casey before she freaks out,” I said, rubbing the back of my head, and she frowned. “You’ll be fine. We’re just a couple miles away. And you know where Grenze is from here, don’t you?”

She nodded.

“I’ll be back before you know it,” I said. “Do you want me to leave Bianca?”

She quickly nodded.

“Please?”

Bianca seemed to frown a bit at this, but as a mischievous smirk appeared on her face, I shot her a warning stare.

“No. Petting!” I warned, and she rubbed the back of her head, smiling awkwardly as I turned to Lucia. “Stay with Bianca, okay?”

“Okay,” she replied, wincing a little as I ruffled her hair, then turned and quickly made my way back to Grenze.

As soon as we arrived, Molly ran towards me, greeting me before anyone else caught sight of our approach.

“Nate! We were on standby to head out,” she said, gesturing to Nolan and Blair, and I nodded.

“Where’s Casey?” I asked, and she bit her lip.

“Uh, she’s prepping us to leave,” she said, but as I noted a slightly odd inflection in her voice, I eyed her carefully.

“Did she pick the team?” I asked, and Molly nodded.

“Let’s see; us three… and everyone you called last night. Except Raul and Evie…”

“Except Raul, Evie, and Casey,” I suggested, and she bit her lip.

Molly cast a quick glance over my shoulder and as I turned around, I caught sight of Casey wearing full armor, and she froze as soon as she saw me.

She fidgeted a little, before awkwardly making her way over.

“Nate; we were just prepping to come out and meet you,” she began, and I shook my head.

“Yeah, I heard; but why are you in armor?”

She bit her lip, rubbing her stump arm with her good one.

“I decided it would be in our best interest if I could be there to help direct things on this mission,” she explained, and I shook my head.

“You can’t fight,” I said.

“So? You say all the time that we need more than just fighters to win fights,” she reasoned, and I bit my lip as I studied her.

“Is that really the truth? Or are you just coming along because you don’t trust me?”

Casey quickly shook her head.

“I promise. I made this decision because it would give our mission the highest chance of success.”

I eyed her.

“Did you discuss it with anyone?”

She quickly nodded in response.

“Gisela, Alva… and Astrid,” she explained.

“And they approved?”

She nodded again.

“Alva will manage our side of the group, while Astrid and Gisela will continue to look over the Grenze citizens and the princess’ contingent respectively.

“Alva, huh?”

“She’s sharp enough, and with Raul on her side, her decisions carry sufficient weight,” she explained, and I nodded in agreement.

“Alright then. How long before we can move out?”

“We’ll be prepped in an hour, but we wanted to delay until mid-morning, remember?” she asked, and I nodded.

“We will; but our new wolfmen buddies have some scouting info for us. We’ll meet up with them there, then come up with a battle plan.”

“Buddies?”

“Short version; Francesca beat their leader in a fight and now she’s their new ‘Chieftess’,” I explained, and she nodded, taking a deep breath in.

“Of course. Because these are things that happen now,” she said, taking a deep breath in. “I have a few things to tie up before we leave. Are you staying around, or do you wanna head back out there?”

“I wanna head back out, but… can we spare Astrid, maybe?”

Casey nodded.

“She’s in the medical area,” she said, and I nodded, heading over.

As I walked, however, Molly stole to my side.

“I can probably say goodbye to Evie while you’re there,” she suggested, and I nodded.

As soon as we entered the main hall, however, I was greeted with a surprise.

“Nate!”

“Do mine eyes deceive me?” I asked, as Juliette moved over to me, and I stared with a bit of awe at what was a pretty cleverly constructed wooden wheelchair.

As I examined the handiwork, I noted that while the design was quite simple, it did seem quite functional.

“How did they build this thing so well on the first go?” I asked, astounded by the work, and Juliette smiled.

“Raul, I think his name was? Apparently, his grandmother back on earth used a wheelchair, so he was familiar with the design because he’d done some repair work on it, but… he said this tree could build things on its own, or something?”

“The tree can produce the item, but the design was all Raul’s,” a voice called from behind me, and I turned to see Alva.

“Alva. Just the person I wanted to see. Casey told me you were assigned to keeping these miscreants in check?”

She nodded, smiling a little.

“Better keep an eye on this one; I hear she likes to wander off and get lost in the wilderness,” I said, and Juliette folded her arms crossly.

“Hey~. Just you wait; I’ll be riding this wheelchair like a chariot into battle before you know it!”

I laughed, studying her with an admiring smile.

“Well, I have seen stranger things in this world so far,” I said, and Juliette took my hand, and gave it a squeeze.

“Thanks… for taking us in,” she said. “And for everything.”

I shook my head.

“Thank Raul when you can,” I offered. “And the Kobalt. They’re the ones who’ve offered us their homes.”

Juliette shot Alva a smile, and the girl smiled in return, bowing slightly.

“You are here for Astrid?” Alva asked, and I nodded.

“This way,” she offered, before pausing. “Frei-Molly; Lady Evelyn is tending to the injured hunters,” she said, and Molly nodded.

“I’ll stick with this one, then,” she said, gesturing to Juliette, who waved as we turned and headed down the corridor.

“Casey told me you approved of her plan?” I asked as we walked, and Alva eyed me a little.

“Her argument was convincing… and well-reasoned,” she said.

“Hn~. And how did you really feel about it?”

She bit her lip a little, then nodded.

“Taking her improves your chances of success. And we wish to see Lady Cameron restored, as well as having you safely returned to our princess. But be aware, Nathan. There are times when love makes stronger, the heart, but there are times when it invites weakness. I fear Lady Casey might be prone to the latter.”

I nodded, as Alva opened a door and ushered me into what appeared to be a dwelling room, where Astrid sat in some kind of meditative trance.

“Is she using her ability?” I asked, and Alva nodded.

“She feared for your safety, Nathan. This is how she has spent much of her time, hoping for signs that point to a successful endeavor.”

“Do we leave her?”

Alva nodded.

“Her vision will come to pass shortly,” Alva assured. “Your permission to leave?”

I nodded as she bowed, before turning and heading out the door.

As I studied Astrid, however, I noted her brow was furrowed with worry, and as I took a seat beside her, she suddenly gasped, panting as she returned to her senses.

“Nathan; I did not sense your entry,” she said, and I nodded, placing a hand over hers.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you,” I said, and she quickly shook her head.

“The worry is not a result of your presence, Nathan,” she explained, taking my hand and bringing it to her lips.

She let out a sigh, and I scooted forward, placing a hand against her cheek, and she relaxed her head against me.

“I have failed in my endeavor,” she admitted, and I bit my lip.

“What exactly were you trying to accomplish?” I asked, and she looked up at me.

“I seek assurance of your safe return,” she admitted. “But every sight…”

She shook her head, as her words trailed off.

“I am sorry, Nathan. I cannot speak of my visions before you depart on this quest.”

I nodded slowly, brushing some hair out of her face and stroking my fingers through the long, silvery locks soothingly.

“Your hair is beautiful,” I said, and Astrid stared up at me.

“Is it? My people find it unsightly and unusual,” she said, and I frowned.

“It’s one of the most beautiful features I’ve seen on a Kobalt woman,” I said, and she bit her lip a little.

“Is this flattery, Nathan?”

I shook my head, and Astrid studied me with a slightly uncertain look.

Then she placed a hand against my chest, and took a deep breath.

“It is the custom of my people that the acedent are to be treated with caution… yet there are times when I fear for you; as if you require my protection,” she said, and I tilted my head at her.

Acedent?

Was that their term for psychopaths, perhaps?

I wasn’t certain, but her sentiment reminded me of the way my grandmother always treated me.

Not as a threat… but as one susceptible to harm.

She leaned up to kiss me, and I placed a hand against her cheek, caressing her face a little, and as she broke away, I smiled.

Many of the Kobalt women were exceptionally pretty, but even amongst them, Astrid stood out.

She seemed to read my thoughts, however, blushing a little, and as the hue of green on her cheeks fluttered outward in ripples, she shuddered a little in my arms.

“This is no time for repose, Nathan,” she said, and I let out a sigh as I reluctantly withdrew my hand from her cheek.

“We made contact with the, uh wolf-folk; what was it that were they called again?”

“Children of Accalia, or Accalians,” she offered, and I nodded. “I saw a vision of them,” she added, and I studied her.

“Really?”

She nodded.

“Their destiny, and ours, it seems, are intertwined,” she said, and I nodded.

“Well, it seems we’re already on the right path, then,” I said. “Would you accompany me to speak to them?”

“I believe I must,” she said, and at her direction, we headed through the door and outside.

“More refugees have come in since the spider attacks, haven’t they?”

Astrid nodded, her brow creasing with worry.

“They flock to us for protection,” she said.

“Can we sustain their numbers?” I asked, and she nodded.

“We gain as many contributors as those that require our support,” she explained, and I nodded.

“And the space to house them is sufficient?”

“Yes. There is also a matter which may be of interest,” she added. “The cluster which fell to the monstrosity has been offered to us by what remains of the ruling branch.”

“Hmm. That was the one furthest from us, though. Wasn’t it?”

Astrid nodded.

“The distance is significant, but perhaps we can make use of this space in the future. As outposts between our eventual settlement and Palancar.”

“Will you handle the matter?” I asked, and Astrid nodded.

“I require only your blessing,” she replied, and I nodded, taking her hand and giving it a squeeze.

“You have it,” I said, and she smiled.

“Well, lookie here. All the Goddesses in the world just aren’t enough for this one, huh?”

Astrid quickly slipped her hand out of mine as Molly greeted us, shooting me a teasing smile, and I rubbed the back of my head nervously.

“I will quickly prepare for the journey,” Astrid said, bowing to me then Molly, before heading outside.

“Did you get a chance to talk to Evie?” I asked, and she nodded.

“The injuries to the hunters weren’t all that bad, it seems. But she’s been teaching Samantha how to accelerate healing in exchange for lessons about anatomy.”

“Hmm. That works out well. Sheila has been learning too, right?” I asked, and Molly nodded.

“Yeah, but she’s in more of a beginner class with Ryker, I think.”

Guess the medical skill must be harder to develop than I thought.

I wonder if Alchemy would have been easier?

I made a mental note to ask Jordan about it at the next opportunity.

As we got outside, Astrid gestured to me that she was ready, and as I took a look around, I decided to take Nolan and Blair with me as well.

“We moving out already?” Nolan asked, and I shook my head.

“We’re meeting up with Francesca and Bianca,” I said. “Casey will catch up to us with the others, and then we’ll make a plan for how to proceed.”

Nolan nodded, and after gathering up the supplies prepared for us, we made the short trek over to where the Accalians were now camped out.

When we got to the camp, however, I was greeted by the sight of Bianca happily petting the younger Accalian boy, while Lucia stared over her with a disapproving look.

As soon as she spotted me, she ran over.

“Naythan~! Byaka didn’t listen. Take away her arbata!” she complained, and as I picked her up, I chuckled.

“Don’t worry. We’ll make certain she’s properly punished for this,” I said, shooting Bianca a sharp look, and she quickly stepped away from the boy, and grinned awkwardly.

“He basically begged me to do it,” she explained, and the boy let out a sigh before returning to his group.

As I glanced at the group, however, I suddenly realized that there seemed to be a few Accalians gathered around in a circle, and as I got closer, I realized that Francesca was giving them a demonstration of the grappling move she’d used to take down Iduma in their fight.

As soon as she caught sight of me, however, she quickly brought the lesson to a halt, and came over to my side.

“Thank god. I was running out of parlor tricks to keep them occupied,” she said, and I chuckled at her.

“Really? Kind of looked like you were running a pretty nice combat workshop over there,” I teased, and she frowned.

“Fighting and teaching how to fight are like the only things I’m good for.”

“There are other things you’re good for,” I teased, and Francesca blushed a little at the suggestion. “I’m sure that ‘Iduma’ would be happy to learn that as well.”

Francesca let out a groan, as she followed me back to where our team was gathered.

“So, did you get any scouting info out of them?” I asked, and she nodded.

“Yeah. I think we struck gold here, actually. You remember that crossing that Ethan mentioned, to get across the river?”

I nodded.

“Uh-huh…”

“Well, there’s a fortress on the crossing itself. One of the only places where you can get from this side of the forest to the other side too. Apparently when Iduma and his people were crossing, he saw otherworlders settling in there.”

“Do you know of this place?” I asked Astrid, and the girl nodded. “Do you think you can tell me what direction it is from here?”

Astrid looked around, getting her bearings, and as she indicated the direction, I nodded.

“That’s the same direction that I’m detecting Cameron’s presence in,” I said, as I sat down and gave the matter some thought.

“So, we have to siege an actual fort?” Nolan asked, and I frowned.

“That might not be practical. Maybe we could find a way in, and take it from the inside.”

“Sounds like you need a spy,” Bianca cut in, smirking at me, and Lucia quickly nodded.

“Lucia better spy! Lucia smaller, harder to spot!”

I chuckled, patting her on the head and ruffling her hair a bit, which prompted Bianca to glare at her.

“Heeey, that’s supposed to be our thing~,” Bianca whined, and Francesca bit her lip nervously, while Lucia smirked at Bianca to her chagrin.

“Okay. We’ll settle down here for a bit while Casey and the others catch up,” I said, and Francesca raised an eyebrow at this.

“Casey? She’s coming on this mission?” she asked, and I nodded.

“We’ll need all of our best minds working on this if we’re gonna succeed,” I said, and Francesca frowned.

“A word?” she asked, and I nodded, moving with her a little way from the group.

“What is it?” I asked, and Francesca bit her lip nervously.

“I don’t think you operate at your best when Casey is around. She contradicts you too much, and you let her get away with it more often than you should.”

I frowned.

“Casey has helped me to execute some pretty crazy plans that have gotten us through the toughest times,” I reasoned, and she frowned.

“I know; that’s her strength. But do you really trust that she’ll make the right call in the thick of battle? And Nate; do you honestly think she decided to come because it would improve our chances? Because part of me thinks she just wants to watch over you and keep you in check.”

“Look; I understand your concerns, and I agree with most of them. But I trust Casey. And I’m choosing to put my trust in her here, okay?”

Francesca let out a sigh, then nodded.

“I trust you, Nate. Not her. If you’re giving her a chance, I will; I’m just letting you know how I feel about it. I hope you aren’t mad-” but I cut her off.

“I’m definitely not mad. Hearing you speak your mind all assertively and whatnot… it’s kinda sexy,” I said, and Francesca blushed.

She stole a quick look at the group, before pulling me along with her, and as soon as we were out of sight, she dove in and began to hungrily kiss me.

We kissed for about a minute before she broke away from me, grabbing me by the scruff of my breastplate as she did.

“When we get back from this mission; I want my promised nights,” she said, her tone firm, and it made me smile.

“Now there’s my little lioness,” I said, ruffling her hair, and she grinned.

“Just make sure your girlfriend doesn’t see you doing that,” she warned, but as she sauntered away, she paused, a slightly shaken look on her face, before she turned, and headed off.

As I rounded the tree, I spotted Nolan, and quickly guessed that he’d at least heard the last of our exchange.

“Is everything okay?” I asked, and he studied me for a bit, before shaking his head.

“What is Cameron to you, exactly?” he asked, and I took a deep breath.

“A lot of things,” I answered, “and I’m not sure if she’d appreciate me divulging the nature of our relationship without consulting her.”

Nolan scoffed.

“I’ve been her best friend for almost eight years,” he countered, and I nodded.

“I know; and I understand that, but I do care about her a lot,” I began, and Nolan scoffed again.

“Then who’s this girlfriend?”

“Francesca was just teasing,” I replied, and he shook his head.

“Spoken like a true dirtbag. Look, I’ve heard about this hypnotic suggestion skill, and I know you can copy it; and no matter what it takes, I’m gonna free Cameron from your clutches,” he explained. “Now, I couldn’t care less about these ‘tokens’ you handed out, but I’m willing to play nice for Cameron’s sake until we get her back. But when we do; how about you stick to your girlfriends, and stay the fuck away from her?”

“I’ll leave that decision up to her, if you don’t mind,” I said, but as I moved to go past him, Nolan stopped me, putting a hand up against my chest.

“I won’t ask nicely again, Nathan,” he said, but I quickly flicked his hand away.

“I don’t care how you ask; Cameron can make up her own mind, and if you’re worried about my hypnosis skill, then work on learning how to counter it, maybe,” I said, as I turned and walked away.

As I approached the rest of the group, I headed to where Astrid was.

“Do want to talk to him?” I asked, gesturing to the leader of the Accalian group, and she nodded.

I gestured to Francesca, and she came over to join us as we headed over.

“Iduma,” I said, but as the man laid eyes upon Astrid, he immediately bowed.

“I did not anticipate that a princess of Palancar would be present this day,” he began, but Astrid shook her head.

“You are mistaken. I am no princess, nor of Palancar,” she clarified, and he shook his head.

“My apologies,” he replied, but I quickly noted that his eyes seemed to flick between me and Astrid.

Astrid moved to speak:

“You have come a long way from your people’s lands, Accalian. Is this forest of interest to you?”

Iduma glanced at me, and I nodded.

“It seems one of the monsters from Irileth’s domain fled into his lands,” I explained, and she frowned.

“Then, you came here seeking one capable of slaying it? You came here seeking a hero?” she asked, and the man nodded.

“I sensed that your liege might be one such individual, hence my challenge to his party; but it seems I was bested by one who yet answers to him,” he said, gesturing to Francesca.

I bit my lip.

“There were many warriors that might have defeated you between here and your home. The forest was crawling with them,” I suggested. “Why did you come specifically to us?”

“My mission was one of desperation. Had I been defeated by a lesser mortal, I would have fought to my last breath and perished rather than submit my clan to their will.”

I eyed Astrid, and she nodded.

“His words can be trusted, Nathan. An Accalian’s heart would explode before they plot against their liege; even in thought,” she explained, and I rubbed my chin.

“So, we can rely on their scouting information, then?”

Astrid nodded; her expression thoughtful.

“Still… I’m not sure how useful they will be on this mission,” I said, and Iduma frowned.

“Give my oplítis a chance, Athánatos; they are fierce and worthy of your distinction.”

I shook my head dubiously.

“We’re heading into battle with others like us. With one even mightier than I am. How would your warriors serve me in the face of such opposition?” I asked, and Iduma stood firm, his head held high and a fist over his heart.

“We will lay down our very lives in your service, Athánatos.”

I shook my head at him.

“This is the problem. You would throw lives away to prove a point that I neither care for, nor can benefit from. Have your people rest here for three days, then when this matter is settled, we will accompany you to your land and see to your monster problem,” I said, and Iduma stared after me.

For a moment, he shot a pleading look to Francesca, and as she stepped forward, my gaze turned to her.

“What if we give them a conditional chance?” Francesca asked, and I bit my lip.

“Conditional?”

She nodded.

“We keep on their five best warriors, and Iduma will lead them, ensuring their survival,” she said. “If they survive, we accept them into our service.”

“And if they die?”

“Then we’ll release Iduma from his pledge and send him home empty handed,” she said.

I turned my attention to Iduma.

“What do you think of those terms?” I asked, and he nodded quickly, bowing his head to Francesca.

“I accept the conditions,” he said, and I nodded, dismissing him.

“Can his warriors stay behind at our grove?” I asked Astrid, and she frowned.

“It would be ill received, and lead inevitably to conflict,” she answered.

“Nate; what about our old campgrounds?” Francesca asked. “They would have access to a stream, and we left behind some lumber there, didn’t we? They could make camp there until we come back.”

I turned to Astrid, who nodded.

“This is acceptable,” she answered, and I shot her a thankful nod, before pulling Francesca aside.

“Vouching for the wolf-pups?” I teased, and Francesca fiddled her thumbs nervously.

“I dunno. Something about them appeals to me; like their warrior spirit or something. They kind of remind me of the hunters from Kleiner Hein; you know?”

“Well, their fate will be in Iduma’s hands. There isn’t room on this mission for you to be babysitting them,” I warned, and she nodded.

“I know,” she said, as we returned to the main group.

We waited around for about an hour, when Casey and the rest of the group finally caught up to us, led by none other than Gunter.

“Gunter! Are you coming along on this trip?” I asked, and the boy seemed to panic.

But the look on his face was nothing compared to the sheer terror in his eyes as soon as he caught sight of Lucia.

“Auslander,” the boy said, whispering to me, “I fear that one.”

“Relax,” I said. “She’s not gonna hurt you.”

But Gunter’s fears did not seem assuaged in the slightest.

“It is known by our people, Auslander; she carries the taint of the monstrosity who slew her seed-bearer. Do not trust or turn the back to her dagger.”

I chuckled at him, but suddenly it occurred to me that I very rarely ever saw Lucia interact with any of her kind, save for Ryker, Gisela, and Astrid.

And they only really interacted with her at my request.

While Casey and the others sorted out supplies and everything else, I decided to take the matter up with Astrid.

“Tainted by the spirit? It is nonsense,” Astrid said, an annoyed expression on her face as she eyed Gunter.

“Have you heard anything like that?” I asked. “Lucia hardly seems to interact with any other Kobalt,” I explained, and Astrid studied me.

“You proclaimed her a godling; your own charge,” she said. “Do you desire to relinquish your claim?”

I quickly shook my head.

“I just don’t want her to be lonely. Or an outcast,” I explained, and Astrid nodded.

“I see. Though do understand that her connection to the Gods set her apart from ordinary Kobalt. Not many will easily treat her with simple pleasantries.”

I nodded, biting my lip as I did.

“Just… keep an ear out for rumors, okay? I don’t want anyone treating her like she’s some kind of monster.”

Astrid nodded as Casey moved to join us.

“Nate. Let’s have a strategy meeting so we can get the ball rolling,” she said, and I nodded.

“Gather everyone up.”

I picked out a fairly open area beside a large tree trunk, and cleared away some of the grass and leaves underfoot so that we could do some map drawing when needed while Casey rounded up everyone else.

As the group settled down and all eyes were on me, I cleared my throat.

“Okay! Thus far, this is the information that we have. West of here is a river, which runs a bit like this,” I began, drawing a river which ran east to west, before turning south. “Thanks to our new friends, the Accalians,” I continued, gesturing to Iduma and his followers, “we know that there is a fortress somewhere along this river.”

“The fortress stands here, Athánatos,” Iduma offered, indicating to a spot just south of the river’s bend, and I shot him a thankful nod.

“My connection to Cameron indicates-”

“Wait, your what?”

The interruption came from Nolan, and I frowned.

“Cameron pledged herself to me before leaving, so that I would be able to find her,” I explained, and Nolan scowled.

I ignored the reaction, however, and continued:

“As I was saying, my connection indicates that Cameron’s location is in roughly the same direction as where this fort is, and given that Ethan seems to have gathered a force of otherworlders here, this is most likely where she’s being kept.”

“Oh~,” Bianca said, rubbing her hands together in anticipation. “Storming a fort, huh?”

I shook my head at her.

“We don’t know what the defenses will be like by the time we get there, and there are other complications to consider. For one, Ethan seems to have scattered otherworlders across this open expanse of forest,” I explained, gesturing to the area between our location and the forest headed west towards the river.

Casey stood up at this point.

“Our scouts actually have some info on this,” she began. “From what we can tell, the otherworlders under Ethan have taken up this region,” she explained, pointing to what appeared to me to be the area between the guildhall, and the river to the north and west of it.

“So, he’s baiting us into making our way through an open expanse of forest, all the while being hunted, and to a fort which may be significantly protected?” Molly asked. “Awesome.”

Her tone was a bit sarcastic, and I bit my lip nervously.

“What’s the plan?” Jordan asked, looking between me and Casey.

“We have a bit of an element of surprise,” I offered. “This trek would ordinarily take two days given the obstacles provided.”

“And we’re leaving a day early,” Francesca said, and I nodded.

“All it takes is one messenger running back to their base to take that advantage away, though,” Nolan countered, and I nodded.

“Not just that. If Ethan extracted pledges from all of them, then we only have as long as it takes him to notice the missing presences.”

“Fuck. How do we even counter that?” Nolan asked.

“We don’t. We just need to strike fast, and hard, and take out as many as we can before they have time to pin down our location.”

“How? Our armor alerts them to our presence from a mile away,” Nolan asked, and I nodded, gesturing to Casey.

“We go without the armor,” she answered, and a few mutters of concern sounded around the group.

“Wow, really? Do you really expect that anyone besides you or Francesca can win a fight without taking a single hit?” Nolan asked.

“Speak for yourself,” Bianca cut in. “But I haven’t been touched in combat yet.”

“Lucia too!” the girl cut in, and Nolan scowled.

“Well hold on there, hun; some of us aren’t quite that skilled,” Molly added. “Not that I’m complaining, mind you, but it kinda feels like if some of us are just gonna be dead weight in this plan.”

I shook my head.

“Our numbers are essential for covering a wide area as we move,” I explained. “And for the fights themselves; even more so. I can parry well enough with my halberd, but for the most part, we’ll be relying on overwhelming our enemies before they can react to us.”

“Hence all of the group combat lessons the past day?” Francesca asked, and I pointed a finger at her, and clicked my tongue.

“On the mark,” I said, and she smiled a little at the praise. “We’re gonna split into three teams; two for combat, and one for information relay and command. The first team will be Leanna, Blair, Lucia and myself. The second team; Francesca, Jordan, Bianca and Jeannie. Everyone else is with Casey.”

“Athánatos; if I may?” Iduma cut in, and I gestured to him to proceed. “My Accalian warriors excel at sniffing out the presence of our enemies. As long as they are your kind, we can effectively detect them, and indicate accordingly.”

I tilted my head at him, a smile creeping across my lips.

“Well; it seems I may have underestimated your importance to this mission of ours,” I said, as I shot Francesca an appreciative smile, and she blushed.

“In that case, we’ll split up your warriors amongst our groups. Casey?” I called, gesturing to her, and she moved to my side as the group split off to make preparations.

“This Iduma; he’s wearing armor, but like-”

“Yeah, I see it,” she said.

“We didn’t detect him with danger sense, yet it seems to me that he’s gaining some of the skill benefits from them,” I said, and she bit her lip.

“I’ve never heard of using armor like that. Although, I didn’t even know fighters who don’t use armor at all even existed.”

“Do you think we could wear the armor like that, then activate it pre-battle?”

Casey bit her lip a little.

“Could be risky; activating armor uses a bit of energy. It might cost us in the long run,” she said.

“How many pieces can we wear without triggering danger sense?”

“Two,” she replied. “My first instinct was to wear only the pieces for speed and endurance, but if we can get the benefits from wearing it like that without activating them, then maybe we just need to activate the pieces that are most immediately useful.”

“Breastplate and armguards?” I asked, and she nodded.

“Although, boots are pretty handy for running,” she replied. “Maybe forget the breastplate. We might move faster without it.”

As I tried wearing the pieces in sliver form, however, I noted that we were only able to access the enhancements from two pieces at a time.

So, with that in mind, we split the armor up amongst the group, distributing the tier-three speed pieces that we’d acquired from Jacinda amongst our main fighters; Bianca, Francesca, Jordan, Blair, Lucia, and myself.

Lucia seemed pretty excited to be given armor, but it wasn’t without conditions.

“You need to keep an eye on your core, okay? If it starts to deplete too quickly, you need to tell me,” I warned, and the girl nodded.

“Nathan can trust Lucia! Lucia is better than Byaka!”

I bit my lip a little nervously, and felt slightly relieved that she was on my team where I could keep an eye on her. Though it did occur to me that more recently, I’d been much more of a Casey when it came to her security.

It took a bit of mixing armor around to get everyone covered with the basic skills, but eventually, we were ready to go.

“Nathan…”

Astrid placed a hand against my chest, and took a deep breath.

“Perhaps I can try one more vision?” she asked, and I shook my head.

“We’re already getting into midmorning,” I replied, and she bit her lip.

She glanced over at Casey, and hesitated for a bit, before moving into my arms, hugging me, and giving me a quick kiss on the cheek.

“I will focus my waking on thoughts on willing your safe return to me into being,” she said, and I smiled a little, brushing her hair out of her face as I caressed her cheek.

“Knowing that not just one, but maybe two princesses are waiting for me is definitely motivation to return,” I assured her, and she smiled a little, though as we turned to leave, I noted that her brow was creased and wrinkled with worry.

 _I’ll be back_ , I thought. _I want to be back._

I waved one final time before turning to leave.

We headed out, deciding on a range of three hundred strides between the main groups and the support group, giving us an effective range of detection of about eight hundred strides, which we could easily maintain while moving at between a T-one and T-two marching speed.

The Accalians struggled a bit to cope with the speed, but as we came to the campground within the blighted grove where we’d first made camp, we left behind those who had not been selected to come along on our quest, and the going got much easier.

At my direction, we moved northwest from the camp area until I was fairly certain we were within range of the little cave where Danica and I had our little rendezvous on the night we ran into her, and after confirming that we were in the right place, I gathered everyone up for a final pep talk.

“This is it,” I said. “Remember, you can’t hesitate. Strike hard and fast, and keep your eyes open.”

We spread out and began to move, but it didn’t take long before one of the Accalians alerted me to a signal coming from the other group, and I quickly made my way over.

I caught sight of Jeannie first, a shell-shocked expression on her face, and as I moved to her, the scene came into view; three corpses, all otherworlders.

“Nate, I-”

“I don’t expect this to be easy,” I said to Jeannie, and she blinked back some tears.

“They begged,” she replied, her voice a hoarse whisper. “They begged for their lives, Nate.”

I put an arm around her shoulder, offering what comfort I could before spotting Casey’s approach.

“Three, huh? Strip the armor,” she said, but the Accalians were the only ones who seemed to be able to respond.

Francesca’s hands were shaking, and I bit my lip as I considered the scene.

This could get out of hand, and fast.

I released Jeannie, giving her one final reassuring squeeze before moving to join Francesca.

“Who got the kills?” I asked, and she swallowed uncomfortably.

“Uh, I got two. Iduma got the final one. Bianca choked and uh… I- I hesitated too. He almost stabbed her,” she added, gesturing to the man lying off to the left, and as I turned, I spotted Bianca crouched down, her arms wrapped around her knees.

“How strong were they?” I asked.

“Tier one. Their armor is low grade tier one as well…”

I pursed my lips, frowning as I considered the development, before turned to Casey.

“If everyone in this zone is T-one, then killing them all is gonna mentally destroy us before we ever get to the fort,” I said, and she frowned.

“Nate, we don’t know for sure that they’re all T-ones. We _cannot_ be soft about this.”

I bit my lip, as I weighed her argument.

“Maybe that’s what Ethan wants,” I said, and she frowned.

We moved the bodies into a bit of brush, and I gathered up the group afterwards.

“What’s wrong?” Blair asked, as she glanced around at the sullen looks.

“Change of plans,” I replied. “Two teams; Blair, Francesca and Bianca with me. Iduma; you and your best fighter as well.”

“Athánatos,” the man replied, bowing.

“Everyone else with Casey. We’ll move two hundred paces ahead of you,” I said, and Casey nodded, though her expression was a bit uncertain.

“We hit fast, but I want some survivors to question. The more the better.”

Blair shot me a pouty look, and I returned the gaze with a stern glance that said ‘behave’.

We took off again, and after another twenty minutes, Iduma signaled to us, and we pulled up to a stop.

“Ahead, Athánatos. Four warriors.”

I nodded.

We signaled to the rear group, then fanned out, and began to make our way cautiously forward until we spotted them.

There were four of them gathered in a small circle and eating what appeared to be bits of bread or some kind of biscuits.

As I slung my halberd around my shoulder, I raised a hand to signal to the others, and as I brought the hand down, we darted in, and we were on them before anyone could get out a cry, much less a weapon.

I got a knife to the first man’s throat, and Bianca did as well with her dagger.

Francesca’s target tried to fight, but she quickly pinned him face down onto the ground, a hand twisted painfully behind the back.

Blair’s target tried to scream, however, and the girl didn’t hesitate, slitting his throat almost immediately.

I frowned a little, but as the others quickly became very compliant, I decided to let it slide.

We disarmed them, then moved the rear group forward, and while the others looted and handled the corpse, I began to question them.

“I don’t have much time, so either you’re talking, or I’m cutting,” I said. “How many of you are in these woods?”

No one answered, so I withdrew my dagger, and stabbed one of the men through the hand.

He screamed out, but Francesca was on hand, taking a piece of wood and shoving it into the man’s mouth, silencing him.

He bit down as the pain coursed through him, and I turned to one of the others.

“How many?”

There were still no answers, but as Blair moved forward to inflict another injury, I stopped her.

“Is there some reason why you can’t answer?”

The men glanced at each other, then nodded, and I cursed under my breath.

“Who did you pledge to? Is it Ethan?”

One of the men shook his head, but as he did, his eyes went wide, and suddenly he grasped at his chest.

He went down and began to writhe, groaning as he did.

“Is he faking?” Blair asked, but as he began to cough up blood, she studied him with interest.

“Nate; his heart just exploded,” Francesca said, and I turned to her, then studied the man with sensory perception.

I couldn’t see his heart, but I could see the threads stalling, and the light of his core fading to darkness as his body went still, and as I leaned down to examine him, I confirmed that his heart had indeed stopped.

“Is that what happens when you tell me something that you shouldn’t?” I asked, and the men nodded.

I let out a sigh, before pulling Casey aside.

“What can control someone to this extent except for a pledge?” I asked, and she bit her lip.

“Nothing; as far as I know, at least. Maybe he lied?” she suggested, and I shook my head.

“Would his heart explode if he lied to us? I think he told us something we weren’t supposed to know.”

I turned to the men.

“The name I just mentioned. Is that who’s controlling you?” I asked.

The men looked at each other, then one of them shook his head.

“But this person; they answer to him?” I asked, and the man nodded.

I turned to Casey.

“Can someone who’s pledged offer another pledge to someone else?”

She bit her lip.

“Yeah, but you can’t use the new pledge to contradict any of the terms of their original pledge,” she replied, and I nodded, turning to the men.

“Will you take the pledge?” I asked.

The first man shook his head, and I clicked my tongue in annoyance.

“You pledge, or you die,” I said. “You have five seconds to decide.”

I moved to the first man, and he swallowed uncomfortably.

“Nathan,” I said, telling him my name, and he gestured to his throat.

“Mouth the words,” Casey said, and the man took a nervous breath in, then nodded.

I placed my hand against his chest, and as he mouthed my name, my implant began to glow.

“Walking corpse two,” I said, and the man swallowed uncomfortably.

His buddy also took the pledge, and as they did, I created a series of clauses compelling them to follow my command, and forbidding them from killing any living creatures, with disobedience of either clause resulting in death.

I then gave them directions to the campground where Iduma had left his kinsmen, and commanded them go there and await my return.

“How will your warriors receive them?” I asked Iduma.

“Honorably. Prisoners of war are treated with respect; it is the Accalian way,” he answered, and I nodded.

“So, we can’t get information out of them, and we don’t know when we’ll end up coming across more skilled warriors,” I noted.

“Nate; I understand your concern about murdering these people, but we’re gonna pay for it if we aren’t careful,” she said, and I nodded in agreement.

“Let’s just do what we can for now.”

We set out again, and this time we were able to cover a bit more ground before encountering another group, this time, of three otherworlders.

These were, however, walking through the forest, moving east to west, so we moved a bit south of their location, then hid in the bushes until the neared us, then we leapt out and attacked.

Francesca got the first man into a chokehold, and grappled him to the floor, but as the second moved to stab at her with a sword, I cleaved the arm off, and as he screamed, I stabbed through his neck, silencing him.

Bianca moved quickly to get a dagger to the third man’s throat, but Blair moved in as well, and she hacked into his shoulder blade from above, sending a spray of blood in Bianca’s direction much to her annoyance.

“Hey~, I had that one,” Bianca complained, as she moved off from the man, and Blair scoffed.

“Kinda looks like I had him,” she replied offhandedly, and Bianca pouted at me.

As I turned to the only survivor, however, a call came to me:

_Nate! Help!_

Francesca caught the look in my eye as I darted off, but to my surprise Bianca had moved as well, and was already at my side, and as we got to the group, I spotted four otherworlders engaged with them.

Jordan and Nolan were engaged with one otherworlder apiece, while a third was fighting with Molly and Jeannie, and a fourth was being fended off by the Accalians.

We moved in, quickly overwhelming the fighters, until another cry drew my attention.

I spun around to see that the otherworlder engaged with the Accalians had apparently broken through their ranks, and as he stood poised to attack Casey, Lucia leapt onto his back and began to stab at him from behind, jabbing his dagger into his neck from the side several times.

A spray of blood erupted from him, and as she panted, her hands shaking, I quickly moved to pick her up.

“Nathan!” she cried, as soon as she was in my arms, and she began to sob and wail as I held her, stroking her back soothingly.

“It’s alright. I’m sorry,” I began.

I spotted a stream off to the east of us, and I quickly made my way over there, sitting by the water way and scooping up some water to wash the blood off of Lucia’s hands and body.

She was still sobbing, and as I held her tight, a worried looking Casey came over to join us.

“Nate; we shouldn’t linger here too long,” she said, but as I looked past her, I saw that the expressions on everyone’s faces were downright distraught.

“They aren’t killers,” I said. “Or warriors.”

“Nate, we don’t have a choice here.”

I shook my head.

“We’re killing all of these people just to rescue one person; and yeah, I’d kill a lot more than this to rescue Cameron, but maybe I’m forcing a burden onto everyone that they can’t bear,” I said, and Casey furrowed her brow.

“Nate; this isn’t just about Cameron. If we’re gonna survive, we need to accept that there will be threats, and not all of them are gonna be monsters. They need to learn to deal with this,” she reasoned, but I shook my head.

“I’m the one who led them into this; this should be my responsibility; not theirs.”

I stood up and moved back to the group, where the forward group was now gathered up as well, and as I noted the despondent looks on their faces, I made up my mind.

“I think I’ve made a mistake,” I said, and everyone turned to study me. “Asking you to take lives wasn’t part of the deal when you decided to follow me, and it might not be fair of me to expect you to do that.”

“So, what do you expect them to do? Lounge around while you and Francesca do all of the dirty work?” Casey cut in. “Look, dealing with this is gonna be tough; but no-one followed you here against their will, okay? We’re all in this together.”

I bit my lip, but as I returned my gaze to the group, I could see their expressions shifting.

“Casey’s right, Nate,” Molly said, as she approached me. “This sucks. It really does. I haven’t killed anyone yet, but I feel it already… a heaviness. Anxiety gnawing at my chest until I can hardly breathe. But we’re in this together. If _anyone_ was taken from us, we’d all come together like this to get them back; no matter who it was.”

“Except Blair. She can suck a nut,” Bianca added, and as Blair smirked, Molly ignored the two, continuing:

“You taught us to support each other; to trust each other, even when it was difficult,” she said, glancing at Leanna as she did. “But you were right. We’re stronger for it, and this is how we’re gonna survive; so, whatever we have to endure, we’ll endure it together. Because that’s what it means to be a group, isn’t it?”

I bit my lip, glancing around.

There few nods of approval, sure… but from what I could tell, the blood had only just begun to flow, and this fleeting sentiment wouldn’t last if their resolve remained lacking.

I tried to figure out how to articulate the thought, but the moment was cut short by the Accalians suddenly going on alert.

“Athánatos, something approaches,” Iduma said, and I nodded.

I set Lucia down, gesturing to her to go to Casey, but she quickly wiped her eyes and shook her head, putting on a serious face as she drew her dagger and got ready.

“Are you sure?”

She nodded.

“Lucia wants to save Cammy,” the girl said, and I nodded.

Bianca waved her over and we moved into position, with Blair at my side, and Francesca sitting back just behind us, but as our attackers came into view, I noted with interest that there were just four of them, and with a quick glance using sensory perception, I could tell that they were below tier-one.

“You all seriously don’t stand a chance,” I began, and the group exchanged some nervous glances.

But rather than respond, they charged, and I clicked my tongue in annoyance as we moved to meet them.

The one nearest to me had a spear and he stabbed at me as soon as he was in range.

I evaded the clumsy stab with ease, grabbing the weapon and kicking him in the stomach area of his armor.

He went flying, leaving his weapon behind, and as the second man approached, Bianca darted past me; he swung at her with a sword, and she evaded, stabbing him on the hip.

He tottered back, and Blair used the opportunity to cleave into his neck, much to Bianca’s annoyance again.

I moved forward to my own quarry, aiming his own spear at his throat, and keeping him pinned.

As I glanced around, I saw that Francesca had grappled her quarry to the floor, while the fourth was engaged with Lucia and Jordan, and as a few of the others surrounded him, he spun around, looking for an out, but all the while swinging his weapon in warning at everyone.

“Hey; calm down,” Nolan said. “Or this will end badly for you.”

The man fell to his knees, and after a moment of indecision, locked his gaze onto Lucia.

“Watch out!” I called out just as he charged, but she evaded his sloppy attack, nicking him on the foot as she did, and as he fell over Jeannie moved in and aimed a spear at his throat.

But as he desperately flicked away the spearpoint, it grazed his neck, and Nolan moved in, stabbing him in the exposed part of his neck from the side.

He grimaced, and as I eyed my own quarry, I could see a similar look of desperation in his eyes.

“Jesus Christ,” I said. “We won’t even kill you if we don’t have to.”

The man’s expression quickly shifted from desperation to despair, and as we rounded up the survivors; the warrior I had disarmed, the one Francesca took down, as well as the man from the earlier group, I continued to study him.

There was a look there, as if he wanted to say something, but even as I extracted his pledge, he remained silent.

As I sent them off, however, he turned to me.

He gestured to his eyes, then pointed at me, then himself.

“What the fuck-?” Blair began, but I raised a finger, cutting her off.

“Watch you?” I asked, and the man nodded.

He turned to leave, I took a look around, then made a judgement call.

“Francesca; lead the lines. Fight to kill if you have to,” I said, and she tilted her head.

“You’re leaving?”

I nodded, as Casey moved closer, a disbelieving look on her face.

“What the fuck, Nate?”

“I’m gonna get some answers; just lead them along. Northwards, sometimes westwards. Mix it up, but keep moving. Conceal the bodies as best as you can and strip the armor, nothing else.”

“Nate!” she called out.

“I’ll find you using the tokens; less than an hour,” I promised, and Casey ran her hands through her hair.

“Wait. Take Lucia,” she said, and I eyed her.

“Lucia?”

“She can see better than you can,” she reasoned, but before I could reply, Lucia had already darted to my side.

I swallowed, then nodded.

“Alright,” I said, and we set off, following on the tail of the two men.

“I’ll keep my eyes on them; you look out for other enemies,” I whispered to Lucia, and she nodded.

Following them proved to be fairly simple, given that they kept to a rather pedestrian walking pace and their pledges made it impossible for me to lose them; but given the uncertainty of running into trouble, we had to move stealthily through the woods in any case.

As we walked, however, I began to pay attention to Lucia’s movements, which I noted, with some interest, seemed to be much, _much_ quieter than my own.

But I had little time to ruminate on the matter, when the group up ahead suddenly began to run.

I had a split second to make a decision, but I quickly settled on trailing the otherworlder who had signaled to me.

He ran a short way south east of where they had gotten to by that point, before ducking into some bushes, but with his pledge, it was easy enough to keep track of.

Instead of looking for him, I circled the area, trying to get as close to him as I could, while finding a place to remain hidden.

Eventually we settled on a bush, and we waited for what felt like about fifteen minutes, when Lucia tapped me, and gestured, indicating the direction from which three otherworlders were approaching.

“Are you hiding? Seriously,” a man said out loud.

“I don’t think he understands the rules~,” a girl sang, laughing as she did.

I swallowed uncomfortably as they were just a short way to our left, but as I grasped my halberd and readied myself, the man darted out of the bushes, only to be caught by one of the three, and thrown to the ground at the feet of the first man who’d spoken.

“So pathetic. Look at you,” the man said. “They took your armor and your weapons but not your life, huh?”

“Because his life is worth less than his armor!” the girl exclaimed, and the two laughed a bit.

The third man, however, had a more serious expression on his face.

“Can I just kill him already? You two got your kills,” the third man said, and the girl frowned.

“Gosh. Would it kill ya to just lighten up a bit?” the girl asked, and the man scowled in response.

“Look; I’m not into this thing of getting off on murdering people, a’ight? I just want to buy my fuckin’ ticket out of this mess.”

“Come on, Lester. Lighten up,” the girl said. “The more we kill the stronger we get, remember? We just need to let them thin through enough so that we can pound ‘em ourselves!”

“Look, I told you. I don’t give a fuck about that shit. I don’t want the credits; I just want my freedom.”

“Easy, Les. We’re a team here; you don’t leave until I decide we’re done,” the first man said, and Lester sighed.

“Look, whatever. We just need to kill one of them anyway, right? I’ll stick around that long, but as soon as my chains are off, I am getting the fuck outta here!”

Lester withdrew his dagger as he leaned down and stabbed the man through the neck, then tearing the blade out of him, he turned and flicked the blade.

“Oh, did you see that? He tried to do that whole badass flick the blood off of his blade thing, but it doesn’t work like that in real life, moron! Ahahaha!”

The girl was cackling, while Lester shot her a nasty look.

“Whatever; are we trailing them, or are we just gonna camp out waiting for the next deserter?”

“Camping; obviously,” the first man said.

Lucia had a hand on her dagger, and seemed to be waiting on my signal, but I placed a hand over hers and shook my head, as my sensory skills were picking up more skills than usual on these, which was odd, given that they were wearing what seemed to me to be fairly basic tier-one armor.

He did say that the more they killed, the stronger they get, didn’t he?

I bit my lip a bit, as I considered whether or not trailing them was a good idea, though truthfully; I knew it wasn’t.

It just pained me to lose sight of a group like that, when every instinct I had told me that I needed to get together a team and hunt them down as soon as possible.

“Nathan,” Lucia whispered, tugging at my shirt. “Lucia can pledge. Lucia follow, then Nathan find her.”

I stared at the girl in shock.

Truthfully, Lucia’s intelligence for her age never ceased to amaze me, but sometimes, she did things that just completely blew me away.

I smiled at her, ruffling her hair as I did.

“You’re amazing, but over my dead body,” I said, and Lucia frowned a bit.

She took my hand and brought it to her face, then nuzzling the back of my hand, she brought it to her forehead, and I smiled a little at the gesture.

I picked her up, and after waiting for a bit to make sure that the otherworlders had moved off some way, we stole off into the forest, making a beeline for the main group.

“Nate!” Casey greeted me as soon as she saw me, and as I set Lucia down, she actually hugged me, and gave me a quick kiss to my surprise.

“Jesus. How many girls are sickeningly obsessed with you?” Blair asked, smirking a bit as Bianca shot daggers out of her eyes at me.

“Hey, Nathan. I killed someone. I’m fine. Thanks for asking,” Bianca said, as she turned and stomped off to the other side of the group.

“You encountered another group?” I asked, and Casey nodded.

“Two,” she clarified. “Both groups of three.”

“Who got the kills?” I asked, and Blair grinned.

“I got three,” she announced proudly, and I shook my head at her.

“You need to work on that camouflage,” I said, and she shrugged.

“If they’re fine with you, they’re bound to be fine with me,” she replied offhandedly, which prompted Molly to scowl at her.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Molly asked, and Blair’s expression suddenly shifted a bit, as she registered Molly’s intonation, and caught the worried look on Casey’s face.

“People who rock harder than you plebs could possibly comprehend,” Blair said, correcting her tone into that more teasing delivery that thankfully just prompted Molly to sigh, before moving off.

Blair shot me a look that said, ‘you owe me’, and I nodded subtly before returning my attention to Casey.

“Uh, Bianca got one, and Francesca got the other two,” she said.

“How did Bianca react?” I asked, and she bit her lip a little.

“She said she was fine, but uh… she was crying,” Casey said, and I nodded.

“Let’s take a little break, then; let them eat, drink, rest a little,” I said, and Casey nodded, as I made my way over to Bianca.

“Hey,” I said, and she frowned.

“Hey yourself, man-whore,” she shot, folding her arms crossly.

I moved closer, letting my hand just hang a few inches from her hips, and she eyed me for a bit, before letting one hand drop, and brushing the sides of her fingers just against mine, but I waited until her body relaxed a bit, before moving closer, and trying to take her in for a hug.

She pouted a bit as she reluctantly moved into my arms, but when she rested her head against my chest, I ruffled her hair a bit, before hugging her properly.

“I hate this. Why do they even attack us?” she asked, and I sighed.

“Well, it seems they have been ordered to.”

“So, they might not even be bad people?” she asked, and I shrugged.

“I saw the people we spared get murdered by some otherworlders who looked like fairly bad people; but no, in all likelihood, most of them probably aren’t…”

Bianca sighed, and as I studied her, I could see her body language slowly sinking towards complete resignation.

I wasn’t really sure what to do, until-

“Byaka’s a little bitch!”

I spun around, tilting my head at Lucia.

“What?” Bianca asked.

“Byaka’s a little bitch! Lucia killed. Lucia doesn’t cry like little bitch!” Lucia said, goading Bianca a bit with her expression.

“Oh please; I saw you crying, you stupid little runt! You cried way more!”

“Lucia cried. Lucia is okay now. Lucia is _better_ than Byaka!”

Bianca stomped her foot on the ground, snarling almost at the little girl.

“Yeah! Well, let’s see who cries after the next one, you little fucking piece of-”

“Alright,” I said, grabbing ahold of Bianca and reeling her back a bit. “Let’s do the talking on the battlefield, shall we?”

I shot Lucia an appreciative nod, however, as her intervention seemed to have perked Bianca up significantly, and as we moved to rejoin the main group, I noted that her mood seemed to be much improved.

“We need to have a small meeting,” I said to Casey, as soon as I moved to her side. “You, Francesca, and Bianca.”

Casey eyed me carefully.

“What is that? Your new council?” she asked, and I shrugged.

I waved Francesca over, and with the ladies’ full attention, I explained to them what I observed on my reconnaissance side-quest.

“So, they get stronger when they kill each other?” Francesca asked.

“That’s what they said, but I didn’t see any difference after they killed our guy,” I explained.

“The change could be incremental; or not immediate,” Casey suggested.

“Do you know of any mechanism like that, though?” I asked, and Casey shook her head.

“No, but I don’t expect that my knowledge covers everything that might be at play here.”

She thought for a while, when Bianca spoke:

“So, what’s stopping them from just going out and hunting each other?”

“That’s… a good question, actually,” Casey replied, and Bianca rolled her eyes.

“Surprised much?”

Casey shot her an apologetic look, and I rubbed my chin as something occurred to me.

“I just realized something. When those guys attacked the three we’d spared, one of them ran off and hid in some bushes, and it took a while before they caught up to him.”

“So, they hunted the other guys first?” Casey asked.

“Yeah… but as soon as they got to the bushes where he was hiding, they went right up to him and called him out. Like they knew he was there. They called him a ‘deserter’, too.”

Casey pondered the situation.

“So, deserters might be the only ones they’re able to kill?” Casey asked. “If they can track them down those who ‘desert’, that could be problematic though.”

“Wait, do you think they get stronger when we kill off their allies as well?” Francesca asked, and I frowned.

“I think he said something about letting us ‘thin’ their ranks… so maybe? Or he could have been talking about us setting their friends free…”

“So, either we kill everyone we encounter, or we don’t kill them or set them loose?” Francesca asked.

“Killing seems to be the only option,” Casey replied. “If we don’t set them loose, what would we do? Walk around with them while they’re being tracked? They’d lead the others straight to us.”

“And what if they keep getting stronger the more we kill? How long until we’re fighting groups of tier-three fighters?” Francesca asked.

“I think I might have a plan,” I said, and Casey eyed me as I continued, “but let’s move this discussion to the whole group first.”

Casey nodded, as Nolan seemed to be shooting annoyed glances in our direction.

We gave the group a brief rundown of the situation, which seemed to weaken morale a bit.

“Great; so, we’ve been killing our way to creating enemy super soldiers without even getting within range of this ‘fort’ of theirs,” Nolan shot.

“And Nate was supposed to know that, how?” Jordan asked him, and Nolan shook his head, throwing his hands up in exasperation.

Molly, however, cracked a smile, as she turned her attention to me.

“You have a plan, don’t you?” she asked, smiling at me as she did, and I returned the smile, nodding.

“I have two plans, actually. A long-term plan, and a short-term plan.”

“I’ll take short-term plans for two hundred, Alex,” Molly said, and I chuckled a little.

“We find ourselves an ambush point; capture a smaller team, then use them as bait to lure in and capture more otherworlders.”

Casey bit her lip.

“And when they start detecting more and more otherworlders in the same spot?”

“Then we switch to the long-term plan,” I said, smirking a bit, and she rolled her eyes.

“Which is?”

“Move the captives to a more defensible location, then hunker down for an onslaught,” I explained.

Casey studied me.

“You have two locations in mind already?” she asked, and I nodded, aiming my finger at her and clicking my tongue.

“Danica’s cave, and the campgrounds where we fought off the geisterung onslaught,” I said, and she nodded.

“They’re close enough. And far enough out of Ethan’s way. But if we do this, we’re not gonna be able to hit that fort for at least two days,” Casey said. “Are you sure you’re fine with that?”

“We have three days to his deadline anyway, right?”

“What if they don’t attack us, though?” Jeannie asked. “I mean, they don’t really have to, right? They still have what we’re after.”

I nodded.

“Then we send out hit squads and whittle away at their forces.”

“But what if they hole up in that fort of theirs instead?” Nolan asked.

“Then they’d be playing right into our hands,” Casey answered. “If that fort was that defensible, they wouldn’t be trying to delay our movement across the forest to that spot.”

I nodded in agreement.

“If they don’t attack, we’re hitting that fort during the second night. Hopefully by then, we’d have been able to at least get a team over there to take a look at it.”

Just as I’d finished speaking, Iduma signaled to me, and I nodded at him.

“Looks like we have company,” I said, gesturing to the group, as we quickly moved to prepare for a fight.

“Nathan,” Lucia said, pulling at my finger. “Bad guys don’t see yet.”

I nodded at her.

“Well then, let’s prepare an ambush.”

At my direction, the group quickly scattered, hiding behind tree stumps or in bushes, and soon enough, the sound of voices came towards us.

“Elle, I have a bad feeling about this. They’ve taken out like four groups now, right?” a woman said.

“Yeah, but those guys probably just sucked,” a man replied.

“Besides, we only have to kill one of them. How hard could that be?” a third voice added.

“Pretty hard,” I said, as I stepped out from behind a tree.

The three went on alert, glancing around, but as they spotted no-one else, the first man smirked.

“Just one? Must be our lucky day,” he said.

“Elle. What if it’s a trap,” the woman said.

“Let’s just kill him,” the third man said, drawing a sword and advancing on me.

I withdrew my halberd, then raised a hand as I engaged with the man.

He slashed at me several times, and I deflected the blows, smiling a bit, as his speed was definitely no more than t-one.

I darted in towards him while the others emerged from their hiding places, and he took a step back, trying to slash at me, but I easily parried before jabbing at him with the butt end of my halberd.

Nolan’s boot came down on his sword, trapping it into place, and as I advanced on him, he released the weapon, holding his hands up in surrender.

“Fuck, we’re dead,” he moaned, and I shook my head.

“Not yet. And if you behave, then maybe we can keep it that way.”

He seemed about to respond, then stopped himself, covering his mouth, and even as the woman began to whimper, their other ally shot her a stern look, and she quickly covered her mouth as well.

Tears were streaming down her face nonetheless.

“What now?” Nolan asked, and I nodded.

“We move; and quick. Disarm them,” I ordered.

We tied them up with the rope that we’d brought along, then began to move at a jog towards the cave that we’d passed on our way into this neck of the forest.

“We need to be on alert,” I said to Casey. “That group that was hunting deserters might be close by.”

We ended up spreading out a bit, with a few of the Accalians accompanying the group members on the outer perimeter while we moved, pushing our captives to move along as fast as they could manage.

As we made it to the cave without incident, however, I couldn’t help but feel slightly unsettled.

“Let’s not waste time. We’ll put a sentry there; west of this entryway; Bianca, that’ll be you.”

“Got it.”

“One of the Accalians will stick with you; Lucia, you as well.”

Lucia nodded, as I turned to Bianca.

“Send me a thought message as soon as your group senses an approach. But stay clear of them. We want them to come in here,” I said. “Francesca. You, Casey, Nolan, Jordan. You’ll stay inside with the captives. When someone comes in, you keep the captives alive; the rest of the group will be outside with me; we’ll close in on them from the rear and subdue them as best as we can. Remember, we’re not killing anymore unless it absolutely cannot be helped,” I added, directing the statement towards Blair, and she raised a hand in surrender.

“Say no more, boss,” she replied.

We got set up as soon as I was done talking, and not a moment too late, as Bianca’s message came less than five minutes later:

_Three approaching. All men; Lucia says tier one._

“Dude, this is so far out of the way. How the hell did they make it here?”

“Fuck if I know. Looks like they’re up ahead.”

“What is that? A cave?”

The men paused for a bit there, scoping out the area, and looking around.

“What if they set up like an ambush for us or something?”

The man speaking had a spear in his hand, but his expression was cautious.

“With what? You don’t get marked for termination unless you get disarmed.”

This one looked like the leader, but the third man was quite large, and strapped to his back was a pretty big axe, and as I gazed into his core, I noted he had a few skills beyond tier one.

We’d need to look out for him.

“Let’s just get this over with,” the third man said, picking his way through the bushy path towards the cave, and we kept low, moving as soon as they were far enough down the path, and I smiled, as our timing was perfect, as we appeared behind them at the cave entrance just as they were standing before Francesca and the others inside.

“Drop the weapons,” I said.

The timid sounding man immediately complied, but the other two exchanged a quick look, before turning on us at the rear.

The larger man was on us first, that massive axe in his hand ready to attack, and as I darted into him, he made the swing; perhaps a bit clumsy, with his footing slightly off balance, but I could tell there was some power in there.

I braced myself with both hands on the halberd, catching the axe beneath the blade with the length of my halberd between my hands, and Blair did the rest, not missing a beat as she moved in with a swing.

The larger man took a step back, but as I moved to help Blair get another shot at him, I caught the look in her eye and I smirked a bit, deciding to hang back.

The other man was already being pinned back by Jeannie, Molly and Francesca while Nolan and Jordan were on standby to help Blair if she needed it.

But she didn’t need it.

Blair charged into the man and as he swung again but she pre-empted the attack, making a quick jab at his fingers with the butt end of her axe, and as he released the weapon, she jabbed the handle of the axe at his face, and the man yelped as a stream of blood went flying from his nose which she had almost certainly broken.

I shot her a disapproving look, and she shrugged.

“What? He won’t die from that? Will ya, big guy?”

Her eyes lit up as they came to rest on his discarded axe, however, licking her lips as she picked it up.

“Oh, momma. Please tell me I can keep this baby?” she asked, and I laughed.

I turned to Casey, who massaged her temple a little, before nodding.

“For now, sure; but stick to the smaller axe for now, alright? I can’t see you doing anything ‘non-lethal’ with that thing,” Casey said.

“May I?” I asked, gesturing to the weapon, as Blair tested it out, and as she tossed the thing at me, to Casey’s annoyance, I was surprised to find that the massive thing was much, _much_ lighter than it looked.

“Jeez. I could swing this with one hand, huh?” I asked, and Blair grinned.

“I want it more for the aesthetics than anything else,” she reasoned, and I shook my head at her.

As moved to return the weapon to her, however, something about the weapon seemed off, and as I activated sensory perception, I caught onto what it was.

“What?” Blair asked, as she caught the look on my face, and I chuckled a little.

“It’s a tier-three weapon,” I replied.

“Fuck, are you serious?” Casey asked, and I nodded.

“Hm~. What does that do?” Blair asked, as I handed the axe back to her.

“Honestly, apart from giving you access to the tier-three fighting style for axes, I’m not sure. I mean, these blades all cut through everything like a hot knife through butter anyways.”

As Blair tossed the weapon around, hefting it and testing its weight, she pursed her lips a bit.

“I can’t quite put my finger on it, but something about it just feels… more natural in my hands than this one,” she said, gesturing to her old axe, and I tilted my head at the suggestion.

I turned to the discarded spear on the ground as I stowed away my halberd, and as I picked it up, I noted with interest that it did give off a much different feel than my halberd did.

I’d have chalked it up to my halberd just being my preferred weapon of choice, having used it so often in my time on this planet, but with Blair’s input in mind, I suddenly realized that there was much more to it than that.

We wasted little time, stripping our new captives and getting pledges out of them before returning to our set up, but as Bianca notified me of a new group approaching, I noted that they seemed much more wary of their surroundings.

“Man; two groups do not just end up hiding out in the same place,” a voice called out.

“Robbie, I’m with Cory on this one,” a girl replied, but the man they were talking two had an annoyed look on his face.

“We kill six, and we’re basically halfway over the line to being home-free,” he said, but the other man, Cory I think, frowned.

“We can’t get free if we die here, man. Come on.”

They scoped out the area a bit, before the first man spoke.

“Fine; let’s just camp out. We’ll keep an eye out for movement, then decide what to do.”

The other two quickly agreed to his suggestion, and I turned to Blair.

With just her, Jeannie and Molly, were we enough to take down three fighters, armed to the teeth, without killing them?

At a glance, they didn’t give off an aura of being all that dangerous, but I wasn’t close enough to know for sure.

Then a message came to me:

_Nate! Lucia thinks you need us to help… I know you can’t signal, but if you attack, we’ll join in, okay?_

God bless that child.

I gestured to Blair, and we began to creep carefully across to where the group had settled in, just southwest of the cave entrance, but a few times, I caught glances turning in our direction.

Had they heard us?

Or were they merely on the lookout for an ambush?

I turned to the group, as we were now as close as I dared getting without giving ourselves away.

“Two spears, one sword,” I mouthed.

I gestured, and we split into two groups; me with Molly, and Jeannie with Blair.

Spears were, after all, ideal at pinning down an opponent, giving Blair or myself the opportunity to get in and do the takedown.

We readied ourselves and decided our targets, then at my signal, we darted in.

Our target had barely moved, and as I pressed my halberd tip to his neck, he raised his hands, and Molly unclipped the sword from his belt plate.

Blair however, had taken a few swings at her quarry, and Jeannie, seeming uncertain of how to pin him beside her wildly swinging partner, opted instead to engage the third group member, the girl; but that fight was settled a mere moment later, as Bianca slipped up to her from behind, and put a dagger against her back, just beneath her cuirass.

The girl dropped her spear, but as I moved to assist Blair, she held a hand up.

“I wanna try something,” she said, as the man cast a panicked look about.

He quickly focused his attention on Blair, however, as she darted in, but as he tried to slice across her neck, she met his slash with her axe, hooking the spear tip under her axe blade and driving it into the ground before stepping in and kicking the handle of the spear out of the man’s grasp.

His hands went up, and she turned to me, her hands on her hip as she smirked.

But that momentary lapse almost cost her life, as the man stood up, dagger in hand, and prepared to drive it into the back of her neck.

I moved quickly, activating my paralysis skill even though I knew the threads wouldn’t get there fast enough, and as Blair caught the look in my eyes she began to turn, but before she so much as raised a hand, Lucia appeared in a flash, dagger in hand, and as she drove the dagger into the man’s leg from the side of his knee, he screamed out in pain, and Blair grabbed the hand with the dagger and twisted hard, disarming him and pinning him to the ground.

“You little fucking bitch!” Bianca yelled. “That was my move. MINE! How the fuck can even you do that?”

I shot a questioning look between the two girls as Lucia eyed me, her expression slightly shaken, as if she herself had no idea how she’d done what she did.

I went down onto on knee, and as I gestured, she ran into my arms and began to sob as I held her.

That calmed Bianca down in a hurry, and she quickly came over to join us.

“Hey, I’m sorry,” she began, but Lucia shook her head, clinging onto me tightly.

“What did you mean? That’s your move?” I asked, and Bianca frowned.

“I worked on it all day,” she explained. “With Aletta. She said I was developing it, and she gave me some hints, and after working on it all day I finally got it…”

I turned to Lucia, and as I peered into her core, I noted the new bump, and I tried to remember if I’d ever seen hints of anything like that in my previous examinations of her skillset.

“Lucia’s sorry. Lucia didn’t mean to copy Byaka. Lucia just wanted to help.”

“Copy?”

I furrowed my brow, as I once again delved into her energy network.

But even as I searched, trying to scrutinize everything that looked like it could even turn into a bump, I saw nothing that looked like my own skill mirroring ability, and I bit my lip as I thought about it.

How did she copy Bianca?

Lucia continued to cling to me as we stripped and piled in the new captures into their cave-prison, but I decided to switch out Francesca with Molly, in case we needed to take down another team that was hesitant to go inside.

Bianca apologized to Lucia properly, and the child didn’t seem to be all that upset with her anymore, but her mood still seemed a bit down, so I decided to keep her with me as we settled in to wait for the next group.

“Hey. No-one’s mad at you, okay?” I said, but Lucia still seemed pretty upset, rubbing her hands together as she looked down, an uncomfortable look on her face.

“Do you want to take a break from the fighting? I can let you sit back with Casey and the others,” I offered, but the girl quickly shook her head.

“Please, Nathan! Don’t be mad. Don’t send Lucia away!”

Francesca raised an eyebrow at this, and I tilted my head at her comment as well.

“Send you away? I would never do that. Did someone tell you that?” I asked.

Lucia’s eyes flashed subtly, and while I didn’t immediately follow it, I made note of the direction, as she quickly shook her head.

“Okay. Well let’s get you back to Bianca, then.”

I lifted her up, and as I turned, indicating to Francesca that I’d be back, I noted that Blair seemed to be fidgeting a bit, and as I traced the direction in which Lucia’s eyes had flashed, I quickly figured that that was where she had looked.

I made my way over to where Bianca and two Accalians were camped out, just west of the cave itself, but rather than going straight to her, I ducked behind a nearby tree trunk, making sure I was out of Blair’s line of sight, before setting Lucia down.

“Hey, look at me,” I began, taking my hands and cupping Lucia’s face.

“Nathan…”

I shook my head.

“Just, listen. No matter what anyone says to you; you are a goddess. MY goddess. No one, and I mean no one, not Bianca, Francesca, or especially not Blair has any right to tell you what you can and can’t do. I am the only one you ever need to listen to, okay?”

Lucia bit her lip a bit, frowning.

“Nathan… you won’t send Lucia away?”

“Never,” I said. “You mean every bit as much to me as Cameron or Bianca or anyone else.”

Lucia teared up a bit, and as I wiped away the tears, she dove into my arms, wrapping her little hands around my neck.

“Nathan. Lucia loves Nathan,” she cried, and as she sobbed, I patted her back.

“I love you too, kid,” I said, and just as I did, something pulsed out of me, and Bianca glanced over her shoulder at me just as it did.

Her eyes had a strange look to it, and just as I was about to move to her, Casey came running out of the pathway that led to the cave.

She seemed a little flustered, and as soon as she caught sight of me, she began to approach, a little awkwardly.

“Hey, uh… is everything alright?”

Her eyes were darting between me and Lucia, who was curled up properly now, holding onto me for dear life.

“Lucia just used a special skill, and I think it uh... spooked her a little.”

Casey turned, following my gaze to Blair, and as she returned her attention to me, she shot me a somewhat knowing yet curious look.

“Guess we can discuss it later, then?” she asked, and I nodded. “Will she be alright to keep going? Or do you want us to keep her inside?”

“Lucia stays with Nathan!” Lucia declared, her voice slightly muffled against me, and I bit my lip.

Casey studied me for a second more, before nodding.

“Alright… I’ll be inside. How many more before you think they’ll catch on?” Casey asked.

“Let’s see how long the next one takes to get here, then we’ll decide.”

Casey nodded, then headed back inside, and as I moved over to Bianca, she shot me a worried look.

“Is she mad at me?” she mouthed, and I shook my head.

“No, but… keep an eye on her when I’m not around from now on, okay?”

Bianca’s eyes looked past me for a bit, and when I got a chance to steal a look for myself, I noted that Blair was stealing glances in our direction from time to time, and as I studied Lucia, I began to wonder what she’d said.

I guess I’d have to find a way to keep Blair in check.

Or at the very least, prevent her from going after those who’d be most vulnerable to her predatory nature.

After all, the last thing we needed was another Emily-Leanna development.

It took some time before Lucia calmed down enough to let go of me, but when she did, Bianca paid a lot of attention to her, even complimenting her on her newfound combat ability, and Lucia seemed to cheer up significantly at that.

I used the opportunity slip back to the main group outside of the cave where a worried looking Francesca awaited me.

“She alright?” she asked, and I nodded, glancing back at Lucia.

“Yeah. I think she just got a little scared because she stabbed someone again,” I said, making sure that I spoke loudly enough to get the message to Blair.

Blair seemed to ease up a bit at that, but as we got settled in, keeping on alert for the next group of attackers, my gaze fell on Francesca.

“Since when have you been a grapple master?” I asked, and she rubbed the back of her head.

“Last night, I think?”

I raised an eyebrow at that.

“What?”

“Uh… Aletta told me that my ability helps me to break down and understand combat abilities not only from observation, but memory. So, I thought back to all of the fight scenes from movies and video games that I remembered, and it kind of started to feel like if I was understanding some of the basics of some combat techniques; things like grappling, and hand to hand fighting styles.”

“I was about to say that I can’t believe that you could put that into practical use so soon after learning it, but you are my fighter,” I said, ruffling her hair, and she smiled happily.

“I’ll never understand why you react like that to being pet like a fucking dog,” Blair cut in, and Francesca shrugged.

“And I’ll never understand how cutting down a living human makes you grin like that either, but to each their own, yeah?”

Blair grinned a little, then nodded.

“Fair enough, but speaking of cutting down humans; how about we cut down the next group and have one of our sensory guys in there see if it actually makes them any stronger? I’d hate to find out we did all this for fucking nothing,” she said, but I shook my head.

“Bad idea,” I replied. “We don’t know that the power gain will be distributed evenly. It could just be random.”

Blair let out a tired sigh, but as the day wore on, the faces all around us started drooping, and there was no sign of another group coming in.

Eventually, I decided to do a time check which prompted Blair to eye me like if I were a crazy person.

“I think he’s lost it,” she said.

“That’s how you check the time here,” Jeannie explained, and Blair frowned, studying me with interest.

“Huh… well how about that. What time is it, then?”

“Uh, a little after three in the afternoon,” I said, biting my lip as I gave our situation some thought.

If I left with a scouting team by, say, the next hour, we would be able to get to this fort just before nightfall, provided we could move quickly while also avoiding any potential encounters.

And given that the situation was quiet right now, this might be the best time to do just that.

The only problem was that this was also perhaps the perfect time to go on the offensive, and hunt groups of otherworlders to bring back as captives, before moving them to our secondary defensive location for the night.

I decided it was time to take the matter up with Casey.

“Hey,” she said, as soon as she saw me. “Is something wrong?”

I shook my head.

“I thought we might need to discuss how to proceed,” I replied, and she nodded.

“You wanna scout the fort, don’t you?”

“Well, that is one option,” I replied.

“What’s the other?”

“Hunting otherworlders.”

“Which one keeps you closer?” Casey asked, but as I sighed, she shook her head. “I’m kidding. I think we should do both,” she said, and I raised an eyebrow.

“Come again?”

“Bianca and Lucia are enough for a scouting mission. Francesca, Blair, and maybe Molly or Jeannie with a couple of Accalians will be more than enough to hunt small groups. And if they get into trouble, they can retreat back here for support.”

I studied Casey, and she rolled her eyes as she caught the teasing, wary expression on my face.

“What?” she asked, and I shrugged.

“You’re being so ‘un-Casey-like’. I think I like it though,” I said.

“Yeah, well keep it in your pants. We have a job to do; and speaking of that, I have a suggestion.”

“Hm? What is it?”

“We left a lot of capable warriors back in Grenze, and I don’t think there’s any threat there. We’re also drowning in armor here.”

“You wanna call out the rest of the otherworlders?” I asked, and she nodded.

“We can leave behind Jayden and the girls just to have a presence there. Maybe have Sheila wear armor and walk around from time to time. But having Raul here when we establish our defensive camp will really boost our chances.”

“You’re right,” I replied. “Besides, our old camp is just a short run from Grenze. The only problem is; who the hell do we send?”

Casey bit her lip, nodding.

“It’ll have to wait until you get back from your trip. I’m not actually sure that anyone except you or Francesca could reliably make it there,” she said, but as I thought about the predicament, an idea occurred to me.

“Actually. Let’s settle that now,” I said. “I’ll lead the first hunting team, while Francesca heads back; and we’ll move the captives while we’re at it.”

“Are you sure?” Casey asked. “Darkness will fall before you can even set off for the fort.”

I nodded.

“I’m kind of itching to get a good look at it, but Lucia can manage that even at night. Maybe I’ll rest up after we set up our defensive base, then head out on the scouting mission under the cover of darkness.”

Casey smirked at me a bit, and I eyed her.

“What?” I asked, and she shrugged, a little playful look in her eyes.

“I dunno… when you make rational, unimpulsive decisions like that, I kind of feel like jumping your bones myself,” she teased.

“Hey, uh Nate?” I turned around to see Jordan rubbing the back of his head. “Sorry, but I uh, overheard what you were talking about.”

“That’s fine,” I said quickly, offering him a reassuring smile, and he nodded.

“Nymphadora says that she could lead me back to her home pretty easily,” he offered, and I smiled again.

“Fucking A. Forgot that my druid is actually half-nymph now,” I said, and he rubbed the back of his head.

I turned to Casey.

“What do you think?” I asked, and she bit her lip.

“Are you sure you can handle the trip?”

Jordan nodded.

“I know I’ve been kind of down about getting my ass kicked by Francesca and Bianca, but in those last few fights I kind of realized I can at least handle a small group of otherworlders on my own if I had to,” Jordan said, and I nodded in agreement.

“We’re a lot stronger than we realized, thanks to all of the battles we’ve been in,” I said, and he nodded.

“Nymphadora seems to be able to sense when living things enter a certain radius around us, within the forest at least,” Jordan said, and Casey nodded.

“I guess this changes our plans, huh?” she said, her tone a little despondent, and I quickly shook my head.

“No. The scouting mission will be better done at night. It just means our hunting party is gonna be much stronger,” I said, and Casey smiled at me.

“Okay. Let’s do it, then.”

I nodded.

“Get Jordan prepped. I’ll go organize the hunting parties,” I said, but as I turned to leave, Leanna intercepted me.

“Nate. C-can I go with Jordan? I… I feel a little out of sorts out here with… without…” she began, rubbing her hands together nervously as she tried to convey her feelings.

The only people she’d really gotten comfortable with apart from me were Jordan and Cameron, huh?

“It should be fine,” I said, shooting Casey a quick glance, and as she gave me the okay, I turned and headed outside.

I decided to leave Bianca on sentry duty, but as I headed over to tell her what was up, she actually came to me excitedly with a suggestion of her own.

“Hey Nate! Those branches over there are pretty close to where that hill is. I was thinking, Lucia and I could climb up there and work our way up into the branches above! It’ll give her a better range for surveillance. What do you think?”

“That’s a fantastic idea,” I said, ruffling her hair affectionately, and she grinned, much to Lucia’s chagrin.

“Lucia’s idea too!” the girl said, but even as I ruffled her hair, she folded her arms and pouted.

“We’ll make use of it when we can, but for now, stay on the ground,” I said, and Lucia grinned at Bianca.

“Byaka’s idea was stupid~!” she sang, and Bianca tried to lunge at her.

I chuckled at the two, before heading back to the main group.

“We’re going hunting, aren’t we?” Francesca asked, and I nodded, smiling a bit.

“Before we do, though, there’s something I wanna test out.”

Francesca eyed me carefully.

“What is it?”

“Do you think you mind going a round with Iduma? No weapons, just pure grappling,” I said, and she bit her lip, a slightly excited look in her eyes.

“You want to skill mirror my grappling?”

I nodded, and she smiled.

“Okay, let’s do it.”

We explained the matter to Iduma who seemed somewhat perplexed by the whole thing.

He agreed nonetheless, though perhaps chalking it up to a ‘crazy God ritual’ or something like that.

As the bout commenced, however, I noted that his followers were looking on with serious expressions.

I kept my eyes on Francesca, however, but as the fight began, I realized that Iduma was truly no match for her, as she repeatedly pinned him.

“Do you mind if we try something?” I asked Francesca, and she shrugged.

“Sure.”

“Take off your armor,” I said, and she grinned at me.

“I see.”

She did as I asked, but even so, there was a look in her eye, as if she was doubly determined to prove a point, and while Iduma’s strength seemed to serve him much better without the strength boost of tier-two armor for Francesca to rely on, her skill seemed to outstrip his by a country mile, and as the bout came to an end, there was an almost sparkly eyed look on Iduma’s face.

“She’s really something, huh?” I asked, and Iduma shook away his stupor, turning to me.

“Athánatos; forgive my indiscretion,” he said, bowing. “I just fear my polemarchos is beginning to look more like a queen.”

I snickered at the comment, and Francesca blushed a little.

“Well, now for the fun part,” I said, as I began to strip away my own armor, and Francesca stared at me, her eyes lighting up.

“You’re gonna fight me?” she asked, and I nodded.

“I’m more of a ‘hands-on’ kind of learner,” I replied, and she grinned.

As we got ready for the bout, I noted the Accalians seemed doubly interested, and Blair was now moving in to watch.

“Can you call it?” I asked Blair, and she shrugged, as we readied ourselves.

“Go!” she yelled, and I darted in, aiming at Francesca’s leg.

To my surprise, however, she turned, and aimed a kick at my head, and as I got my arm up to block just in time, I shot her a questioning look.

“Can’t go letting you just grapple me when you feel like it,” she said, and I snickered in response.

“Fair enough.”

I made a more measured approach this time, looking out for another kick, but as I got too close, Francesca extended a hand, keeping me at an arm’s length away, and as I tried to slide in, she leapt away, but as I transitioned back to a my standing stance, she dove in quite suddenly, catching me in the stomach, and knocking me over.

I took a sharp breath in as I felt a little winded, but she didn’t give me room to breathe, immediately wrapping her legs around my own right leg, and locking me into place with her hands, and I yelped a little as she began to apply pressure, tapping the ground quickly in submission.

“Two out of three?” I asked, and Francesca quickly nodded, but as soon Blair got us started, she was onto me, lunging at me.

I got ahold of her this time, however, and lifted her off the ground, turning and slamming her down as I twisted, and I smiled as I saw that the impact had winded her.

I turned, trying to grasp onto her right arm, but she got her feet up in time, so I aimed a few jabs at her ribs, which gave me the opening I needed to get into her body, and wrap my arm around her neck.

She managed to get an arm between me and her neck, however, but as I locked her movements down with my legs, she tried in vain to twist for a bit, before finally slumping back, and tapping me on the arm.

She took a deep breath in as I released her, grinning at me.

“Guess it goes to the final round then, huh?” she asked, and I nodded.

I was focused as we prepared to start the bout, but there was something about the look on Francesca’s face that unsettled me.

It was as if she looked relaxed; like she wasn’t even getting into gear for the fight, but as we got going, I realized that it wouldn’t be as easy to get hold of her this time.

She kept me at an arm’s reach, and a few times, when I tried to move in, she kept me at bay with a well-aimed kick or shove.

We kept at it for a while, looking for openings, until I tried to bait her with what felt to me like a properly weighted roundhouse, but I was on my back before I even saw her move.

I wasn’t really winded, so as she tried to get ahold of my leg, I was able to twist into a move favorable position, but as she slipped around to my back, I quickly found myself movements becoming restrained as she coiled her lithe, flexible limbs into place, and by the time she began to put pressure into my right hand, pulling it over my head against the joint at my shoulder, I quickly tapped her on the arm, ending the bout.

“Jesus; you’re a sneaky little bugger,” I said, and she grinned.

“I finally beat you too!”

I shook my head at her.

“Beat me? You kicked my ass; but honestly. If any of our previous fights were armor or weaponless, you’d have won then too,” I countered, and she shrugged.

“We aren’t going to always fight opponents who are similarly skilled or equipped. I need to learn to win no matter what, right?”

I smiled at Francesca.

“Sometimes I wonder why an amazing woman like you ever even looked twice at me,” I said, and she blushed, but the moment was interrupted by Blair making a gagging sound.

“Seriously. Do _all_ of you fall for this sappy BS?”

Francesca, however, merely shot the girl a teasing smile.

“You talk a lot of smack for a girl that stares at Nate’s ass every time he turns his back.”

“Oh please. Don’t confuse a panther on the hunt with the rest of you fawning little bitches,” Blair shot, and Francesca merely shook her head.

“Let me know how that works out for you,” she replied, and the two went their separate ways.

I followed Blair, however, who kept her eyes directed away from me.

“Not afraid of ruffling feathers, are we?” I asked, and she shrugged.

“Gotta break a few eggs to make an omelette, right?”

I shook my head at her.

“I don’t dislike that attitude, I just hope you have the awareness to understand who you can and can’t use that approach with,” I said, and she looked up at me.

“I’m sorry?”

I bit my lip.

“Francesca and Bianca might be fair game, but there are a lot of people here who don’t really have the capacity to deal with that kind of... bravado, if you catch my drift.”

She studied me.

“I’m not sure I do,” she said, and I took a deep breath in.

“Like, let’s say Leanna, who has a bit of a hard time dealing with her own anxiety and schizophrenia, or, I dunno, Lucia, who’s… a child.”

Blair eyed me, trying to glean as much as she could from my expression.

“I don’t mind you getting into the competition, or asserting yourself,” I continued. “But just know who your competition really is, yeah?”

She scoffed.

“So, what? Are you like the protector of weaklings now, or something?”

I shrugged.

“Call it whatever you want. I’m just keeping the peace and trying to make sure that no-one ends up taking on more than they can shoulder. For people who aren’t like us, this is a pretty big adjustment, and some aren’t taking it as well as others,” I explained, but Blair merely shook her head.

“Now I understand why everyone around here is so fucking soft. ‘Papa Nathan’ is coddling them till they probably can’t even take a shit without someone wiping their ass.”

I snickered a little, considering that I’d practically done that, but as Blair eyed me, a wicked smile creeping across her lips, I quickly caught myself.

“You’re a sick fuck just like me, arent’cha? What happened to you? This world was pretty much designed for people like us. No social conventions to navigate. No hierarchies telling us what we can and can’t do. You and I could have a fucking ball with this if you’d forget these scrubs and just cut loose. What’s holdin’ ya back, Natey boy?”

I shrugged.

“I’m kind of interested in putting down some foundations of my own. You and I might be the same animal, but don’t think for a moment that we’re anything alike,” I replied.

Blair laughed, shaking her head.

“Or, maybe you are. You know, I was kinda thinking to just bail on your sorry ass the first chance I get, but now I’m thinkin’ maybe I’ll stick around a bit. It might be worth it to see what happens when this little ‘good boy psychopath’ play of yours goes sour.”

Blair caught Francesca’s eyes on her, and she shot me a playful look, resting a hand seductively against my chest, before turning and sauntering off, and I shook my head.

Part of me wanted to keep her away from everyone she could hurt… but another part of me wanted to bend her to my will, and revel in the glory of her complete and total submission.

But I knew what a mess that could turn into, so I shook the thought aside as I headed over to Francesca’s side.

“Are you thinking about multiple squads?” Francesca asked, and I shook my head.

“Maybe we could do several hits with a larger, but more specialized squad?” I asked, and she nodded.

“You, me, Blair, Bianca?”

“Lucia too. And maybe a few Accalians,” I added.

“Shouldn’t we keep Lucia on watch?”

I shook my head.

“We’re moving the current captives while we do the hits,” I said, and she nodded.

“I see.”

When Casey was ready, she sent Molly out, and when the main group was ready to start moving, our hit-squad headed off into the woods west of the cave, but we made it no more than half a mile when Iduma signaled to me.

“There are many foes,” he said. “Three groups.”

He indicated the directions, and I frowned.

“Guess they’ve been waiting for the right moment to strike, huh.”

“Nathan!”

Lucia tugged at my arm, then pointed to the southwest, and I raised an eyebrow at her.

“Someone went that direction?” I asked, and she nodded.

I clicked my tongue in annoyance.

“Come with me,” I said to Lucia. “Francesca, keep a close eye on our prey, but don’t engage. I’ll come find you after I finished dealing with this.”

She nodded, though her expression seemed a bit uncertain as I scooped Lucia up and took off.

“Do you see them?” I asked, and she tapped my shoulder, pointing me in the right heading.

We ran for a little under a minute when she held up a hand, and we came to a stop.

I crouched down behind some shrubs, and as she indicated the direction, we began to creep through the forest towards the group, until I started hearing some conversation.

“We’re so close. Why didn’t fucking danger sense go off?”

“Maybe that’s how they’ve been taking us out? They’re blocking it or something.”

As the group came into view, I noted a man stroking his beard.

There was a spear on his back, and both his allies were equipped with swords that weren’t drawn.

Could I take them all down without killing any?

I activated my tracking ability, and found the group was just a little way east of us, but close enough that moving there might alert our quarry, so I made a decision.

I focused on conveying to Casey my need for help, and as I felt something through our connection, I nodded, turning to Lucia.

“Stay close.”

I drew my hunting knife as we darted in, and I went straight for the man with the spear.

He got a hand on his weapon as he saw me, but I was already on him, and I stabbed into his arm, before wresting the spear from his grasp.

One of the others quickly struck with a sword, but I easily parried with my arm guard.

I moved in and jabbed an elbow into my attacker’s face, and she cried out, dropping the sword as she fell to her knees.

Then I turned to Lucia, who was engaged with the third, and I noted just how easily she was navigating her fight.

She was amazing, wasn’t she?

Not even Jeannie or Molly could fight this comfortably against an armored enemy while wearing none.

I quickly moved in, and her opponent, sensing that the battle was lost, raised a hand in surrender, so I disarmed her, then stood over them, while Lucia made off to fetch some help from the main group.

Jeannie and Nolan quickly made their way over, and after stripping the three of their armor, we herded them over to the others.

“Nate, what the fuck are you doing?” Casey asked as soon as she saw me, and I raised an eyebrow at her.

“A group came over to ambush you-” I began, but Casey shoved me as soon as she got close enough.

“Yeah, and we could’ve handled it. Why the fuck would you leave the hunting team?”

I bit my lip.

Truthfully, I didn’t really trust those that we’d left with this group in combat, but it wouldn’t be advisable to say that out loud.

“I was just worried, and the main group has Francesca. I just thought-”

“That the rest of us are useless?” Molly asked, and I bit my lip nervously.

“Go back to your team!” Casey said, and I let out a sigh.

As we headed back to the main group, however, Lucia hugged me tightly, and patted the back of my head.

“I’m not upset,” I said, but she continued doing it nonetheless, and I didn’t really feel like complaining because it did feel nice.

I caught up to Francesca about four minutes later.

“This is further off than I left you,” I said, and she nodded.

“There’s more than two groups now,” she said. “Iduma says it’s about fifteen otherworlders.”

“Fuck me; that’s no hunt, that’s a battle.”

“Athánatos, if I may?” Iduma asked, as he stepped forward, and I gestured to him to continue. “The enemy seems to sense our presence.”

I clicked my tongue in annoyance.

“Any idea how?”

He shook his head, and I nodded.

“We should strike,” Blair cut in. “Fifteen is doable at their skill level, but if they’re meeting up, that number could double within the hour.”

“I don’t see us taking fifteen captives,” I replied, and she shrugged.

“As good a time as any to see if this really makes them any stronger.”

I cursed under my breath.

I hated being wrong, but if we’d taken them down when it was just six, and let Casey’s group handle the three on their end, we’d have nine captives, and could have probably gotten another six on the second pass.

Guess I fucked that one up…

“They aren’t attacking, though,” Francesca noted, and I nodded.

“They seemed eager enough to do it earlier too.”

Blair let out an exasperated sigh, and I clicked my tongue in annoyance at her.

“Patience,” I chided, but as I tried to figure out how to proceed, Iduma signaled to me.

“The enemies are moving, Athánatos. Spreading out.”

I let out a sigh, then nodded.

“Let’s hit them, then. Maim and disarm, but for the love of god; no limb severing or outright murder?”

Francesca nodded, readying her spear.

We made a beeline for the westernmost leg of the enemy ranks, but as we descended on them, they seemed to be completely caught unawares.

“They’re here!” someone called out in a panic, and Blair scowled as she jabbed her axe-butt into his face, sending some teeth flying, and a spray of blood.

Francesca disarmed and pinned one of the others, while the third quickly surrendered.

I gathered up the weapons and ordered them to stay put, when a wave of six otherworlders charged at us.

We had enough bodies to meet them one on one, but I moved ahead of the group, attacking one while goading another into trying me.

But as the second man attempted to charge me, I merely sidestepped and send him flying with a shove.

The Accalians secured him as I turned my attention to the other warrior, pressing him back with my halberd and eventually pinning him, back first to a tree trunk.

He made a desperate lunge at me and I deflected it easy, knocking him off his feet and aiming my halberd at his throat.

“Disarm them, quick,” I said, but it seemed as if the others had backed off.

“Nate, something feels off!”

The call came from Francesca, and I turned to see her readying her spear.

Didn’t she usually sense monsters that way?

I mean, without armor, there was no way she could be reacting like that to an otherworlder, right?

Not to mention, I felt nothing.

“Gather them up in the center. Iduma, have your men tie them up,” I barked, as the rest of us got into formation.

“Nathan, there!” Lucia said, and I adjusted our formation to face the direction she’d indicated.

But they came in hard.

Three were charging at us, and I noted immediately that their armor wasn’t the standard low-grade T-one stuff that everyone seemed to be wearing.

“Shroud them!” the man at the lead shouted, and I gasped as all of a sudden, everything went black.

But in my mind, I followed the trajectory that he had been charging in, and as I crouched low, then stabbed, I heard a groaning cry.

There were a few flashes, then suddenly, light returned, and as I looked around, I spotted a girl lying on the ground, blood gushing out of her neck, but more worryingly, two of our newly acquired captives had been butchered, and the man who’d slain them grinned at me, before turning and running in the opposite direction.

I glanced around, making sure that everyone was alive, before turning and giving chase.

Bianca fell in beside me, and I nodded my approval.

As we ran, however, I noted that the man seemed to be casting glances at us while he ran, almost as if keeping us in check, and I cursed under my breath.

_He’s fucking faster than speed three!_

I considered giving up the chase, but just as I did, he pulled up to a halt, so we did too.

But fuck me, if this wasn’t bad.

We couldn’t get away if he somehow turned out to be better than we were.

“Stab him in the arms and legs,” I said, and Bianca nodded as I extended my energy threads to him, then activated my ability to hold him down.

“Fucking, piece of… fuck!” he screamed, and I felt my nerves explode with pain as he began to struggle against me.

He was pinned, however; on his knees and unable to do so much as get to his feet, and Bianca wasted no time, stabbing him as I’d requested.

“Ahhh!” he screamed out, and I released my hold on him, darting to his side and relieving him of his weapon of choice; a sword with a slightly curved blade.

“If you can talk, now is a good time to do it, because I doubt we’re taking you alive otherwise…”

The man scoffed.

“I’m as good as dead anyway,” he said, as he spat, and as I activated sensory perception, I felt something, as if I knew his heart had just exploded.

I focused on him, however, trying my best to commit his skillset to memory before his energy network condensed into its physical core state.

“I didn’t do that, did I?” Bianca asked, and I shook my head.

“Suicide,” I said.

We stripped him and I extracted his core, before turning and heading back to the others, but the sight I returned to was not what I’d expected.

“What the fuck happened?”

Lucia was shaking, blood soaked through the front of her cotton robes and splattered on her arms.

Francesca’s expression was shell-shocked, and as my eyes narrowed on Blair, I realized that even she seemed a bit unsettled by the sea of corpses before them.

I turned to Francesca, and she shook off her stupor.

“I’m sorry, Nate; they just attacked. One of them used a skill, freed himself and everyone else… something that cut through the ropes.”

“It looked like air currents,” Blair said, and Francesca nodded in agreement.

“Did anyone get a look at them with sensory perception?”

Lucia nodded slowly, but I quickly realized she wasn’t in the right state of mind to talk yet.

I gestured to her, and picked her up, taking out one of the cloaks I kept in my satchel, and using it to wipe away the blood from her face.

She wrapped her arms around me, then went quiet.

“I don’t think we needed a scan to tell. They got stronger. By at least a tier…” Blair said, and I bit my lip.

Getting stronger was one thing, but to suddenly manifest abilities?

I was, however starting to get a clearer picture into the game that was being played, so my first instinct was to return to Casey, but… maybe we should actually do some hunting first?

I ran the suggestion by Francesca, who nodded in agreement.

Although the expression on her face still seemed pretty shaken.

Taking care of the bodies this time seemed almost impossible, partially because of what a mess it was, and also because of how many.

Besides, the primary reason for doing it was to keep our actions under wraps anyways… although, I did have plans to return eventually and make sure that everyone was respectfully laid to rest.

Instead, we harvested the cores and looted the armor and weapons, then set off on the hunt.

“South? We’re heading south?”

The question came from Blair.

“Yeah?” I answered, and she frowned.

“The likelihood of running into anyone in this direction has to be like much lower. What’re you playing at?”

“If anyone is hunting our main team, they’d probably pass this way,” Francesca suggested, and I shot her a quick nod.

Blair, however, seemed irritated by that.

“They can handle themselves. I thought we were out here trying to actually hunt down some baddies.”

I pulled the group to a stop.

“Yeah, but the hunters who might be going after the main group are likely to be the higher tier armored guys,” I explained. “I kinda want some of those to interrogate.”

Blair shook her head, as I turned to Iduma.

“Can you tell if anyone has been through here recently?” I asked, and the man nodded.

He crouched down to the ground, taking a look around, before moving to a bit of brush and pointing to a broken branch.

“The milsap is dried. There was a passage, but perhaps two, maybe three cycles past.”

Blair clicked her tongue in annoyance, and I nodded, directing the group west for a bit, and then finally, north west, but even so, as we travelled for about thirty minutes without encountering anyone, I brought us to a stop again.

“Think they retreated to the fort?” Francesca asked, and I bit my lip, nodding.

“It’s possible. Darkness is only, what? Two hours away?”

“Do we press on?” she asked, and I shook my head.

“No, I wanna get us settled in for the night too.”

We turned around, and using my tracking ability to keep an eye on the other group, I led our party in their direction, and after a little over an hour, we came to our old campground.

“Holy shit…” Francesca breathed, and I nodded.

“The trees sure have grown,” I said.

We’d approached the camp from the northern side, taking us past the area where we’d lain the fallen Kobalt to rest from our first big battle against the aufhöcker/geisterung onslaught, and the trees we’d planted were already standing some ten or twelve feet tall.

They stood out against the forest, however, with barks that were a curious yellow color, and long, oblong shaped leaves that hung low from the upward reaching branches.

Casey walked over as soon as she saw us, but she stopped as soon as she saw where Lucia was headed.

I gestured to Francesca to go over and give her a quick briefing of what’d happened, as I turned and headed over to where the child was now kneeling.

There was a lone, solitary tree standing some fifteen feet away from where the rest of the trees stood, with that same distinctive bark color that differentiated it from the rest of the forest.

Lucia’s hands were clasped together, and when I got close, I saw the tears streaming down her face.

She was sobbing quietly, but as I moved to her side, she didn’t run to me the way she usually did, and as I got down onto my knees beside her, she didn’t unclasp her hands to take mine.

I rested a hand on her shoulder, giving it a squeeze as I knelt there beside her, and we remained there for what felt like about half an hour, before she finally moved.

“Nathan. I don’t wanna lose Cammy.”

I tilted my head at her.

‘I’ huh?

Was that the first time she’d referred to herself as I?

“I don’t wanna lose her either… or you.”

Lucia looked up at me, wiping at her eyes a little, before getting off of her knees, and moving slowly into my arms.

I held her, as she turned back to the tree.

“Nathan… I miss him.”

“I know you do…”

She shook her head.

“I hate Hans… I hate him for taking away my seed-giver. But Nathan… I don’t hate belonging to you.”

I let out a little laugh.

Jeez, I’d probably cry right now if I had feelings, wouldn’t I?

I ruffled Lucia’s hair and she pouted a little.

“Nathan does that to Byaka,” Lucia said, putting a hand on her hip, and I chuckled.

“You don’t want me to do it anymore?”

She shook her head.

“Then what do you want me to do?”

Lucia thought about it for a second, then taking my hand, she kissed the back, then brought it to her forehead, nuzzling my hand as she did, and I smiled at her.

“I can do that,” I said.

I picked Lucia up, and we made the short trek to the little stream that ran beside the campground, and I washed her thoroughly of all the blood and grime.

“Are you sure you like this life?” I asked. “All the fighting, and killing… you don’t have to do this, you know.”

Lucia frowned, a worried expression on her face, and I rested a hand against her cheek.

“I wouldn’t send you away. You could still be my daughter. I’d still let you sleep with me, and I’ll take care of you. But you don’t have to fight…”

Lucia shook her head.

“First, Lucia wanted revenge for her life-bringer; then she wanted to save Cammy. But Lucia… I- I want to protect Nathan.”

I laughed, studying the child with a renewed sense of appreciation for her resolve, and after washing her up, I scooped her up and led her back to the campground.

But I’d hardly made the walk there when I could sense Lucia slipping off to sleep in my arms.

“Is there a sleeping area?” I asked Casey, and she nodded.

I headed straight there, setting Lucia down as I did, and as she curled up, her hands wrapped around my own hand, I pulled her onto my lap and stroked her back soothingly.

“She did one hell of a job today for a kid,” I said.

“She did,” Casey confirmed. “I’m guessing you all ran into trouble?”

I nodded.

“Our captives here… did anything happen to them?”

“Happen?” she asked. “Like what?”

“Like, suddenly manifesting abilities. Or their physical abilities going up by a tier.”

Casey shook her head.

“No, but I’ll have Molly check on them just in case.”

As she called the girl over to pass on the instructions, I laid back, adjusting Lucia’s position beside me so we could rest more comfortably, and Casey eyed me.

“Going to bed already?”

“In a little bit. I won’t be able to deplete safely, but I’ll need the rest to make it through our night mission,” I explained. “Have Francesca, Blair and Bianca sleep too. What’s the status on Jordan?”

“He should be on his way back here by now.”

Casey took a seat beside me, glancing at Lucia as she did.

“You actually love Lucia; don’t you…” she finally said, and I looked up at her.

“Of course, I do. What do you mean by that?”

She shook her head.

“I really wasn’t sure you could, but I think I felt something from you today. It was strange.”

I eyed her questioningly.

“Strange, how?”

She shrugged.

“I dunno. I guess I’d read about it, and heard about it. And when I felt it, I knew what it was. But I’m pretty sure I’ve never felt an outpouring of love like that for anyone… or anything, before.”

“Not even for me?” I teased, and she sighed.

“That’s a different kind of love, I think.”

I reached for her hand with my free hand, and gave it a squeeze.

“To think; a day would come when you could openly talk about loving me without having an existential crisis,” I teased.

“I’m still having them. I’m just getting a little better at hiding it,” she replied, smiling a little.

“What’s your full name?” I asked, and Casey raised an eyebrow.

“My full name? What do you need that for?”

“I want to know this woman who is so helplessly and thoroughly in love with me,” I said, and she scoffed.

“Her name is Cameron Davidson, and we’re trying to rescue her,” Casey replied.

“Davidson, huh?”

“You didn’t know that? You were having a baby together and playing husband and wife and you didn’t know her last name?” Casey asked incredulously, and I shrugged.

“It just never came up,” I replied. “Now what’s yours?”

“Weyland. Casey Weyland.”

I smiled.

“Nice to meet you, Casey Weyland.”

Casey scoffed.

“Funny to say when we’ve been… uh-”

Her words trailed off as her eyes flicked to Lucia curled up beside me, and I snickered at her.

“Cameron would have chewed you out,” I said. “Bianca already taught her one word she isn’t supposed to know about just yet.”

“Bitch?” she asked, and I shook my head.

“She shouldn’t be saying that either, but this one was more of a… thing that adults do,” I said, and she shook her head.

“What? Taxes?”

I chuckled at her.

“Did you ever have to do taxes?” I teased, and Casey shook her head. “Didn’t think so.”

“Yet you think I’m supposed to be able to manage your kingdom, for some reason.”

I shrugged.

“You have the ability, though,” I said, and she let out a sigh.

“I’m not sure how many of the others agree with that.”

“No-one doubts your ability, Case. They were just worried about your ability to… be objective. When it comes to me, at least.”

“Well. I am working on it. Aren’t I?” she asked, and I nodded, giving her hand another squeeze.

As we spoke, Molly came over, and took a seat beside Casey.

“What’s the verdict?” I asked, and Molly sighed.

“Their abilities are unchanged. Hell, Nate. I’m not sure they’re much higher tiered than brand new arrivals,” she said, and I nodded.

“I suspect that Ethan took them right out of starter halls,” I replied, and Molly sighed again.

“So, we’re killing complete innocents here, then?”

“If we think of it like that, we’re not gonna make it far in this world,” Casey interjected. “Innocent or not, they’re not on our side right now, and we can’t go getting ourselves killed by being indecisive.”

As I looked up at Casey, however, something occurred to me.

“Maybe that’s exactly what Ethan wants,” I said, and Casey frowned.

“What makes you think that?”

“Killing was the safest, most logical route to proceed, right?” I asked, and Casey nodded. “Well, there are two groups out there from what I can tell. Newbies, and newbie hunters. Which group were we likely to plow our way through first?”

“Newbies,” Molly said, and I clicked my tongue, aiming my finger at her.

“Exactly.”

Molly frowned, however, as she thought about it.

“Something’s bothering me though. Why go through all of this trouble just to play games with us? Couldn’t he just make some super soldier hunters of his own and set them on us?” Molly asked, and Casey sighed.

“It means either he’s stalling for time for some reason, or he’s just really hell-bent on torturing Nate as much as possible,” she explained, but as she looked at me, I somehow sensed that she was reading what was on my mind.

If Ethan was going to these lengths to delay us, then he really did need the seven days…

But why?

There’s no way that it would that long for Cameron’s wound to heal, but… that roughly aligned with the day my son would have been born, didn’t it?

What if…

What if my child was still alive?

“Nate…”

“I know,” I replied, cutting Casey off before the thought could properly register, and Molly shot a quick glance between us, but as Lucia’s hand tightened around my fingers, I took a deep breath in and nodded.

“We need to find a way to strike at the hunters while staying clear of the T-ones,” I said, and Casey nodded.

“If Ethan really is biding his time, then they won’t attack tonight, huh?” she asked, and I shook my head.

“Kind of seemed as if they all retreated to that fort of theirs for the night,” I said, and she nodded.

“Get some sleep,” she replied. “I’ll try to see what I can come up with.”

Molly shot me a look, before nodding, and following Casey as she headed off.

As I tried to lay back and nod off, however, I quickly found it to be a bit more difficult than usual.

Was our child really still alive?

The thought made me feel the urge to take up my weapon and make a beeline for that fort, but I knew full well that there was no logic to that approach.

“Psst. Psst, Nate? Are you up?”

I turned around to spot Bianca crouched low near some bushes a few feet south of where I was lying.

“Yeah; what’re you-?”

“Shh. Casey said I was supposed to sleep and leave you alone. I can’t sleep though.”

I shook my head, but given my own struggle with sleeplessness, I patted the bedding beside me, and she crawled timidly towards me.

“You don’t have to hide. I’m sure Casey would have-”

My words trailed off as I noted that Bianca seemed to be shifting uncomfortably.

She and Casey really didn’t get along, huh?

I wiggled around a little bit as she crawled over, and Lucia groaned a little at the adjustment.

“You really sleep with the brat all the time?” Bianca asked, and I chuckled nervously.

“Not all the time, but with Cameron gone, she’s… having a tough time.”

Bianca turned on her side, looking over at Lucia.

“Her dad died here, huh?”

I nodded.

“We planted a tree over there. Where he was buried,” I said, nodding with my head, and Bianca frowned.

“When my dad died, I didn’t even go to the funeral,” Bianca said, and I bit my lip.

“Husband wouldn’t let you?”

“Nope, he went. They were ‘business partners’, or whatever. I just didn’t really care.”

“Hmm. Troubled childhood, huh?” I asked, and she scoffed.

“Troubled? I got to do whatever I want, and I got everything I wanted. Most people say they would have killed for a childhood like that,” she said, but contrary to her words, I saw a lingering kind of sadness in her eyes; especially as she looked over at Lucia curled up beside me.

“Got to do whatever you wanted, huh? Then you must hate it here. Being told what to do. Barely getting anything,” I teased, and she looked up at me.

“S’ not so bad,” she muttered, settling into the nook of my arm. “Never thought I’d actually kill someone, though.”

I pulled her closer as she settled in beside me.

“Do you regret it?” I asked, but she shook her head.

_I’d kill anyone who tries to take this away from me._

I studied her for a moment, until it dawned on me that she didn’t realize that she’d sent me that thought, and I gave her a reassuring squeeze.

“I wouldn’t let anyone take you away from me either,” I said.

She looked up at me with a slightly confused expression, before nodding, a kind of spacey look on her face.

With Bianca by my side, however, I felt much more relaxed and at ease, but as I drifted off to sleep, the feeling seemed to be cut short as I felt myself being shaken awake after what seemed like just mere moments later.

“Ugh. How long did I sleep?”

“Four hours,” Casey said.

Bianca was up and sitting off to the side, Lucia at her side, and to my surprise, her arm around the younger girl.

I let out a disgruntled groan as I sat up and stretched.

“Sometimes I really feel my age in here,” I said, and Casey shook her head.

“That’s not age, just maybe… overexertion catching up to you. You’re running like a hundred miles a day in armor and carrying a ton of weight while fighting and using abilities,” she reminded me, and I nodded.

“What’d I miss?” I asked, as she pulled me onto my feet.

“Raul is here, but uh… well, you should see for yourself.”

I raised an eyebrow at her, and she shrugged, gesturing for me to walk on ahead.

I took a quick look around, trying to get my bearings, when I noted a contingent of Kobalt over to the left, and Casey nodded as I eyed her.

As we made our way over, however, I caught sight of Alva, but beside her was… a knight?

I shook my head a bit, as the figure was wearing what looked like white, ceremonial armor, and as I got closer, I noted that there even seemed to be a kind of aura of brilliance radiating from it.

“Holy fucking hell, man. Did you raid Palancar’s armory or what?”

Raul turned at the sound of my voice, biting his lips nervously.

“Nate; this is my old set,” he said, and I shook my head, laughing a little.

“Shit, are you serious? What happened to it?”

Alva stepped forward.

“Nathan,” she bowed slightly. “Your subject has made his oath, fulfilling the requirements of his position.”

I laughed.

“An oath, huh? What was it?”

Alva nudged Raul, and he rubbed the back of his head nervously.

“I, uh… I decided on something, to atone for my actions… back when I was hunting newbies.”

“Oath of redemption, then? What’s the condition?”

“To never kill another sentient being ever again,” he said, and I raised an eyebrow.

“I see. And the fancy armor?”

“It doesn’t shear off, no matter what. I don’t even expend energy to use its protective qualities anymore,” he explained, and I let out a whistle.

“Fucking hell. That’s amazing.”

“His oath grants him more than mere armor, Nathan,” Alva interjected. “Show him your token.”

Raul withdrew the little stone piece, handing it to Alva.

“Look into the core,” Alva said, and I nodded. “To utilize the full power granted by his pledge, Herr Raul must be suitably armed, and there are pieces we lack.”

As I studied the core, I noted that gauntlets, shoulder guards and shin guards were also required, but there was one more piece that I didn’t expect to see.

“Fuck. A shield?”

I turned to Casey.

“I keep forgetting to ask, but why the fuck are there no shields in the catalog?”

“Because, back when shields were in there, the survival rate of otherworlders was well over forty percent. That didn’t benefit the company,” she explained.

“So, no shields in this world?” I asked, and she shook her head.

“The catalog isn’t the be all and end all of what an adventurer has access to. It just means that all shields are either custom made, or legacy items.”

I turned to Raul’s token again, and as I studied it, two skills seemed to be manifesting inside of it.

“This skill is strength, isn’t it?” I asked, and Casey raised an eyebrow at me.

“You can’t recognize strength at a glance by now?” she asked, her tone disbelieving, but as I handed her the token and she peered into the core, she bit her lip. “Huh… what is that?”

“Strength five,” Raul answered, and Casey’s eyes went wide.

“Strength five? Are you serious?”

I chuckled at her.

“The other skill is level five too, huh?”

Raul nodded.

“I think it’s the ‘sword and shield’ fighting style,” he said, and I smirked.

“We need to get you a fucking shield.”

“Yes, Herr Nathan. And I have suggestion,” Alva said, and I turned to her.

“What is it?”

“We could petition Palancar for the item. There is one in their armory; an item not held in particularly high regard.”

I bit my lip, as I considered the suggestion.

“You really think they’ll give it up just like that?” I asked, and Alva shook her head.

“No, but we could bargain. Return to them something that they treasure,” she said, and I shook my head.

“What do we have that they treasure?” I asked, and Alva swallowed uncomfortably.

“The core of their former queen.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, what?” Casey cut in. “You mean the former queen that they tried to _murder_ us with?”

“Without the body, this action can never be repeated,” Alva answered. “Palancar cared not for the body. But the core is of upmost import.”

“Why?” I asked, eyeing Alva. “Why is it so important to them?”

Alva took a deep breath in.

“Our former queen is vital to the princess selection,” the girl answered, and I bit my lip again, as I considered it.

“If it’s so important to them, I kind of feel as if we’re getting the short end of the stick here.”

“The what?” Alva asked.

“He means we’re giving more than we’re getting in return,” Raul explained, and Alva nodded.

“For a shield, yes. But I am confident I can convince Palancar to part with more than a mere piece.”

I studied her, gesturing for her to continue, and she nodded.

“There is an armor set. One which surpasses even your own. It would serve Herr Raul honorably,” she explained.

“And they would give that to him?” I asked.

“I believe they can be persuaded, but… perhaps only if Raul were to be assigned a role which elevates him above the rest of your arbiters. A role which Palancar will hold in high esteem.”

“Above the rest of the arbiters, huh? Like chief arbiter, or something?”

Alva shook her head.

“Declare him ‘High Protector of Eltari’. It is a title known to my people, and respected above all titles, save matron, princess, king, and queen.”

“High protector… I like the sound of it. But that sounds like more than just a title,” I said, and Alva nodded.

“As protector, his obligation will be to all of Eltari, not merely our own kingdom.”

I turned to Casey.

“What do you think?” I asked, and she bit her lip nervously, her expression thoughtful.

“I’d prefer to know for sure that Jacinda’s core won’t be used against us again,” she said.

“I trust Alva’s advice; just as much as I would Gisela’s,” I offered, and Alva bowed.

“I am not worthy,” she said, and I turned to Casey again.

“Part of me wants to say yes just so that you don’t ever dive into that wretched thing again,” she said, and I chuckled in response.

“Does the other part of you think that having someone with T-five strength and fighting skill will swing things majorly in our favor? Because, then we’d be on the same page.”

Casey nodded.

“It’s not far from my mind. But I doubt we can petition Palancar in time for these abilities to be of use in this conflict,” she said.

I turned to Alva, and the girl shook her head.

“We will leave immediately, and return by the second segment after first light.”

Raul raised a hand at this.

“Whoa. These woods aren’t in cluster territory. They’re dangerous enough on a normal day much less in complete darkness,” he said, and Alva shook her head.

“We have no time to hesitate, mein süsser,” she said, resting a hand against his cheek. “The darkness holds dangers, but none that can eclipse your light; and your liege requires this strength.”

Raul seemed a bit flustered by Alva’s open show of her affection in speaking to him, and I smirked a little, to his annoyance.

“Is it safe for us to make the trip?” he asked Casey, and she nodded.

“We’ll put a speed two piece on her,” Casey offered, and Raul nodded in agreement.

As Alva moved off to make the preparations, Casey pulled me aside.

“You’re worried about that kind of strength in Raul’s hands?” I asked, and she nodded.

“He’ll be stronger than you,” she said, and I shrugged.

“Does that make you anxious?”

“Anyone being stronger than you makes me anxious,” she said, and I laughed.

“Really? Could have sworn that me being the strongest person around was your greatest fear,” I teased, and she sighed.

“I don’t, uh… fine, I still worry about that,” she said, and I smiled.

“Wouldn’t expect you not to,” I said. “I think you can relax over Raul, though. The conditions of that oath will keep him in check; more so than even his pledge.”

“Are you sure?” she asked, and I nodded.

“Yeah. And if he breaks that oath, he stands to lose that power. Plus… maybe he can really find some atonement for what he’s done this way.”

Casey shook her head, letting out a sigh.

“He’s killed a hell of a lot of people, Nate. I just- we’d never give someone like that a second chance on earth.”

I chuckled a little.

“Someone killing that many people on earth, and someone killing that many people here, aren’t exactly the same thing. How many do you think I’ve killed now?”

“That’s different,” she said. “You’re fighting life or death battles; he hunted, innocent newbies.”

“Like the ones we killed today?”

Casey scowled, but as she turned, I rested a hand on her shoulder.

“I’m not trying to be difficult; I just mean… the metrics you’re trying to apply here don’t necessarily account for the difference in experience between our earth lives and this one.”

Casey shifted uncomfortably, but as I rubbed the spot on her shoulder a bit with my thumb, she relaxed.

“Sometimes I hate that you can calm me down like that,” she said, looking over her shoulder, and I smiled.

“Well, if you prefer it, I could just let you run wild with your anxieties,” I suggested, and she shook her head, placing her hand over my own.

“Sometimes I just kind of wish I had something like this back on earth. Maybe if I did, I wouldn’t have ended up in this hell.”

“Or, maybe you would have followed me into hell anyway,” I said.

Casey eyed me, but she didn’t ask, so I dropped the topic at that.

“We should get the ball rolling on this scouting mission,” I said, and she nodded.

“Are you taking the same group?”

I shook my head.

“Swap Blair out for Molly. I noticed that she seems to be excelling at sensory skills,” I said.

“Oof; are you really gonna drop Blair on me, though?”

I shrugged.

“If they attack us here, it’s likely to be a life or death battle. She’ll come in handier for that than she would on a stealth mission,” I said, and Casey eyed me.

“Is that all? Or are you just trying to keep her far away from your ‘precious little girl’,” she teased.

“Do you know about that?” I asked, and she shook her head.

“No, I just caught the gist of it,” she said. “Probably best to let your little spy-girlfriend keep an eye on that instead of tailing me all the time, though.”

I chuckled a little.

“Noted,” I said.

As we prepped to leave, however, Blair moved over to check on me.

“You dropping me from your squad?” she asked, and I shook my head.

“Not at all; there just won’t be much fighting on this trip, and I need the swords here in case they try to kill our captives.”

She eyed me carefully, trying to read me for some sign or indication of my true intentions.

“Just hope you don’t end up regretting it,” she said, before turning and heading back to the sleeping area.

As we got everything together, however, I studied Lucia for a bit.

Earlier, when she’d used her ability in combat, I noted that her energy level had dropped sharply, and while she was more than capable of keeping up with us thanks to her armor, it did drain what limited strength she had quite quickly.

“I think I’m carrying you this time,” I said, and she frowned.

I glanced at Casey, who shrugged.

“Maybe she doesn’t wanna be carried all the time?” Casey suggested, and I shook my head.

As I stared at Lucia again, I suddenly felt a disorienting feeling…

Was she always that tall?

I shook the thought away, as we got ready to leave.

We were heading off without the Accalians this time, since it was unlikely that enemies would be able to pick up on us at night.

That is, if they were even out and about.

Molly swapped around her armor so that she had access to one of the T-three speed pieces, but we still opted for the armor-light set up, focusing on the pieces for speed and endurance as we headed out.

“Be careful,” Casey said, and I nodded, before turning and heading into the woods.

The trip across this stretch of forest was roughly a hundred miles, and I knew that even if we pressed on at our maximum sustained speed, it’d take us at least four hours to complete it.

We started out heading west, however, before turning into the direction of the fort, as guided by Cameron’s beacon, and beelining straight for it.

I kept an eye on Molly as we ran, however, and was pleasantly surprised to find that she was keeping up with the speed of our movement quite easily.

If anything, the only one who seemed a little distracted was Francesca.

Was the stress of being our ‘best fighter’ getting to her?

Or was it the killing?

Apart from Blair and myself, she was the one who had killed the most humans, and I’d noted on a few occasions now that her hands shook, and her spirit seemed to waver every time she’d done so.

Maybe I’d need to spend some time with her?

Calm her down a bit?

Initially I’d imagined that I would need to attend to Bianca who’d not only killed for the first time, but was generally much less stable than the rest of my top fighters.

But as I studied her, I noted that she seemed to be quite calm and measured, and even as we tore through the woods, she managed to shoot me a small smile as she caught my eyes on her.

I turn my gaze forward and smiled a little.

_I chose well, huh?_

With just two stops, we managed to make our way across this bit of forest bordered by the river, and I pulled the group to a stop as soon as I heard the faint sound of the river roaring away in the distance.

“Is that the river?” Molly asked, and I nodded.

She was the only one here who hadn’t seen it yet, huh?

“I don’t wanna travel along its banks, since they might have a watch placed at points along the length on the opposite side,” I said. “I’m just going out a bit to check if we’re along the east-west section of it, or north-south.”

Francesca nodded, and the group kept low to some bushes as I headed out, but it took little more than a minute for me to confirm that we were indeed just south of the east-west section.

“So, we head west, then,” Francesca said, and I nodded.

“Keep an eye out in case the river begins to turn while we’re moving though.”

As we headed out, we moved at a much more measured pace, being a lot more careful now of alerting any possible watches that were left nearby to snuff out a sneak attack.

It didn’t take long however, before we spotted a light in the distance, and after looking around a bit, we found an area which afforded us some higher ground, and a great vantage point from which to survey the fort.

Compared to Saker, it seemed like a little thing, but as I scoped out the surroundings, I quickly realized that the fort was quite well positioned and difficult to get to, with just a narrow crossing leading to it, and a sharp rising hill on either side that made approaching it from any direction but the crossing quite difficult.

“Fucking hell. There’s literally no way to sneak across there, huh?” Francesca asked, and I bit my lip as I considered it.

“Lucia, can you see anything from this distance?”

The girl nodded, then looked at my shoulder.

“You wanna climb up?” I asked, and she nodded.

As I tried to pick her up, however, she gestured to me to stoop down instead, and much to my annoyance, she climbed her way up, until she secured her footing, crouched down, on my shoulders.

Slowly, I got up, making sure she’d maintained her balance, and as I stood upright, she stood up as well, relying of some help from Francesca for support.

“Lucia can see, but is far,” she said.

“Hey, brat? Can you get to this branch?” Bianca asked, gesturing to a low-hanging branch on a nearby tree, and Lucia nodded.

I made my way carefully there, and as she scrambled up, she used the branch to climb her way up the tree, until eventually she found a good vantage point.

As she surveyed the scene, however, a panicked look suddenly crossed her face.

“Nathan! Nathan, trouble!”

“What? What is it? Is something up there?”

I looked around for a way to climb up to her, but she was already making her way back down.

“No, Nathan. She’s coming. She’s coming here!”

Then Francesca’s eyes went wide, and she shuddered a little.

“Nate, I feel it!” she said.

“Get into formation!” I called, organizing the group around the branch where Lucia was now making her way down to.

She got there, and at my urging, leapt into my arms, though quickly scurrying into position and drawing her dagger, readying herself for a fight.

“How many were coming?” I asked Lucia.

“One.”

_One? I could easily immobilize her and we can take her out._

As we waited, however, I suddenly remembered that on Julie’s sixteenth birthday, I’d bought her a chain-link bracelet with little mustard yellow topaz gemstones, and even though she said she loved it and her eyes lit up when she saw it, she almost never wore it for any kind of-

*Woosh*

I felt slightly disoriented as the projectile zoomed past me, just narrowly deflected out of my way by Francesca’s armguard, and as she eyed me, I shook my head.

Where the hell was my head at?

Then the thoughts started coming to me at a million miles an hour:

_He doesn’t love her alone he loves me too even if she’s cute he won’t get rid of me I’m important I’m special IMEANSOMETHINGTOHIMSOGETOUTOFMYHEADGETOUTOFMYHEADGETOUTOFMYHEAD!_

Bianca hands were over her ears, and she was shaking her head.

“Bianca! It’s not real. Someone’s doing this to us!”

“Nate, I-”

“Watch out!” Francesca yelled, and I readied myself just as another projectile came flying at us, a small spear from what I could tell, but I was ready, and I swatted it out of the air with my halberd.

But why didn’t she ever wear the bracelet? She liked it didn’t she? Wait, why the fuck am I even-?

“Nate!”

Francesca had a frustrated look on her face, and I looked up just as three figures zoomed in at us out of the darkness.

Two of them had spears, and the third, two short-to-medium length blades, one in either hand.

The third one went straight at me, and as they swung, I deflected the blade, but as they began to alternate strikes between the two hands, I quickly found myself on the back foot.

Lucia and Bianca began to engage with one of the spear wielders, while Francesca and Molly were fighting the third, but I still could not for the life of me understand why it was so fucking difficult for me to stop thinking about THE GODDAMNED FUCKING BRACELET.

“I’m. Fucking. USEFUL!” Bianca yelled, in between each lunging strike, but she was pressing her opponent recklessly, and it’d be ill-advised if she weren’t completely overwhelming them with her flurry of jabs and slashes.

As I tried to focus on my own opponent, however, I suddenly noted that she was a girl, and quite pretty too, and Julie’s bracelet would really go well with the gilded yellow knives she was wielding, and maybe she’d have appreciated it more than Julie did, but fucking hell, get it together man!

My opponent was, thankfully, not that skilled, but as I observed the fighting, I noted that while our fighters were clearly better than theirs, they were still holding their own well enough that beating them white avoiding killing them would be much more trouble than it was worth.

“Nate! Something big is coming!”

There was panic in Francesca’s voice, and her call seemed to bring the clashes to a temporary halt.

I used the interlude to activate sensory perception, and I quickly realized that threads were linking Bianca and me to the girl in front of me… who was _really_ pretty.

She had those curly, red locks that reminded me of Julie, and the swell of her breasts were unmistakable on that skin fitted, red, leather top, and cute, youthful looking face, and I mean sure; I had a lot of babies on the way, but our babies would be really adorable, and-

Fucking hell!

I grimaced, and she caught the look on my face and smirked.

 _Yeah? Well maybe you can’t stop thinking about what our babies would look like either!_ I thought, as I extended my own energy threads to her, but even as I caught the slight inflection in her expression, someone burst out of the darkness ahead of us, and it drew my eye, as the sheer presence of this otherworlder was just… intimidating.

“Brunette’s mine!” the newcomer yelled; the voice was a woman’s, but so commanding, I immediately felt the need to dart to Francesca’s side.

“No no, mon ami. This dance is ours,” the girl in front of me said, raising a knife to stop me.

As Francesca engaged the newcomer, Lucia moved off from Bianca’s side to fight the otherworlder that Francesca had been engaged with, and I clicked my tongue in annoyance, as I jabbed my halberd towards my own quarry, but she evaded the thrust, then moved in and began to strike at me with those quick, fluid alternating swings.

I had to admit, this was the first time in combat that I really felt pressed while not overwhelmingly outmatched, and it was annoying me to no end.

I mean, we had a mission to carry out here. Didn’t she know that, or did she just not care? Just like fucking Julie, always doing whatever the fuck she wanted without thinking about what anyone else-

The though trailed off as I noted that the threads that extended from her to me created a kind of energy pathway between us, and as I focused on it while parrying her flurry of attacks, I quickly realized that it allowed me to use my own long-range abilities with much more efficiency.

“Isn’t that a bit hard? Focusing on two people at once?”

She shook her head, but I quickly saw a falter in her step, and the thread that extended to Bianca seemed to weaken.

As she stared at me and focused, however, the thread seemed to strengthen itself again, and Bianca screamed out as she made a repeated series of lunging attacks.

_Fuck._

_I really need Bianca to cool down!_

“Or maybe it’s that you just can’t stop ‘eye-fucking’ me?” I asked, channeling my thought into the suggestion, and the girl licked her lips, as her eyes travelled up and down my body.

“There will be time for that later, mon amor,” she said, but as soon she moved to attack, I activated my paralysis skill, and the girl’s eyes went wide, but only for a moment, as Bianca appeared by her side, and drove her dagger through her hip.

I darted past the two and deflected a spear thrust from Bianca’s quarry, but as I moved in to strike at the man, something seemed to pulse out from him, pushing me back.

Fuck.

No wonder Bianca hadn’t taken him out yet.

Out of the corner of my eye, however, I saw as Lucia drove her dagger through the other man’s neck, and I smiled, as we now had this under control.

The only problem left was Francesca’s opponent, who-

“AHHHHHHHHHHHH!”

The scream turned me around a bit.

That was Francesca, but in her struggle with the newcomer, the two had moved somewhere out of my line of sight.

“Go,” I said to Bianca, and she darted off in the direction, as I lunged at the man again.

I made a swinging attack, and he took it in the chest, but my weapon never made contact, instead that repelling force again throwing off my attack, and he darted in before I could regain my footing, stabbing at my neck.

I evaded, then focusing on him, I activated my paralysis skill, and Molly and Lucia moved in to strike.

They struck and struck at him, trying to get through his ‘shield’ until Lucia came over and taking up my halberd, she yelled to Molly to get clear, and as Molly obliged, Lucia hurled it at the man, and to my surprise, the point tip went through his neck, and he began to gag as blood gurgled up through his mouth.

I deactivated my skill, then tore the halberd out of him, clicking my tongue in annoyance.

Then I heard the second scream from Francesca, followed by Bianca’s cry:

“NATE. HELP US!”

I darted in the direction of the voices in time to spot Francesca flailing as the woman warrior, standing behind her, had an arm around her throat, seemingly having no trouble pinning Francesca in place, while she swiped at Bianca who had a bloodied lip.

Francesca’s face was beet-red, even as she seemed to have gotten a hand up between the woman’s grip and her neck, and as I charged, the woman let out a roar, and we went flying.

Then she turned on me and leapt, landing before me just as I scrambled to my feet, but before I could ready myself defensively, she kicked out, striking me in the solar plexus and knocking the wind out of my lungs.

I grasped at the ground, trying to find a way to stand, but as Francesca finally broke free of her iron grip, the woman grabbed her with her free hand, and holding Francesca by both arms, she drove a knee into her back and began to pull.

“AHHHHHHHHHHHH.”

Francesca’s scream chilled me to my bones, and the fear-stricken, wild look in her eyes sent me into a momentary panic.

I tried to activate my paralysis, but even as pain began to shoot through my body, the woman seemed unfazed.

Bianca darted at the woman, and she turned, kicking her in the side and sending her skidding away, then Lucia leapt onto her and began to jab with her dagger, but weapon just would not pierce her, and she shook Lucia off, before returning her attention to Francesca.

“You’re my fucking ticket to immortality, bitch! Don’t think there’s ANYTHING that will stop me from tearing you limb from fucking limb!”

“Nathan, Nathan help me! Please. NATHAN! AHHHHHHHHHHH!”

She’d tensed her arms and were putting all of her strength into resisting the woman’s savage attempt to do what I could only describe as tearing out Francesca’s arms by the sockets, and as Francesca screamed, I held my breath to stop the shooting pain, and charged at the woman.

Knocking into her sent a shockwave of pain through me, as my energy core itself seemed struck by the contact, but we both fell over, and Francesca muscled her way out of the woman’s grasp, but as she swung a fist at me, hitting me in the head and sending a ringing through my ears, I felt the world spinning out of control around me.

The next thing I knew, I was running, half-dragged half-led through the darkness, Molly’s hand guiding me and a strange kind of lightness in my body, and as I looked to the left, I saw Francesca and Bianca running, hand in hand beside us, a wild, panicked look in their eyes.

“W-what. What happened?”

“You need to focus on running right now, hunny,” Molly shouted, and that was when I heard a wailing roar behind us that seemed to send shockwaves through the very earth underfoot.

_She’s chasing us!_

But wait- how fast could we possibly running to be clear of someone that monstrously strong?

As I regained proper use of my mental faculties, I estimated our speed at just a little over tier-two.

But how were we managing that in this state?

Molly caught my eye, and smiled.

“She did say my ability might manifest itself under ‘stressful conditions’,” Molly said, and it was then that I noted that there seemed to be a faint shimmering light emerging from her back.

Almost like… translucent wings, and as I activated sensory perception, I noted that a kind of energy was radiating from her, and extending to us all.

“Nathan. Six more,” Lucia said, tugging at my arm a bit, and I nodded.

How do we handle this?

Fighting that woman along with six more otherworlders could get messy and fast, especially if they were hunters like the other’s we’d faced.

But so far, it seemed as if the woman couldn’t run much faster than speed two, so maybe we could just outrun her?

As I glanced at Bianca and Francesca, I noted that they were quite beat up, but perhaps more worryingly, Francesca seemed to have completely lost her sense of composure.

Wait; that woman said she was going to kill Francesca, didn’t she?

And didn’t her attacks seem to be more or less focused on her?

“Adjust course this way a bit,” I said, turning the group southwards, and Molly eyed me.

“What are you up to?” she asked, and I bit my lip.

“Trying to figure out how to deal with her.”

“Her strength was tier-four, Nate. And our weapons just don’t reach her for some reason,” Molly reasoned.

“I know; but we might not make it back to our base at our current energy levels if we have to run all the way,” I said. “Keep on this course; I’ll be right back.”

“Nate!” Francesca called out, and I shot her a reassuring glance as I stopped, but to my dismay, the group stopped as well.

“Keep going; I’ll catch up, I promise. Just stay at speed two, okay?”

Francesca didn’t move, but Molly quickly snapped her out of it.

“Come on. Trust Nate, okay?” she said, pulling the girl along, as they resumed their sprint into the darkness.

I turned as I felt the presence of that woman, charging through the bushes, and as she spotted me, she stopped.

“Not the meat I’m looking for,” she said. “Or are you going to get in my way?”

“Maybe I am?” I said.

“Go, Leona. We’ll handle him.”

I gasped, as the voice seemed to come out of nowhere, until I noted a shadow slipping towards me against the darkness of the night.

Leona ran off after the others, and I turned and ran alongside her, just about thirty or so feet to her left.

She glared at me, but she ran on nonetheless.

“Are you sure you can track them? Seems kind of hard in this darkness,” I suggested, extending my threads to her as I did, and she glared at me.

“Fuck off!” she cursed, and I smirked.

“I thought all you puppets were forbidden from talking to us?” I asked, and she scoffed.

“I’m not playing the same game as the rest of those plebs,” she replied, and I smiled.

“Maybe I can negotiate with you then? How many credits did Ethan offer you? I’m pretty sure we could double it? Buy yourself a nice ticket home?”

The woman laughed.

“I already told you; I’m not like these plebs. I’m after something you could never give me. Besides, maybe you should focus on not dying in the next five minutes?”

She glanced beyond me, and at the same time, I sensed something coming at me, and as I turned, I saw that shadowy figure again.

Fuck.

He was quick.

Quicker than she was for sure, but as I turned my gaze forward again, I spotted something, like a concentration of energy at a spot ahead of me, right in my path, and as my foot came down on it, I felt a stabbing pain shoot through me, and I hopped for a second, before pulling to a stop.

I readied my halberd just as the figure moved in to attack, slashing at me with a dagger, and I parried the blow, followed by three more in quick succession, but as I planted down my foot, another sharp pain shot through it, and in that moment, the man moved in again to strike.

I tried to ignore the pain, but as I moved, trying to parry his quick slashing strikes, I found myself stepping around with great trepidation, wary of another one of those ground spikes going through my foot again.

I made a sweeping slash with my halberd, then turning, I ran off at my full speed three pace, heading in the direction of the others.

As I ran, I spotted another one of those energy spikes, and as I avoided it, I suddenly realized that another one had been placed on the tree trunk I was running past, and as it went through my shoulder, I cursed.

 _What the fuck is that?_ I thought, as I rolled my shoulders and gave it a quick feel, trying to gauge whether or not any damage had been done from that energy spike, but everything felt fine despite the pain feeling as if I’d been stabbed.

Even my feet still felt sore from stepping on those things.

As I looked over my shoulder, however, I noted that I seemed to have pulled away from my pursuer, and as the energy spikes no longer appeared anywhere ahead of me, I felt hopeful that I’d outrun him.

Eventually, I spotted the others up ahead, and Francesca let out a relieved sigh as I moved to her side.

“Is she gaining on us?” she asked, and I bit my lip.

“I don’t think so, but the other pursuers are faster, and we won’t be able to make it back to base running flat out like this.”

“Maybe I can help,” Molly said, and as she did, I sensed the activation of that skill again, and a kind of lightness filled me.

We had all been running at top speed-two, and her ability easily bumped us up to almost three; but that wasn’t all.

It also seemed to make my body seem lighter, draining less of my energy to run, and I shot her a thankful look as we continued on.

But less than an hour later, I started to sense the strain that activating that ability for such a long time was putting on her.

“Hey, are you okay?”

Molly nodded, but I could see that she was just barely managing.

I called everyone to a stop, and Francesca shot me a panicked look.

“Why are we stopping?”

I gestured to Molly, and as she looked at the woman, Francesca nodded.

She crouched down, taking out her waterskin and taking a sip, but her eyes were fixed on the tree line behind us, and as she drank again, I saw just how shaken she was.

Everyone took a quick bite, and drank some water, then Molly nodded, and we resumed the journey.

This time, however, I asked her to hold off on activating her ability.

After all, we’d probably need that in case of a-

*Woosh*

I skidded to a halt as something tore past us, and Lucia drew her dagger, getting into a battle-ready stance.

Bianca, Francesca and Molly however, were staring at us with questioning looks.

“What’s-?”

“Get down!” I yelled, and this time Bianca leapt at Francesca, knocking her over just as another woosh sounded, and Molly backed up to us, crouching low.

“Nate; there,” she said, and I followed her gaze, studying the bushes intently.

As I looked at Lucia, however, I noted that the child, despite scanning the area, saw nothing.

Then I saw it.

That shimmering kind of darkness, moving against the blanket of darkness behind it.

“Look out for energy spikes,” I said.

“Energy what?” Bianca asked, but I had little time to explain as Lucia yelled out, and I looked up just as two bodies charged at us out of the bushes.

I slashed at one while he charged straight at Molly, while the other made a lunge at Francesca, before both figures darted off into the woods on the opposite side, disappearing into the darkness.

They’re stalling us, huh?

“We need to move,” I said, keeping my voice low, and Francesca nodded.

I turned our direction south-east, away from the figure shrouded in darkness, but as we ran, I quickly realized that the other two were not only tailing us, but they were easily keeping up with the speed two pace we were moving at.

“Nate, we need to push it,” Francesca said, and I shook my head.

“We’ll run ourselves dry before we can get within ten miles of the base,” I replied. “Let them tail us; we need to conserve energy.”

“Nate. Can I try something?” Bianca asked, and I glanced at her.

“Try something?”

“Yeah, actually, me and the brat,” she said, and I turned to Lucia.

The girl moved over to Bianca’s side, and Bianca spoke to her in a low voice as they ran, and Lucia nodded.

“Tell me when,” Bianca said, and Lucia nodded, glancing over her shoulder.

“When,” she said, and I gasped as the two girls seemed to suddenly vanish; but as I came to a halt and spun around, I saw them both stabbing one of our two pursuers, Lucia plunging her dagger into the man’s leg, while Bianca went for the neck.

Blood burst out from the side of his neck in spurts as she pulled the dagger out, and as the other figure, a man, I could now tell, moved in to attack them, they vanished again, appearing just in front of me, and at their urging, we took off running again.

They had moved what, ten feet; almost in an instant?

“Is that your new special skill?” I asked, and Bianca nodded, frowning a little. “What’s wrong?”

“I wanted to save that move for Ethan,” she said, a little glumly, and I grinned.

“Well, if we kill all of our pursuers, maybe you still can?”

She bit her lip a little, frowning.

“Maybe…” she said.

Our second tail seemed to back off after losing his attack partner, but a quick glance over my shoulder confirmed that our shadowy pursuer was still trailing us.

“Nate; how far… are we… from the base?” Francesca asked, and I studied her worriedly.

She could barely get the words out while running, and as I consulted my connection to Casey, it looked to be easily at least forty miles.

“Far,” I said, not wanting to worry her too much.

As we ran, however, I tried to convey to Casey a desire for assistance, but I was fairly certain that the distance was too great for the message to get there.

How close would I need to get?

Ten miles, maybe?

Francesca’s irregular breathing was a problem, though.

Not to mention that in any fight right now, she seemed likely to fall apart.

What should we do?

Running was burning energy, and if we were gonna be forced into a confrontation sooner or later, then it was better for us to fight while we were still in the condition to do so.

But if we stopped to fight and lost, then it would be over for us.

I glanced over my shoulder at shadow guy.

Something in my gut told me that he was the second most dangerous person pursuing us, after Leona, was it?

But how much distance had we put between us and her?

If we took him out, then maybe our escape would be a little bit easier.

My own weapon was pretty ineffective against his speed, and defending against his quick attacks at close range was pretty problematic.

I’d need Bianca.

Or Lucia.

As I considered signaling to Bianca, however, our pursuer backed off, turning a little way north of our heading, and I clicked my tongue in annoyance.

“Nate, I’m getting a bad feeling,” Francesca said.

I activated my connection to Casey and the others, and quickly worked out that we were roughly twenty miles away.

_Ten more miles._

Just ten more miles and we’d be-

“Nathan!”

Lucia had cried out, and everyone pulled up to a stop as I did, but it took little more than a look at the child to figure out what was wrong.

“How many?”

“Four, Nathan.”

I nodded.

“We’re ploughing through. Molly, get a read on them as soon as you can.”

We advanced, the group moving cautiously with me at first, but as soon as we were within sight, I raised my halberd, and we charged.

“Tier two!” Molly yelled out, and I smiled.

“Don’t hold back!”

They were ready for us, and I charged straight on at the first person I saw; a large-ish man wielding an axe.

He lifted it up and readied for a swing, which I easily evaded, before slicing through his throat with the bladed tip of my halberd.

Three more bodies burst out of the darkness as a second fighter charged at me trying to slash at me with a sword, and I evaded the stroke, before cutting through his hands, then turning around, I spotted a warrior with his back to me as he faced off with Molly, and I stuck the bladed tip of my halberd through the back of his leg, giving Molly the change to stab through his neck from above.

Bianca and Lucia had quickly moved to take on the newcomers, but Francesca was still engaged with her quarry; a woman wielding a spear, and not all that skillfully either, but as I watched, I quickly realized that Francesca was taking extra steps every time she sidestepped, and attacking with much less conviction than she normally did, allowing the woman to parry despite her seeming inferior fighting ability, and counter attack Francesca’s advances as well.

“That one’s really shook,” Molly said, and I nodded, walking over to the man with the severed arms who was screaming and writhing on the floor, and silencing him with a stab through the neck.

As Bianca and Lucia took care of the other three, however, the girl engaged with Francesca suddenly cried out, and I gasped as I sensed a new power surging through her.

I quickly activated my paralysis skill, and as she went down on one knee, Francesca stabbed her through the armpit, pulling the spear from the spot and then finishing her off with a stab through the neck.

Her hands, however, were shaking as she moved away from the body.

“Are you alright?” I asked.

She nodded.

“We should move,” she said, and I nodded in response.

There was no time to even strip armor away anymore, but no sooner had we begun to sprint than a bellowing call echoed through the woods towards us, and Francesca’s eyes went wide.

“I-It can’t be! How can she be here already?”

Her eyes were already tearing up as we ran, and as her step faltered, she stumbled onto a root and went tumbling to the ground.

I helped her up, but her knees were shaking now.

“Come on. We’re almost home, okay?”

We ran again, but Francesca was a mess, struggling to keep up, stumbling a lot, and by the time I called them to a stop, she was hyperventilating.

“Okay, someone take her spear?”

“Got it,” Molly said, and I shot her a thankful nod as I picked Francesca up and slung her over my shoulder.

“Mind activating that-?”

“Already done,” Molly said, cutting me off, and I smiled as her aura had indeed already begun to surround us.

We took off again, but after running for less than five minutes, Francesca began to squirm.

“Nate! She’s coming! They’re coming!”

Lucia shot me a worried look, and I nodded, calling the group to a stop.

“How many?” I asked, and Lucia stared off into the distance, doing a quick count.

“Ten?” she said, seeming uncertain, and I cursed as I set Francesca down.

“Can’t we just plow through them again?” Molly asked, and I shook my head.

“Every newbie we kill is probably powering up the hunters chasing us, and if Raul isn’t back yet, then killing ten could make them a threat to our camp,” I said.

Everyone was panting, and as I set Francesca down and took a look around, trying to work out what to do, Lucia tugged at my hand.

“Nathan. Lucia can make it past,” the girl said. “Evil gods don’t care about Lucia, and Lucia is too weak to hurt strong ones.”

I stared at her.

“Are you sure you know how to get there?”

She nodded.

“Lucia can sense papa’s tree.”

She deactivated the arm guard on her forearm as she spoke, and I eyed her.

That was the endurance piece, wasn’t it?

She was making plans to conserve energy, but would she really be able to make it, pushing herself like that?

I didn’t like it.

Part of me would rather leave everyone behind and flee to safety with Lucia right now than risk her life for us, but as she tugged my hand, I went down onto one knee, and to my surprise, she hugged me, and kissed me on the cheek.

“Lucia loves Nathan. Lucia won’t let Nathan die,” she said. “Lucia is stronger now. Lucia can protect too.”

I stared at her, and once more I felt that outpouring of love for her again, and Bianca turned in our direction.

“Be safe,” I said, pulling her in and giving her one more hug, and she brushed my cheek, smiling at me.

Then she turned and darted off.

“Nate, is that really a good idea?” Bianca asked, and I sighed.

“She didn’t really give me a chance to say no,” I replied. “Besides, we have more important things to worry about.”

I gave the situation a bit more thought, then made up my mind.

“Okay; that’s it. Everyone activate your armor,” I said.

Francesca and Molly obeyed almost immediately, but Bianca studied me.

“I think I’ll hold off on that,” she said, and I eyed her.

“You really feel comfortable fighting without it?” I asked, and she nodded.

“I’m quicker; and I’ll be able to use my ability more often if I have more energy conserved for it.”

But Bianca was actually not my biggest concern.

Francesca was.

But, maybe being back in full armor would boost her confidence a little.

Now that I’d armored up, I knew for certain that our enemies were at least more than a mile away from us, but what worried me even more now was that the presence of those enemies still seemed so… imminent, and pressing.

It made me wonder just how strong they really were.

I mean, that Leona girl alone was a handful.

But more than one of those?

That would be well beyond us to handle.

And even one of those with above tier-three speed would be enough to end us.

I called everyone together for a huddle.

“We’re in a pretty bad spot here; our best bet is to survive until our backup arrives.”

“Nate. We can’t beat that monster,” Francesca said, hyperventilating a little, and I shook my head.

“You don’t have to beat her. She’s slower than we are, and we’re better fighters. We just need to outlast her. Fight smart, okay? Keep out of her reach, figure out what her weaknesses are, and just don’t let her pin you down.”

“Sounds good, right?” Molly said, resting a hand on Francesca’s shoulder, as she nodded her agreement to the plan.

Francesca still seemed entirely out of sorts, but Bianca was focused, much to my relief.

Nevertheless, I went through with the group what I’d learned about the shadowy hunter, and what his abilities seemed to do, but it didn’t take long for him to make his appearance ahead of us.

As he stepped out of the darkness, however, three more otherworlders followed, and I felt my chest tighten as I recognized them as the group I’d spied on earlier in the day.

These were hunters, and hunters who’d killed several groups of fleeing newbies too, so they were likely to be stronger than the regular groups we’d been facing.

“They don’t look like much,” the girl said, sizing us up. “Maybe we should have just attacked this morning.”

“This isn’t their whole squad, dumbass.”

I recognized this otherworlder as Lester; the one who’d dealt the finishing blow to the otherworlder I’d tailed.

The third man stepped forward, eyeing me as he did.

“This is the one we’re not supposed to harm, right?” he asked, looking over to the shadowy man, who nodded.

“Kill any of the others, and you have your freedom.”

Lester drew his dagger and stepped forward at that, but the girl raised her weapon, a mace, to stop him.

“Now hold on there, Les; this immortal armor,” she said, turning to the shadowy man. “Anyone who kills the little lioness can claim it, no?”

The shadowy man nodded, but Lester’s jaw dropped as he stared at the woman.

“Are you fucking _crazy_? Leona will rip that thing off of you if she has to!”

“I’d like to see her try,” she said.

“You two might wanna actually get this started soon. I’m pretty sure that one is trying to read through all of our abilities.”

I bit my lip, as I had indeed been looking into their cores, but for the life of me, I couldn’t get a read on their leader, and more worryingly, the shadowy man off beyond them just read as an empty abyss of darkness, and something about it just made me feel unsettled.

The two others looked at each other, then nodded.

“I’ve got the weakling,” Lester said, as he drew his dagger and moved in on Molly.

“That’s kind of disrespectful,” she said, readying her own sword for the fight.

I moved a little closer to her, however, readying my halberd as I did, as some of Lester’s abilities were above tier-two, and leaving him to Molly didn’t seem like the best idea.

The other man and the woman, however, were keeping their eyes on Francesca, and I suddenly noted that her knees were a bit shaky, even though her opponents, in my estimation, we well within the range of what she’d usually be able to handle.

“Is this really the little lion? Or did Leona just smack the roar right out of her?” the girl asked. “Maybe I’ll leave her to you,” she said to the man, as she turned to Bianca. “This one has one of those token thingies, right? How much are they worth again?”

“Double,” the shadowy man said, and I cursed under my breath.

How the fuck did they know about the tokens?

There was no way, right?

Although, Astrid did see them in a vision… so did that mean Ethan had a future seer under his control as well?

I’d have to leave that for later; for now, we needed to take care of these three before Leona showed up.

The girl facing off with Bianca was wielding a mace, while the guy in charge facing Francesca had a sword.

These were acceptable matchups.

As Lester charged in at Molly, however, I sprang into action, chasing him back with an arcing slice, but a cry from my left drew my eye, and I spotted Bianca hopping on one foot, obviously in pain, and as the girl with the mace swung, she just barely managed to roll away and escape a nasty hit.

Jesus.

That could do some pretty serious damage to her unarmored.

I tried to activate my paralysis skill, but as my threads extended out, some shadowy threads moved out to meet them, and my threads dissipated into thin air.

I cursed under my breath as I realized that our shadow friend had intervened while also using his energy spikes to interrupt Bianca’s movement, but that wasn’t the only worrying thing; Francesca was being pinned back as her opponent pressed her with aggression.

“Nate, I can handle myself. You need to support everyone,” Molly said.

I hesitated, but suddenly I remembered Casey’s assertion that coddling the weaker fighters in our group would only work against us in the long run.

Maybe Molly was right.

She moved off to engage Lester, and I scanned the battlefield, looking for a way to best make an impact, while also keeping an eye on the shadowy figure; then something occurred to me.

Maybe I needed to start with Francesca.

I focused on her for a second, extending my energy threads to her core before uttering the suggestion, _“Your focus is entirely on this fight.”_

She parried a few slashes with her spear handle, then paused for a second as her opponent overstepped in his zealous pressing of her, and Francesca steadied her position and drove her spear past his sword, glancing his shoulder and leaving a pretty wicked cut.

“Fucking bitch,” he muttered, taking a step back.

As Bianca charged at the girl with the mace, however, I saw a spike appear in front of her, but before I could so much as get a shout in, she stepped full on it and yelped, hopping on one foot, and I darted in, this time deflecting the blow aimed at her with the bladed tip of my halberd, before making a few counter jabs at the girl, and backing her up.

“You really need to watch for those spikes,” I said, and Bianca frowned.

“How are you fucking seeing them?” she asked.

“Go help Molly,” I said, as I turned to face the girl, and she screwed up her face at me, resting her mace on her shoulder as she brushed her hair back.

“You- are worthless,” the girl said. “How about you fuck off?”

“Make me,” I challenged her, and she scowled.

She charged in at me with a swing, and as I deflected the blow, she followed it up with two more swings.

I parried the onslaught then made a counter slash at her, and she leapt clear.

Hmm.

Technique, non-existent, but she was quick, and those swings packed quite a punch.

With enough time, I was pretty sure I could beat her easy enough, but something else was bothering me; she had special abilities, didn’t she?

I was pretty sure that they all did.

Yet no-one had used any as yet, and the shadow man for all of his interruptions, was yet to properly enter the fray.

It was strange to say the least…

Were they stalling? Or was it something else?

“OWW! Would you stop fucking doing that?” Bianca yelled out.

The shadow man smirked a little, and I noted, with some curiosity, that he seemed to be targeting Bianca.

Maybe Aletta was right about how skilled she was, huh?

My opponent moved in to strike at me again, and after deflecting several strikes, I maneuvered my way through a particularly wild swing, and slipping into her range, I thrust the spear-tip of my halberd at the exposed spot on her shoulder, and despite her attempt to lean out of the way, I nicked her.

“Fuck,” she cursed, as her hand went to the spot on her shoulder and came away with blood, and she glanced over at the shadow man, a glaring look in her eyes.

Wait… was he was sealing their abilities?

As I stared into the woman’s core, I noted that there was a special ability in there that she’d definitely not activated yet, and there was only one reason I could think of for why he’d do that.

Ethan didn’t want me to mirror their abilities.

I could use this!

“Hey, guys. What do you say we take a little breather?” I said.

Francesca looked over at me, and the man she was facing raised an eyebrow.

“I’m sorry, what-?”

The girl in front of me studied me for a bit, wiping at her mouth as she did, but as she followed my gaze to the shadowy man, a smile crept across her lips.

“I think I can get on board with that,” she said, as she walked over to the man with the sword. “Take a little break; sort out some… inconveniences?”

He stared at her, and I smiled, glad that she had caught on.

“What are you playing at?” the man asked.

“If you’re throwing this fight, Daisy, Leona will have your head,” the shadow man called, but the girl merely shrugged.

“Throwing? I don’t think so. I mean, it seems pretty clear that we’re still fighting, right?” she asked, turning to me, and I nodded.

“We are,” I said, gesturing to Bianca, who seemed confused for a moment, before catching on to where my gaze was directed, and after another moment of hesitation, she vanished, appearing beside the shadowy man and stabbing at him from the right.

He deflected the strike, but as he moved, I activated my paralysis skill, focusing it instead on only his leg, and as he stumbled, partially rooted to the spot, Francesca moved in, and he just barely deflected her thrust, before focusing on breaking my hold on him.

He broke out just as Bianca descended on him again, and he evaded her strike before hastily leaping clear.

“Ethan won’t let this slide!” the man shouted, the warning in his voice evident as he glared at Daisy.

“Yeah? Are you gonna run across this forest to tell on us, or are you gonna relinquish control of that puppet?”

The man scowled, and Daisy smirked in response.

“Thought so,” she said.

“You’ll regret this,” he said, as he faded into the darkness and slipped out of sight.

Daisy turned to me at that.

“Now… where were we?” she asked, smacking the handle of her mace into her palm as she eyed me.

Francesca returned her attention to the man with the sword, and Bianca eyed me for a moment, before turning to Lester.

“Guess that break’s over, then,” I said, and Daisy smiled as she darted into me.

She made a swing at my head which I evaded, but as I parried the next three strikes, each collision seemed to generate a strange kind of energy, and as I parried a fourth blow, I went down onto one knee; my hands shaking from the sheer power she’d managed to generate.

_What the fuck was that?_

Each strike seemed to connect with more force than the last, and as she made another horizontal swing at my head, I rolled out of the way, dodging again as she pounded into the earth where I’d just knelt.

She followed it up with another strike, and as I was forced to block, I once again reeled under the sheer force of the blow.

Wait, that last strike wasn’t as strong as the one before.

I got to my feet and braced myself just as she made another swing, but this time, the force actually lifted me off of the ground, and as I went rolling, I had to quickly scramble out of the way as she followed it up with a thunderous smash into the earth.

There were energy threads connecting her weapon to one of her skills, and I quickly noted that there was also energy stored in her weapon as well.

She moved in and as she aimed at my leg with her next swing, I danced out of the way, and immediately noted that the energy in the mace seemed to be dissipate after the miss.

So, the more hits she landed, even if they were blocked, the more power she could generate on the next swing, huh?

It was a pretty neat skill, but wouldn’t it have been much more useful if she weren’t using a heavy, unwieldy weapon like a mace?

I mean, I did understand the logic as her blows were packing quite the punch; but with a short sword or knife, she could easily rain a flurry of blows on her opponent and overwhelm them much more quickly and efficiently through the incremental increases in power generated.

I evaded a few more swings before focusing my energy threads into my own weapon, mimicking her use of the skill, and as I met her next swing full on with the axe-blade of my halberd, a wave of energy pulsed out from the clash and a loud clang rang out across the battlefield, pausing the other fights for a second as all gazes were drawn to us.

“How the fuck...?” she began, but the other man quickly cut her off-

“Switch!” the man yelled, and I took a leap back as he lunged at me, and Daisy glared at me for a moment, before going after Francesca.

I studied the man as he tried to press me, and I noted that his expression was slightly panicked, and as an intimidating presence began to creep upon me, I quickly guessed why.

Leona was coming.

“Lester, are you gonna stop fucking around and kill that woman already?” their leader yelled, and Lester grunted in annoyance.

“Maybe I would if one of you would help keep this bitch off of me!”

Lester’s blade, it seemed, was obscured by a bit of dark smoke, and his attacks were deadly quick, but Molly had now activated her aura in a smaller radius, and was using the speed boost to dance circles around Lester while Bianca pressed him.

To his credit, he was handling her quite well, but I quickly realized that if Bianca was actually trying to kill him, the fight would have been long over.

Bianca truly was skilled, but she still lacked the killing intent that she needed to give her an edge when it came to opponents who were more skilled than the novices we’d been taking down all day.

As I refocused my attention on my opponent, however, I realized that I hadn’t sensed any skills being activated as he’d pressed me, so I decided to go on the offensive, but as soon as I struck, I saw it.

A thread connecting his skill to his sword as he parried my strike, and as I struck at him several more times, I noted with interest that he seemed quite proficient at parrying with his sword.

Actually, it was more than just parrying; it was as if the blade of his sword always seemed to perfectly detect the trajectory of my swings, allowing him to counter my strikes with utmost precision, disrupting my stance and briefly leaving me open after each strike.

I pressed him a bit, studying the skill intently until I was sure that I could reproduce it myself, and as he slashed at me and I deflected the blade perfectly, his eyes narrowed on me, and I used the momentary disruption to kick at his knee, and as he went down on one foot, I slashed at his open left side, striking him on his armor just where his ribs would be.

_Interesting…_

Was it that if the attack was out of his weapon’s range, the skill didn’t activate? Or was there perhaps a limit to how often he could activate the skill consecutively?

“Bianca!” I yelled, and it took no more than an instant for her to appear beside my opponent, but as she swiped at him, his blade quickly moved into place to deflect the blow despite him seeming quite surprised at her sudden appearance.

So… he could deflect attacks even if they came at him outside of his range of detection, huh?

This was a really useful skill.

I moved off from him, letting Bianca go at him in earnest, while I changed my focus to Molly’s fight.

Lester seemed to be using some sort of skill which shrouded his blade hand in a haze of black dust, making the trajectory of his quick, rapid strikes difficult to follow with the eyes, but to Molly’s credit, the skill seemed to do little to faze her in handling her opponent.

It was curious, wasn’t it?

Molly would probably be considered one of our least skilled fighters, yet she was easily holding her own against a seasoned killer.

Had our struggles against the monsters really given us that much of an edge against even hunters?

Or were our sparring sessions really that effective?

Come to think of it, Bianca became one of my best warriors before I’d even realized just how good she was, hadn’t she?

It was a pretty comforting thought to say the least.

Nevertheless, I focused on Lester’s skill until I was sure that I could replicate it, then ended the fight by activating my paralysis skill to incapacitate their leader.

Bianca relieved him of his sword, then put a dagger to his throat.

“How the fuck are you imbeciles losing to these fucks?” Daisy asked. “None of them have any abilities higher than tier-three!”

“Abilities don’t matter if you’re not skilled enough to use them,” I replied. “Besides; if any of us were being serious, none of you would still be breathing.”

The man looked up at me, but as he moved to speak, he stopped himself.

“Right… can’t speak after you surrender, huh? My terms are simple. Surrender and you’ll be spared, or else I’ll have to kill you before your buddy gets here.”

“Doesn’t matter; Leona will kill us anyway,” Lester said.

“Not unless we kill her first,” I replied, and Lester scoffed.

But as their leader glanced over his shoulder and shot him a glaring look, Lester licked his lips nervously.

“Fine-”

“Nuh-uh uh,” I said, as Lester moved to drop his dagger. “Before you surrender, I wanna know about Leona. I know you can’t tell me anything about Ethan, but she should be fair game, no?”

Lester licked his lips again, then Daisy spoke-

“She has tier-two weapon immunity, and it’s not tied to her armor.”

“Weapon immunity?”

Daisy nodded, and I sighed.

What the fuck kind of cheat skill was that?

Too bad we didn’t have Blair’s new tier-three axe…

“Do my fists count as a weapon?” I asked, and Daisy shook her head.

“No,” she replied, “but she has a tier four combat skill. Jiu Jitsu, from what I can tell. So good luck with that.”

Francesca frowned at this, and I nodded.

 _See?_ I thought. _You weren’t beaten by just anybody._

At tier-four, she might as well be a master.

“Any other weaknesses you can think of?” I asked, and Daisy shrugged.

“You’ll have to figure that out yourself; but her mental skills are tier-three to four, so that immobilizing trick of yours probably won’t work either.”

“Nate, we took care of these. Can’t we just make a run for it?” Francesca asked.

She was shaking, and Daisy laughed in response.

“I’m sorry, but wherever _you_ run she’s not stopping until she has your head,” she said, and Francesca bit her lip nervously.

“It’s fine. We can take her, okay? We’ve beaten actual monsters that were way worse,” I said, and she nodded.

As she began to chew away at her nails, however, I realized that there would be no settling her down until Leona had been beaten.

We were in a pretty bad spot, though.

There was a wall of newbies ahead of us who would converge as soon as we tried to flee, and if Leona killed even just the ones we defeated while breaking through their ranks, she could potentially gain enough strength to threaten our base.

Couple that with the fact that neither Molly nor Bianca were any good at hand to hand combat.

After confirming that Daisy and Lester had no more info to offer, I extracted pledges from the trio then tied them up by a nearby clump of brush, and gathered everyone up to go over a quick plan.

“Help should be on the way. In case we really can’t scratch her, she’s slow enough that we could potentially just stall her until the others get here,” I said. “Just keep an eye out for my signals, and keep your eyes open to your surroundings.”

I let Bianca activate her armor this time since her ability would be of little use against Leona, and if the woman got ahold of her without any levels of strength activated, she could potentially snap her like a twig.

“Some good that’ll do,” Francesca muttered, and I rested a hand on her shoulder.

“Hey. I need my ace fighter on her A-game here,” I said, but even as she nodded, that defeated expression never left her eyes, and I found myself staring once more at that scared, timid kid that I’d met back on our first day here.

 _Maybe I’d placed more of a burden on her shoulders than I’d realized_ , I thought.

As we waited, that familiar chill ran up my spine, and we exchanged a few worried glances as we got into position, but as Leona emerged from the darkness, I frowned, as several more otherworlders appeared with her, the shadowy man amongst their ranks.

“Finally stopped running? Cowardly pricks,” Leona said, as she spat at the ground.

As I studied the woman, I was surprised to find that up close she was quite pretty, with flowing blonde hair that spilled out of her helmet, and a somewhat muscular though still feminine figure that her golden armor accentuated.

Francesca’s knees were shaking, and I made a silent prayer once again that she could keep it together.

“You seem awfully intent on killing us. What did Ethan really offer you?”

“Godly armor,” she replied, grinning at me as she sized me up. “Definitely more than someone like you could ever offer me.”

“Are you sure about that? I mean, maybe I could offer you that armor along with Ethan’s head.”

She laughed, but my mind was working overtime trying to figure out how we should proceed.

Stalling would now be a problem, as any otherworlder we took down could potentially be killed by Leona to enhance her own power.

As I scanned the otherworlders around us, however, I quickly figured they were easily tier-one newbies.

Were these the same otherworlders who had been blocking our path?

If so, then maybe we could slip through without really defeating any of them…

But if they weren’t…

It didn’t matter.

We’d have to try!

“Activate your-”

“Done!” Molly said, as I turned and bolted, with Francesca and Bianca hot on my heels.

One of the otherworlders came between us, sword in hand, and I glanced away his slash before shoving him, as we rushed through the woods.

Another began moving into our path, but Francesca had finally found her determination; anticipating the move, and shoulder barging the man off of his feet.

We made it about a hundred feet at a sprint when suddenly, a whole wave of otherworlders came down on us, and I pulled the group to a stop.

Well then… guess that blockade was still around.

“South!” I shouted, as we turned and tried to move south, but I knew moving too far away from our latitudinal position was a bad idea, as the others would need to find us without any tracking save for Lucia’s guidance; so, I led the group into doubling back around, which would inevitably bring us face to face with Leona’s main group again.

“What do we do, Nate?” Francesca asked, her voice panicked.

“Listen quick,” I said, bringing everyone to a halt. “Bianca; you and Molly head east. Take down the otherworlders in that direction then lead them away from us,” I said, gesturing in the direction.

“Got it,” Bianca said.

“What about us?” Francesca asked, as the two darted away.

“We’ll lead Leona on a little chase,” I replied, as we headed off in the opposite direction.

The shadowy man came into view long before Leona or any other hunters did, and as spikes began to pop up, I tried my best to lead Francesca through them; but he was guiding me along, and it was easy to guess where to; but even so, when a hand suddenly reached out to me from out of the darkness, it nearly caught me completely unawares, and I went tumbling to the ground as I skidded out of the way.

“Tch*. Annoying little fucks,” Leona cursed.

Francesca quickly moved to help me up, but I grabbed her and pulled her over, rolling with me as a javelin came ripping through the night at us, and we separated, rolling out of the way as Leona came lunging in with a strange kind of knife.

 _Hey, what are the chances of that knife being higher than T-three?_ I wondered.

Though knowing our luck tonight, maybe not…

Leona went at Francesca who evaded her a little sloppily, and as another otherworlder tried to attack her from a blind spot, I moved in, deflecting their spear thrust, before jabbing him in the face.

Francesca and I then turned, skirting west of Leona, but as a sharp pain shot through my foot, I realized that I’d stepped on a spike.

Fuck me!

He made this one much smaller and harder to see!

Francesca pulled me through the pain, and we ran, trying to turn northwards, but again, we ran into a pair of otherworlders.

“Leave us alone!” Francesca screamed, barging into one with a shoulder tackle, before evading a sword slash from the other, and slicing through his neck with her spear.

“Fuck. We shouldn’t kill them,” I said, as I pulled Francesca along, but as I glanced back, I caught sight of Leona just as she approached the second otherworlder, and she cleaved his head clean off with a slash from her blade, never breaking stride as she barreled after us.

“Why don’t we turn north, or west?” Francesca asked, and I panted, the exertion from running flat out getting to me.

“Our cores. Won’t make it,” I panted, as we turned east again, aiming to weave our way through the otherworlders lying in wait.

“Don’t kill. Don’t disarm,” I managed, and Francesca gritted her teeth.

She was losing control of her emotions and fast.

I needed to keep her in check.

An otherworlder came charging at me with an axe, and I evaded his swing before kicking at his knee from the side, sweeping him off his feet, and Francesca sidestepped another, kicking him and sending him tottering off balance, as we darted into the gap we’d created.

“Yes! We made it!” she yelled, but as we ran through the opening, we skidded to a halt, as two otherworlders stood there, weapons glistening with blood, and with a pile of corpses around them.

“What the fuck-?”

“This is good,” I said, cutting Francesca off. “They split off some of the skills Leona would have gained; you fight them, and I’ll handle Leona.”

Francesca stared at me, and I turned for a moment to hold her gaze.

“Please; I need you to do this, okay? You are easily the best fighter I have, but we can only win if you can be that person right now.”

She nodded, doubt still lingering in her eyes… but there was no choice.

I’d have to trust her.

I turned and walked cautiously back in the direction that Leona would be approaching from, until she came into sight.

“You want her? You need to get through me,” I said, and Leona smirked.

“They said I can’t kill you… but maybe you can afford to lose a limb or two,” she said.

“No; no limbs!” a voice called, as the other man stepped out of the shadows.

But as Leona approached me, I stowed my halberd and took out my old hunting knife.

“Doubt that’ll do much,” she said, and I shrugged.

“Come find out?” I asked, extending my threads to her as I did. “Not like you can seem to hit me anyway” I added, activating my hypnotic effect.

Leona made a lunging swing, and as I activated my new blocking ability, I deflected the blow cleanly, but my hand shook nonetheless under the force of her blow.

I could have evaded it well enough, but I didn’t want her getting into a position from which to go at Francesca, and she grinned at me.

“Not so confident anymore, are ya?”

“No, but playing with me is becoming quite fun, isn’t it?” I asked, activating my suggestion again, and Leona smirked.

“It is,” she concurred.

She made a few swings which I evaded, then I darted in and slashed at her several times, activating Daisy’s skill as I did, and as the final blow landed with a loud, clangy clash, she eyed me.

“Not bad…” she said, “for a scrawny little wimp.”

“I told you; this would be fun,” I said, activating my ability again, and she grinned, but the other man was now getting a bit annoyed.

“Leona, this was not part of the-”

“You stay the fuck out of this,” she said, raising a hand in his direction without averting her gaze from mine.

She darted in at me again, but this time, as I evaded and parried her swings, I had the added obstacle of energy spikes appearing just where I’d planned to step, but even as Leona managed to turn me around enough that she could have probably taken off after Francesca if she really wanted to, she continued to press me.

“Leona, he’s fucking playing with you!” the man yelled, clearly agitated, and the woman clicked her tongue in annoyance at him.

“The only ones playing games here are you fucks,” she yelled, and I nodded.

“Yes, but this game is ours, isn’t it?” I asked, activating my hypnotic suggestion again, and she spat, wiping her lips.

“Don’t get me wrong, wimp. The objective of my ‘game’ is hearing the scream you make as I tear the spine from your body,” she said.

She lunged at me again and I evaded, but a cry from Francesca drew my eye for a second, and as I parried again, this time a little more sloppily, she grabbed onto my arm, and even as I jabbed my knife toward her fingers, the blade merely rebounded with a clang.

“Got ya,” she said, as she dropped her knife and reached for my head.

I held onto her hand and twisting my body, I pulled myself up and kicked with both feet at her face.

She let go then wiped at her mouth, grinning a little as her hand came away with blood.

“Look at that. I still bleed,” she said.

As she advanced on me again, I dove across the floor for her knife, and she grabbed my leg as I tried to roll away with it.

“Nice; now what?” she asked, and as I slashed at her, the weapon rebounded and I cursed.

“Guess that was a bad play,” I said.

She smirked, then without warning, she hefted me off the ground by my leg, and in another second, I felt the wind knocked out of me as she slammed me down onto the forest floor.

I tried to kick her off with my free foot, but she swatted the weak effort away, before turning and dragging me across the earth.

“Hey, little kitty! Watch me wring the life out of your precious king’s lungs!” she shouted, and I looked over just as Francesca spotted us.

She was still engaged with one of the otherworlders, and she stared in horror as Leona grabbed at my face.

I kicked and thrashed as I tried to fight her off, but she easily overpowered me, smacking me in the face for good measure before holding me up like a ragdoll, then putting her hand around my throat, she began to squeeze.

“Leona! Stop this right now!” the other man yelled, but she didn’t heed his cry at all.

“Aghh!”

She was squeezing, but as I flailed with my arms, she held firm.

“Fucking imbecile,” the man cursed, as he began to jab at Leona’s arm with something.

Whatever it was, it stabbed through her and she roared in frustration, turning and swatting the man away as she did.

Then I heard another scream, and before I knew it, we’d both been knocked over, and as I looked up, gasping for breath now that I’d been freed from her grasp, I spotted Francesca scrambling to her feet.

“No, please! Please!”

Leona grabbed her by the head, then grabbed her hand and pinned it painfully behind her back.

“Was it worth it? Was your life worth giving for that useless, pathetic king?”

Francesca was panting, shaking her head, but as she looked into my eyes, I didn’t see regret.

I saw a scared child afraid to die.

Pouring all of my willpower into the move, I focused on Leona’s hand, and making a fist, I connected my energy threads to it, and brought it emphatically to the ground.

Leona grunted, gritting her teeth as she fought against it, until Francesca wiggled her way out of her grasp.

Leona grabbed at her, before returning her attention to the hand that was rooted the ground.

“Fucking- LET ME GO!” she bellowed, pounding the ground with her other hand, and even as indescribable pain shot through my body, I screamed out, holding firm.

The shadow man darted in again, placing a hand against Leona’s helmet, and I stared with interest as threads began to extend through his hand to her.

What the fuck was he doing-?

But the thought was cut short as Francesca slashed at him with her spear, and as Leona made a grab at her, she kicked at the hand, then began to kick and assault the woman, while keeping her at bay.

This was no good though.

My hold… it could only last so long.

Then there would truly be nothing left that I could do to protect her.

I kept ahold of Leona, then as I felt my hold on her breaking, I screamed out-

“RUN!”

-and Francesca stumbled back, a frantic look on her face.

She didn’t move, and as my hold finally gave out, she lunged forward, grabbing onto Francesca.

I heard a scream, and I looked up just as Leona broke her hand at the elbow, but as she reached for her neck, I focused my threads just under Francesca, and Leona yelped as an energy spike went through her arm.

She seemed confused for a moment, but as Francesca tried to crawl away, Leona went after her.

“Crawl!” I screamed, and as Francesca looked back at me, she caught the look in my eye, and smiled.

She turned and crawled and crawled, and I focused everything I had extending my threads out as far as I could.

_I am here._

_I am here._

_I, Nathan, your king, am here!_

_Come, my arbiters; please!_

_COME!!!_

Then out of the darkness burst a bundle of green.

She darted past me to the shadowy man, and I heard the flashes as their blades clashed.

Then came two more bodies, swords drawn, and I smiled as the face I wanted most to see sauntered in, smirking at me to my annoyance.

“You called, ‘My King’?” Blair asked teasingly.

“What took you so long?” I asked, and she shrugged.

“I told you not to fucking leave me behind,” she replied, and I sighed.

“Y-your axe. The new one,” I said, my voice perhaps sounding more panicked than it needed to be now that support was here, but as Blair withdrew the weapon and activated it, I nodded toward Leona who was engaged with Jordan and Molly.

And without hesitating, she advanced on the woman, and winding up, she made the swing count, and I breathed a sigh of relief as Leona’s head went flying from her body.

“Nate, Jesus, are you alright?”

“Casey?”

I laughed as the girl tried to steady me with her one good hand, easing me to the ground.

“Francesca- she broke her hand,” I began, and she nodded.

“Get Evie over here!” she yelled out, and I gasped again.

“You brought Evie?” I asked, and Casey bit her lip.

“She kind of volunteered,” she said, letting out a sigh. “Raul and Alva are here too. He’s subjugating the rest of the otherworlders.”

“Pledges?” I asked, and she nodded.

“He can swear them to an oath of non-violence; it’s not as reliable as a pledge, but it’ll keep them in check. And if they break their oath, he can hunt them.”

I let out a sigh.

“Help me up,” I said, and Casey tutted at me.

“Jeez, just relax, will ya? You almost fucking died,” she said, but I shook my head.

“This is the perfect time to act-”

“Yeah, I know. And I’m on it, I promise. We’re storming the fort at daybreak,” she said.

“Daybreak? How much time does that give us?”

“It gives _us_ a little over a segment, but you’re not going anywhere; we can handle it from here without you,” she said, and I stared at her.

“Are you crazy? Ethan is still there-”

“Yeah, and Raul can handle him now. We’re not trying to win here; we’re going in, getting Cameron back, and getting out. Ethan doesn’t have the resources for a counter offensive.”

“Are you sure about that?” I asked, and Casey nodded.

“Lucia got enough of a look in to confirm; his trump card was that woman.”

I bit my lip as I considered the information, then something occurred to me.

“Wait; there might be something else,” I said, and Casey studied me.

“What?” she asked.

“There was a man; he had the ability to seal the other’s abilities, and his core looked like… a monster’s.”

Casey bit her lip, then suddenly, a thought came to me out of nowhere.

_Nizhalgal._

I turned to my left, and just then, a series of howls began to break out.

Casey went on alert, but I raised a hand to stop her.

“Wait; I think she wants to talk,” I said.

“She?”

Casey glared at me a little, but after catching the look on my face, she massaged her temples, then let me up.

“Bring her alive!” she yelled, as Bianca and Lucia darted into the darkness.

It didn’t take long, however, before they returned with the woman from the earlier fight, her hands raised.

“Bon jour, mon petit ami,” she said, bowing slightly; a teasing look on her face.

“Nizhalgal?” I asked, and she nodded.

“A monstrosity of shadow,” she said. “You dueled with his puppet, did you not?”

I nodded.

“Who are you and why do you want to talk?” Casey asked, and the girl smirked a little.

“I want… a certain something that I am certain I can attain only if this… monster, is dealt with,” she explained, and I bit my lip.

“The immortal armor?” I asked, and she smiled.

“Very good, mon ami.”

“So, you’ll help us? You’ll help us beat Ethan… and the monster?”

“Hold on a sec. I want a pledge from you before we make any deals,” Casey cut in, and the girl shook her head.

“That’s a no from me, mon cheri,” she said to Casey, bowing again, before turning to leave.

“Whoa,” I called out. “Hold on, let’s talk this out.”

Casey shot me a sharp look, but I knew that inside information could be crucial here.

It was worth the risk, and I was sure she knew it.

“Walk with me, mon ami,” she said, offering me a hand.

I swallowed uncomfortably, studying her for a moment, before nodding.

“Fine,” I said, clearing my throat a little, but as Casey moved to follow, the girl raised a hand to stop her.

“No no, mon cheri. This is no place for unwanted third parties,” she said, shooting her a teasing smile, and Casey scoffed.

“Seriously?” she asked, and as the girl shrugged, Casey let out a sigh.

“Fine. But don’t take too long; my assassins have itchy trigger fingers,” Casey said, nodding in Bianca’s direction, and the girl smiled again.

“Of course. Our talk will be short but _sweet_ ,” she replied suggestively, as she took my hand and led me a short way from the main group and out of sight.

“This is far enough,” I said, and she frowned.

“Not in the mood to play?” she asked, and I sighed.

“I’m tired of these games,” I said, and she brushed my cheek with an almost strangely genuine kind of affection.

“Beautiful children indeed,” she whispered. “I need you to change me with your spell. Only then can I be free.”

I eyed her.

“You’re still bound to this shadow monster?”

She nodded.

“There are less restrictions on me. I am after all of the same tier as Leona; but his binds are unbreakable without some assistance.”

I studied her.

“Why do you need me to change you?” I asked.

“The manners of all binding are the same; a name is given, and that name represents the very essence of the one who is named at the time of the naming. But if that essence were to change…”

“Then they no longer answer to the given name,” I said, and she smiled.

“Very good, mon ami. Now bend me into something I am not.”

I bit my lip.

“How?” I asked, and she smiled.

“Make me love you with all that I am,” she said, a teasing smile on her lips.

“Loving me? That would be enough?”

My thoughts immediately went to Raul, not merely because of the introduction of Alva into his life, but who had indeed changed substantially from who he was on the day that he pledged to me.

“For some, it would not. To love, is after all, so human. But I can barely be described as such; and loving a man like you?”

She shuddered a little, before continuing:

“Loving a man like you would make me the very thing that I am least.”

I studied her carefully.

“How much energy would it take for me to use a suggestion strong enough to make you fall that deeply in love?” I asked, and she shrugged.

“If I resisted? Perhaps more than you could manage at full strength. But that is the beauty of your suggestions, mon ami. If I am willing…? And I most certainly am; then the suggestion will take just… ‘un petit peu’,” she finished, gesturing a small bit with her fingers, and I chuckled a little at the gesture.

 _Cute,_ I thought.

“So, if I do this, you’ll tell us what we need to know to defeat this monster? And…?”

“Yes, yes,” she said, waving her hand quickly. “You will have all you desire, and I will go off and fetch my armor, then I’ll find a cute little cottage house, settle down, and spend the rest of my days dreaming of my long-forgotten love.”

I raised an eyebrow at this, and she laughed.

“Oh, I jest, mon ami. As soon as this is done, I will break free of your spell and do as I wish,” she said.

“Fine; we have a deal,” I said. “Uh…?”

“Amelie,” she said. “You may call me Amelie.”

I nodded as I activated my skill, and I could feel her energy threads extending to me, creating a direct pathway to her own core.

But as I began to weave the suggestion, I suddenly realized that I had little idea of how to create a compelling argument for falling in love.

I mean, what was love, really?

I wasn’t entirely sure I really understood, but my mind went to Cameron, and rather than words, I began to convey through our link the things that I felt in my most intimate moments with Cameron, and after doing this for a bit, Amelie suddenly severed the link between us.

“I- I think that should be enough,” she said.

There was a little flicker in her eyes, and I could tell that she seemed a little unsettled.

“Can you tell if you’re free of it…?”

She nodded quickly, that same slightly distracted expression on her face.

“We should be quick. I will need to make my escape from this place soon. Ethan has a special skill which increases his abilities based on what he’s fighting.”

I shook my head.

“What? So, the stronger the opponent-?”

“The stronger he is,” she replied, nodding. “We made the mistake when we fought him; going at him together. It made him virtually unstoppable. You need to make sure no one raises a sword to him as the ability increase lasts for some time.”

“Then I’ll need to face him myself,” I suggested, and she smiled.

“Yes, mon ami. You are his kryptonite. You have collected many abilities, but all of them, just about tier-one. If anyone can beat him, it is you.”

I bit my lip.

“And the shadow monster?”

The girl sighed.

“Nizhalgal. You will need to be wary of him; he can summon shadow versions of any of the people who were killed under his control.”

“Then Leona?”

She nodded.

Having Raul with us would be a must then; just not to fight Ethan.

“Is that everything?” I asked, and Amelie nodded.

“Your girlfriend is in a room in the western wing of the fort, on the third floor. Ethan has been up there for the past two days. We don’t know why, but whatever he has been doing, his energy level always seems close to depletion.”

I swallowed uncomfortably, and to my surprise, Amelie rested a hand against my cheek.

Her eyes wavered a little, then without warning, she kissed me; our lips pressing together for just a lingering moment, before she quickly broke away.

“Be well,” she whispered, before turning and hastily heading off.

I looked after her as she vanished into the night, before turning and heading back to the main group.

“Where’s the girl? Gone?” Casey asked, and I nodded in response.

I gave Casey a quick rundown of the info Amelie provided, and fidgeted a bit as she went deep into thought.

“Who’s here right now?” I asked.

“Everyone. Your arbiters, some hunters, the Accalians.”

“Did you move the whole camp?” I asked, and she shook her head.

“Jayden and the newcomers are watching the prisoners back at our old campground, along with Astrid and some of the hunters.”

I nodded.

“We’ll leave Francesca behind, then; have her and the Accalians escort the new captives back there,” I suggested, and Casey studied me.

“I can kind of see the logic, given that we’re bringing Raul along; but even with a broken hand, can we really afford to leave her behind?”

“Her hand isn’t the only thing broken right now,” I said, remembering the defeated look in her eyes, and Casey swallowed uncomfortably, then nodded. “How long before we can head out?” I asked.

“Less than ten minutes, but are you sure you don’t wanna rest a little? We have well over one segment before light.”

I shook my head.

“I don’t want to give Ethan even an inch here. If my son is-”

I cleared my throat a little, lowing my voice to a calmer register before continuing:

“If my son is still alive, then this can get complicated. We might not be able to move Cameron until she gives birth, and if that’s the case, we’ll have to hold the fort until she does,” I said. “Evie can come with us, right?”

“Uh, yeah…” Casey said, “but there’ll be no one at the camp to treat Francesca.”

“She can treat herself. Alva is here too, right?”

Casey nodded.

“Find out if she can deliver a baby, and if she’ll come along for the trip.”

Casey nodded, then turned to leave.

As she walked away, she passed Evie, who shot me a worried look.

“Do you really think the baby survived?” Evie asked.

“Speculating doesn’t matter right now. We need to prepare for Ethan, then consider the eventual outcomes and plan accordingly.”

Evie studied me a bit.

“Are you sure that’s all it is?”

I bit my lip, then shrugged.

“Focusing on anything else right now would just be a distraction.”

Evie guided me to a sitting area in the midst of the group, then placed a hand over mine.

“I understand, you know? You want to believe that-”

“It’s fine,” I said, taking her hand. “I’m not gonna lose my shit if the baby turns out to be dead; if that’s what you’re afraid of.”

Evie swallowed uncomfortably, then nodded, before moving to examine my throat which Leona had very nearly crushed.

“If you were tier-one or less, you’d be dead right now,” Evie said, sighing as she examined the damage, and I nodded.

“Did you take a look at Francesca?” I asked, and Evie bit her lip.

“Yeah. The break is clean, and I’ve already set it… what happened though? I’ve never seen Francesca look like that.”

I sighed, shaking my head.

“I think she’s finally seen what a real monster looks like. It was strange, though. That woman was after her, specifically.”

“Ethan’s orders?”

I nodded.

Evie rubbed her chin, her expression thoughtful.

“What’s odd about it? He already tried to take Cameron away… and your son? Doesn’t it seem natural that he’d start going after the people you care most about, one by one?”

“Maybe…” I replied.

He did say he wanted to teach me about pain and sorrow, right?

Was he testing my desire to protect them?

Or was Casey right, and his entire objective was simply to make me suffer as much as possible by killing the people around me I most cared about?

My mind instinctively went to Lucia, and I shook my head.

One way or another, I would get my answers soon enough.

When we got everyone patched up and ready to go, Francesca made her way timidly to my side.

“Nate, I-” she began, squirming uncomfortably, and I cut her off, placing a hand comfortingly against her cheek.

“You don’t need to say anything, kiddo,” I said. “Just rest up, okay?”

She nodded, tears forming in her eyes, and I leaned in and gave her a quick peck on the cheek.

As we saw their group off, she looked back a few times with that same sad look, and I tried my best to convey some reassurance to her.

“Nate, we have a problem.”

I turned around to see Casey, her brow furrowed with worry.

“What is it?” I asked.

“The bodies are disappearing,” she explained, and I frowned.

“We left armor on a few of them. Did the armor disappear too?”

She shook her head.

I guess this Nizhalgal was preparing for us, then.

“That shadow monster was Ethan’s eyes in the forest, huh?” I asked, and Casey nodded.

“If your ‘friend’ can be trusted anyway,” Casey said, and I frowned.

“Do you doubt her?”

Casey shrugged.

“She’s the enemy. A healthy distrust seems valid enough,” she said, and I nodded in agreement.

“Whether we trust her or not, the way forward is the same right now though, isn’t it?”

Casey nodded, biting her lip as she thought a little.

“Except for you taking on Ethan,” she muttered, letting out a soft sigh.

“Well then. I guess you have from now until we get there to figure out how we should proceed with that, right?” I suggested, and Casey eyed me.

“Y-yeah,” she said, seeming a bit flustered for a second.

While we spoke, the hunting party led by Raul and the hunters finally met up with us, and my eyes were immediately drawn to Raul’s new look.

His armor was white and seemed to glow slightly in the darkness of the night; he had the usual five pieces, along with shoulder guards, shin guards, and a quite spectacular looking shield that sported the emblem of a great tree, embossed in something that looked very much like ivory.

His armor had a similar white gilded look to it, and to my surprise, the pieces themselves seemed to have expanded and molded themselves into a form that offered his body much more coverage, leaving very few places that seemed outrightly vulnerable to an attack, and I let out a long, impressed whistle as he approached, but his own expression was one of worry.

“Nate; can we talk?”

“There is nothing to discuss!” Alva quickly responded, moving quickly past Raul to Casey’s side. “If the child lives, my attendance is mandatory.”

“But Evie-”

“-is a capable healer; but she has not welcomed new life into this world. It is not for discussion, _High Protector_ ,” she said, glaring at him a little, but even as Raul shot me a pleading look, Alva was already strapping on a pair of greaves, and fixing the attached belt plate into position as she activated the piece.

“This one is for endurance,” Casey said, but Alva waved a hand.

“My own endurance will suffice. The life force must be preserved to sustain the life where it is needed.”

“She’ll be fine; we’ll keep her safe,” I said, but Raul still seemed uneasy.

Casey and I went over our battle plan while Alva got armored up, then we gathered everyone together, and as they settled down, I nodded.

“Okay; it’s time to go over our battle plan,” I began. “As far as we know, there are two main threats at the fort to deal with; Ethan, and the shadow monster. So, we’ll be splitting into two groups”

“The first group will be led by Nate,” Casey continued. “Bianca, Blair; the two of you are with him.”

“Fuck yeah!” Bianca exclaimed.

“Finally; making some sensible decisions,” Blair added, smirking at me a little.

“You two will be tasked with keeping enemies off of Nate while he engages Ethan,” Casey said, stressing the role as much as she could, and Blair frowned, and Bianca made a whining sound in protest.

“Why aren’t we fighting Ethan as well?” Blair asked.

“We’ll get to that in a bit,” Casey replied. “The second group will follow Raul in dealing with whatever the shadow monster throws at us.”

“Whatever the shadow monster throws at us?” Nolan asked, and I bit my lip.

“Uh… we’ve been led to believe that it’ll be shadow replicas of all the enemies we’ve killed.”

“Even the crazy-psycho bitch?” Bianca asked, and I nodded.

“Raul will take her on if she is there; the rest of you will handle everyone else,” I said.

“You really think you can take Ethan?” Nolan asked, and I bit my lip.

“If the info we got is accurate, then yes, but that hinges on everyone following a very important rule,” I said.

“Which is?” Nolan asked, and I took a deep breath before continuing:

“No one raises a weapon against Ethan.”

“Come again?” Molly asked.

“Don’t even so much as look at him with intent, if you can manage it,” I continued, and Molly glanced at Casey, who swallowed uncomfortably, before nodding.

“It seems his unique ability allows him to gain strength depending on the total strength of the enemies he’s up against,” she said.

“So, if he fights Nate, he’s only as strong as Nate?” Blair asked, and I nodded.

“And what if this info is a load of ‘B-S’?” Nolan asked, and I shrugged.

“Then we reconfigure and adapt,” I replied.

We spent a few more minutes making certain that everyone knew what they needed to do, before getting ready to head out.

We organized into a formation with a forward team consisting of Blair, Lucia, Jordan, and Leanna, along with two of our hunters, while I hung back with the rest of the group.

Evie moved to my side as we walked.

“You’re healing yourself?” she asked, her mouth slightly agape, and I nodded.

“It’s easier with everyone around to guide me and keep focused on our surroundings, but I got the idea from Ethan back when he was injured.”

Evie shook her head.

“Speaking of that… what do you think did that to him back then? Aletta’s ‘puppy’ seemed pretty much unharmed, didn’t he?”

I bit my lip.

“Could have done it to himself, maybe? Trying to make us underestimate him?”

Evie shook her head.

“I saw his wounds, and I’m pretty sure they were made by claws,” she said, and I shrugged.

“I’m not sure what else was out there, but if a monster escaped the domain and got as far as the Accalian’s lands, then it’s not too farfetched to assume that there were other dangerous monsters left over from the purge,” I replied.

Hans was also still out there, technically, but was he strong enough to hurt Ethan?

I doubted it.

Our progress was consistent but a bit slower than I might have liked, and long before the fort came into sight in the distance, the sun began to rise, and light filtered in through the dense canopy of trees above.

I noted for the first time, however, that the leaves seemed to shine golden under those first rays of light, illuminating the treetops and giving the canopy a true dome-like appearance.

“That’s pretty,” Evie said, and I nodded in agreement.

“Would you say it’s a good sign?” I asked, and she eyed me, smiling a little.

“I can’t tell if you’re mocking me or not.”

I shrugged.

“Beautiful things make me feel at peace. Maybe I want it to be a good sign,” I suggested.

“Well… then we’ll make it a good sign,” she said, and I gave a nod, smiling back.

“Wowoah!”

I turned as the cry came from up ahead.

“What is it?” Evie asked, but as I gazed into the distance, I caught the sight of a group converging on our forward party, and I sprang into action.

“Nathan, don’t you dare-”

“Create a perimeter!” I yelled, cutting Casey off as I darted forward. “Bianca, with me!”

She didn’t miss a beat, and as we arrived on the scene, I whipped out my halberd and got in between an otherworlder and one of the hunters just as the man was about to strike him down.

I fended off the blow, then getting close, I kicked at the man’s knee, then swiping away his weak counter attack, I kicked into his neck with my steel boots and left him reeling on the floor.

Bianca had quickly taken down another otherworlder, and as I scanned the field, I spotted Jordan and Leanna surrounded by three men.

Jordan was keeping them at bay, standing protectively in front of Leanna, but as he moved to engage one of the three, the other two converged on Leanna, and as she covered her head and screamed, shadowy blades sliced outwards from her, cutting the two men to pieces.

Bianca moved in to engage the third man, and Jordan quickly shielded Leanna away from the corpses just as I moved beside them.

“Are they okay? D-Did I- Did I hurt them?” Leanna asked.

“They’re just wounded; Nathan’s taking care of it,” Jordan said, leading her away from the grisly scene, while Blair moved beside me, observing the carnage with a look of admiration.

“Remind me not to get on her bad side,” she said.

I nodded, remembering for a moment what had happened the last time we let a psychopath get near to Leanna, but as I looked over at Jordan, I noted how protective he now seemed of her.

Though… I couldn’t discount this possibility that this relationship was just a way of ignoring the growing problems between him and Nolan.

“How many were there?”

“Eight,” Blair said.

“How many killed?”

“By me, personally?” she asked, but as I shot her a sharp look, she smirked. “Looks like... five. What’s going on with that one, though?”

I followed her gaze to Lucia whose fists were clenched, and her hands shaking as she stared off into the forest a little way east of the fort.

Bianca was standing beside her, a worried look on her face.

“What is it?” I mouthed, as I stole to her side, and she shook her head.

“Hans,” Bianca said. “She thinks Hans is here.”

“He _is_ ,” Lucia muttered, her teeth clenched, and I stooped down beside her.

I placed a hand over hers, then turned her face towards mine.

“Are you sure it’s him?” I asked, and she nodded.

“There; over the water.”

I followed her gaze, and bit my lip a little.

Why would Hans be here?

We hadn’t seen Hans since the princess used her suggestion on him, but his presence here seemed too convenient to be a co-incidence.

Ethan already had a monster on his team, didn’t he?

It was difficult to merely dismiss the possibility that Hans was under his control as well.

We gathered up the survivors and after making them pledge, we tied them up and left them by a thick bit of brush, then we signaled to the rear group to meet up with us.

“We have a problem,” I said, as soon as Casey walked over to join me. “Hans is here.”

She let out a sigh.

“Fuck. Are you sure?” she asked, and I nodded.

“Lucia wouldn’t make a mistake about that,” I said, and she sighed.

“What do we do?” she asked, and I shrugged.

“This opportunity is still too good to pass up. We’ll just have to assign a squad to deal with him. Gather everyone up.”

Casey nodded, and as everyone gathered round, I spoke:

“There’s gonna be a slight change of plans,” I said, and Nolan let out a frustrated sigh.

“What now?” he asked, and I bit my lip.

“Hans is here,” I replied, and he laughed.

“That’s just fucking great. What do we do?”

“We make adjustments, but the overall plan remains the same,” Casey cut in, glancing at me, and I nodded.

“Nolan; you and Jordan will move to my team. Bianca, Blair and Lucia will form a third team to go keep Hans in check. Everything else remains the same.”

“I’ll go with them,” Molly suddenly cut in, and I studied her. “Hans is quick; they could use the extra speed,” she reasoned, and I nodded.

“Makes sense,” I replied.

With that, Casey moved to address the Hans hunting party, while Raul moved to talk to me.

“Level with me; how crazy is this Leona?” he asked, and I sighed.

“She went after Francesca pretty hard. Strength was probably tier-four, and she has a hand-to-hand combat skill around the same level. Blair’s shiny new axe is also the only weapon that could hurt her, so you’ll need to hang onto that in case she makes an appearance.”

Raul shot a nervous look in Alva’s direction, and I noted with interest that she was tucking a dagger into her belt-plate, seemingly readying herself for combat.

“She’s a fierce woman. I know you’re concerned for her safety, but I’m not sure she views your concern in a particularly favorable light.”

Raul nodded.

“I’ve been told my mother was like that too,” Raul said, and as I rested a hand on his shoulder, he nodded.

I turned my attention to Lucia, however, who was fidgeting, even as Casey continued to address them.

I moved over to join the group just as Casey was done speaking, and as I crouched down beside Lucia, she looked into my eyes.

“I need you to promise me something,” I said.

She glanced away, seemingly guessing what was coming, but I refocused her gaze onto my own.

“Promise me; I need you to come back from this alive, whether you kill Hans or not.”

Her eyes flickered a little, but after a few moments, she nodded, a quick nod, and I took her little hand into mine, then brought it to my chest.

“Say that you promise,” I said.

Lucia’s hand slipped out of mine, and she wrapped her arms around me, hugging me tight.

“Lucia pr… I promise,” she said, and I hugged her tight.

She gave me a soft kiss on the side of my face, and as she pulled away, she leaned her forehead against mine, keeping her eyes shut.

“I promise,” she said again, and I smiled, giving her nose a little pinch and a wiggle, which drew a smile out of her. “Get Cammy back,” she said, and I nodded.

“I will. Then we’ll go home together.”

As I stood up, I noted that both Blair and Bianca were pretty focused on the interaction between us, though wearing very different expressions, and I swallowed uncomfortably, as I turned to Casey.

“Nate; we need to move now. They’re on the back foot,” she said, and I nodded in agreement.

“As soon as we cross the bridge, head east; let Lucia lead you to where Hans is.”

“Remember; don’t engage, just keep him in check,” Casey stressed, and Bianca cast a worried look at Lucia before nodding.

“Any activity?” I asked, and Casey nodded, glancing at the hunters who were keeping an eye on the fort.

“They’re prepping for us,” she said.

“Well then. Let’s not keep them waiting.”

We moved out with Raul at the fore, my group just astride of him to the left, and Bianca’s group to the right.

The fort was tucked away nicely at the point where the river’s course turned southward, and while there were sandbars along the length of the bend, the fort was perched quite nicely on the far bank, with a stone bridge crossing the river and leading to it, but in a way that made it as much of a drawbridge to the fort itself as it did a crossing.

There were no fortifications hindering our crossing, but as we approached the bridge, I held up a hand, surveying the scene with some caution.

The way seemed clear enough, but we’d be wide open as we crossed.

Would Ethan really leave this position undefended?

Or had we just hurt them much more than he’d anticipated?

I took one more scan of the scene, before dropping my hand, and at that signal we charged across the length of it and into the fort’s grounds, but as we piled into the small courtyard, I finally understood the play, as figures appeared at the windows and a wave of javelins were hurled at us.

I swiped one of the projectiles away with my halberd, and Raul, Jordan, and Blair did as well.

“Go!” I yelled at Bianca, and she nodded, the three others running off with her to the east. “Everyone else, with me!”

We broke off, heading west and skirting the outer perimeter of the fort away from the windows where the javelin onslaught had been launched, myself and Raul hanging back to fend off the next wave of projectiles as the group moved.

“There! The entrance,” Casey said, and I nodded, moving forward, but we got no further than halfway across the courtyard when Ethan emerged from the shadows of the entryway.

“Bold move, Nathan; but a word of caution, should you survive long enough to use it. When someone gives you extra time, maybe use it?”

His sword was drawn, and as I gestured, everyone moved outward from me, forming a semi-circle behind me.

They seemed to be out of range of the javelin assault, so I had no worries there.

I approached, my halberd in hand.

“You’re going to wish you had just killed me,” I said, as I moved in.

I made a few tentative slashes, keeping my stance firm and ready for a counter attack, but his eyes were flashing between me and the others around us, until he smirked.

“I guess you’re more than just a little prepared,” he muttered. “Nizhal!”

The same man from the night before stepped out of the fort entryway, only this time, he was wearing a black leather outfit, and his body seemed much less wispy and ethereal like he had during the night.

The man focused on Ethan for a second, and as Ethan moved into me, I noted that he was suddenly quicker.

Much quicker.

He made a few slashes, before following up with a jab, and as I deflected the thrust, he turned the blade around and slashed across my halberd, almost getting past my defenses, and I gritted my teeth, as the blow might have connected had I not used my newly copied defensive ability to parry.

I wasn’t able to use it continuously the way that otherworlder had and I wasn’t sure I needed to either, but fuck me, if I didn’t feel stupid right now for not realizing that Ethan could power himself up using his own followers.

Casey was directing the others to stay clear of us while we fought, and for the most part, I was trying my best to keep him from being able to just openly attack the others, drawing them into an engagement.

The situation seemed far from ideal, but as I studied Ethan, I suddenly noted that he seemed to be the one who was becoming increasingly more and more agitated by the encounter.

Maybe I could use this?

 _This is annoying, isn’t it?_ I thought, extending my energy threads to him, and he grimaced.

“Worthless,” he commented, and I bit my lip as the threads seem to fall away from him.

The ability did seem to take effect just as I’d used it though, didn’t it?

I decided to try another one.

 _Thrust, thrust, sweep,_ I thought, extending my threads out again and making two quick jabs between each suggestion, but on ‘sweep’, I instead aimed a third thrust at his shoulder, and he just barely got his weapon up in time, catching the handle of my weapon by the hilt of his sword, but as I dragged his weapon with mine out of the way, I moved in with a quick elbow thrust, and caught him square in the face.

He grimaced, cursing as he stepped back, and as he placed a finger against his nose on one side and gave it a blow, some bloody snot went flying.

The clanging of boots against cold stone, however, drew my eye, and Ethan’s expression momentarily shifted into one of relief, as otherworlders began to pour out of the fort.

“Fight to your last breath, or die!” he yelled, backing up into them as I tried to follow, but as the group let loose a roar in response, they descended on me, and I was forced to back up a bit, as the rest of our group moved in to meet them.

I deflected a sword thrust, then slashed through one man’s neck, before sidestepping another swing, and cutting through the warrior’s hands.

It was a woman, and she screamed, but only for a moment before I sliced through her neck, leaving her gurgling blood on the ground.

The battle became bloody in an instant, but as the bodies poured out of the fort, I quickly realized their numbers were at least a score.

We were pressed back a little, but Raul quickly began to turn the tide of things, disarming and dancing his way into the crowd with a kind of majestic ease that I had to stop and admire for a moment.

He was sending weapons flying with well-timed wraps on the knuckles of enemy fighters, flooring them and knocking them off their feet with every mistimed, enthusiastically rushing attack, and the hunters were moving in quickly, disarming and grabbing the fallen and quickly securing them, while the rest of the group engaged the warriors around him.

“Why is everyone so fucking useless?” Ethan asked, his voice tinged with frustration. “Summon your shadows,” he commanded, and Nizhalgal quickly bowed.

Gasps sounded around the battlefield as the dead around us began to sink into the courtyard ground, and shadowy figures began to pour out of the wall beside the fort entryway.

Ethan grimaced, then darted into the fort, and as the fight in the courtyard intensified, I took a step back, my gaze focused on the windows along the adjacent wall of the fort.

The javelin throwers from there seemed to have vacated their posts, and given Ethan’s reaction, it was safe to assume they were the ones who emerged from the fort.

Could I climb my way up to the second floor?

As I considered it, an ability I hadn’t used for some time seemed to activate in response.

That was the ability I’d copied from the aufhöcker, wasn’t it?

As I glanced at the walls of the fort, however, my eyes seemed to automatically focus on little notches on the surface.

 _I can climb those!_ I thought.

Casey was directing our fighters in their battle, and she shot me a quick look as I moved to the wall and began to climb my way up to the second story window, but just as I climbed in, a thunderous roar sounded across the battlefield, and I swallowed uncomfortably as I recognized the sound.

_Leona._

This was in their hands now, I thought, as I moved inside and crossed the room.

Cameron was now within range of my connection to her, and as I focused on it, her shadowy form appeared to me somewhere on the far side of the fort from where I was.

Too bad I couldn’t map the place out, huh?

I cut through the hinges then kicked the door down, then looked up and down the corridor.

Left, then.

There was another corridor that intersected ahead, and as I got there, I noted that this corridor ran for some way across the fort.

I turned left, then looked down a corridor on the right.

 _No stairs_ , I thought, as I turned and headed down an adjacent corridor on the other side, but as I rounded the corner, I spotted another dead end up ahead.

“Fucking fuck,” I cursed.

I headed back the way I came, then passing the passageway to the right I went down to the other end of the main corridor, and as I looked right this time, I found myself staring right at Ethan, just as he emerged from a passage way midway down that corridor.

He glanced down the corridor, before turning to face me, and I cursed internally, as the stairs to the third floor most likely lay in that direction.

I drew my hunting knife as I charged in, and Ethan raised his sword, but the close quarters of the corridor made the weapon much more of a hindrance than anything else, and as I made jabs at him, he relied on keeping the sword close to his body to parry, rather than raising it to attack.

We exchanged a few blows, before he sidestepped a particularly desperate thrust, and I cursed as he got close, driving a fist into the unarmored bit on my arm just below the elbow before I could leap back.

I noted once again with some interest that his expression seemed to betray an increasingly growing frustration with the situation.

“I don’t get it. You’re going so far out of your way to keep me alive,” I said, and he growled a little.

“The things I do out of devotion; not a concept I expect you to understand.”

I shook my head at him.

“Have I not cared for my own people?” I asked, and he spat.

“Worthless maggots,” he said. “Yet you protect them as if they were precious gems. You should have protected Julie like that instead-!”

He stopped himself, the veins in his neck a little strained as he took a breath.

“You should probably go see to your people, Nathan. I don’t think they’re faring all that well.”

“I’ll see to them when-”

I got my arm up just as the blade came hurtling at me from behind, and as I deflected the projectile, Nizhalgal darted in with his dagger.

I glanced over my shoulder then cursed, as Ethan was already down the corridor.

Nizhalgal pressed me, and I exchanged a few quick blows with him before kicking him back, and turning to chase Ethan down the corridor.

The path turned to the right, and I finally spotted the stairway going up to the next floor.

I quickly climbed, but halfway up a searing pain shot through my foot, and I grimaced as I realized the stairs were covered in energy spikes.

“Fuck,” I cursed, as I spotted Nizhalgal behind me, focusing on the spikes, and I took a deep breath before leaping into them.

I cleared the steps in three painful strides, and as I turned, I spotted the corridor that led to Cameron’s silhouette.

I charged down the length of it and bashed through the door, and Cameron turned around, a shell-shocked expression on her face as I barged in.

“Nate!”

“Cameron…”

I moved towards her, but I paused in my approach as I caught sight of her stomach, a despairing feeling creeping upon me as I noted the missing bump.

“Nate! My son. Where is my son?”

I shook my head, studying her.

“Your son? Cam, what do you mean? Wait, did you give-”

“Nate! Ethan took him. He took our son!”

Cameron seemed panicked, and suddenly I understood.

“Fuck!”

I turned, then spotted the shadow of a figure down the corridor heading away.

I darted after it, then followed it down another corridor, until eventually I spotted him at the end of the hallway.

There was a bundle in his hand as he stood upon the windowsill, and he turned and looked at me for a second more before he jumped.

“ETHAN!”

I got to the window just as he stood up, then darted off to a pathway through the woods up ahead, turning west-northwest from the fort.

I took a deep breath then leapt from the window, rolling as I landed, then stumbling after him.

The path was narrow and overgrown, with dense thickets on either side, and as I stumbled blindly forward, something finally struck out from the bushes ahead, catching me square in the head.

My mind was reeling, but even through bleary eyes, I saw him approach me, knife in one hand, a bundle wrapped in cloth in the other, and I got my knife up in time to fend off the blow.

I rolled backward, getting to my feet just as he kicked at me, and I leaned back, kicking out with my own foot as I did, and sending him toppling over.

Where did it go?

He dropped the child, and as I heard the cry, I lunged toward the bundle on the floor, but he caught my leg, and pulled me back.

I turned, slicing as I did, but as the arc of my slice seemed about to connect with his unarmored hand, a blinding flash of light exploded between us, and after being completely blinded for a moment, I found myself in a strange place, standing on a platform of light.

“Jesus, Nate. Are you trying to kill him or what?”

“I’m not letting him take my son!”

The woman laughed, moving into the light, and casting her form in a silhouette over me.

“I haven’t seen you this worked up since that kid in second grade called mama a dumb whore. I have to say, it’s kind of disgusting,” she teased, her words as stinging as ever.

“What do you want from me, Julie?”

“Want from you? Here I am, trying to give you the whole world just as I always have, and this is the thanks I get? Hmph!”

I scoffed.

“Is that why you shut me out completely?” I asked, but despite the obvious sarcasm in my voice, Julie nodded.

“Yeah. You didn’t notice?”

I shook my head at her disbelievingly.

She sounded sincere, but it was such an absurd thing to suggest.

“If we just had that son on earth, maybe none of this would have ever happened,” I muttered, and Julie laughed.

“Oh, Nathan. That was never on the cards. I mean, we could have gotten pregnant anytime I wanted to, but the timing was never right. Oh, don’t look at me like that. You know that cheating is the only way I ever knew how to win at games.”

I sighed.

“Is this what winning looks like to you, Julie? Watching your son wreak havoc on my life?”

“Havoc? Natey, all of your little girlfriends are still alive. You know, I really went out of my way to make sure of that. Besides, I played mostly fair on this one,” she replied, raising her hands. “Except, you know… just now, when I stopped you from killing him. You would have regretted it, though; trust me. Besides… I needed you to teach him a little lesson anyway.”

“Why didn’t you just stay alive and teach him yourself?” I asked, feeling somewhat annoyed, and Julie laughed.

“Oh Nate. You know far better than I that there are some lessons a boy needs to learn from his father,” she said, and I scoffed.

“Nice try,” I replied, and she put her hands on her hips, swaying a little, and my eyes narrowed. “You’re serious? How is that possible?”

She shrugged.

“That last time… on the balcony? I guess I just decided it was time for you to finally win,” she said, her tone playful and suggestive.

I slumped down onto my back, and let out a long, frustrated groan.

“Why the fuck didn’t you tell me?”

“Oh, believe me, I tried,” she said, and I looked up at her, taking a long, deep breath in.

That was right, huh?

The day I was packing, she asked me to run away with her.

But she knew… she knew I would have said yes if she told me.

“Why didn’t you try harder?” I asked, and she stooped down, looking at me with what I was sure was a smiling expression behind that shadowy veil.

“Because I chose what was best for you, Nate. I always did. Every time I spurned you; every rejection, every cold shoulder, every harsh word.”

I shook my head.

“I don’t understand,” I said, and she shrugged.

“You don’t have to, Nate. Just know that despite what I’m doing, it’s still in your hands. What you become will be decided by you, I’ve just narrowed it down a bit… so to speak.”

“Narrowed it down?” I asked, and she smiled, nodding.

“Either you stand on top of this world as its immortal ruler; or you give your life in its defense,” she said, and I shook my head.

“What’s the catch?” I asked, and she laughed.

“No catch, Natey boy. Either the world for yourself, or the world for your children. Now, I’ve stalled you for long enough. I really should apologize, though, because I am going to hurt you one last time,” she said, and my eyes narrowed on her.

“What do you mean?”

“You’ll see. Oh, and one more thing; say hi to the other one for me, will ya? Tell her that our little game was fun, and my only regret is that we couldn’t share a drink together, and toast to our shared vision coming to fruition.”

“What are you talking about?” I asked, and she laughed.

“You’re a smart boy, Nate. I’m sure you’ll figure it out. Take care… and Nate?”

Her voice had become shadowy, and the light around me was fading as I fell away from her.

“I’ll always love you,” she said, before my eyes shot open, and I found myself alone on that pathway.

_Fuck!_

“ETHAN!” I yelled, as I scrambled to my feet and stumbled along the path.

It wound along for a bit, until finally, I spotted him up ahead in the distance, holding the child up, and looking at it quite affectionately.

I hurried towards him, but as the path emerged from the brush, I suddenly noticed that just beyond Ethan there seemed to be a precipice of some kind, and judging from the distance to the opposite end, it looked to be one hell of a drop.

Was this the sheer cliff that led to that waterfall where I’d spent the night with Eradne?

It seemed likely, but I wasn’t sure.

“Ethan…” I said, approaching more cautiously now.

He was trapped here, wasn’t he?

There was nowhere to run…

I just needed to make sure he didn’t do something foolish or crazy.

“My little brother, huh? I didn’t want to believe it. I really didn’t. Something about you just… irritates me like nothing else. But my mother wouldn’t lie about this.”

“Ethan… please, give him back,” I said, my tone perhaps a bit more pleading than I wanted it to sound, but as he looked at me, he merely smiled.

“I really wanted to destroy you; I did. I knew if I killed them back then, you wouldn’t fight. This was the plan she gave me, so I followed it; bring you out here with all of your resolve, then extinguish their lives in front of your eyes one by one; but I guess revenge was never her plan.”

“You don’t have to listen to Julie, Ethan. Come home with me; with your brother. You could protect my people like I never could,” I said, and he laughed.

“Oh, I was sure of that myself too. But I was wrong, Nate. For all of my genius, I let so many people die; yet here you stand before me boasting not even a single loss. I really planned to kill them all. And I still might. This isn’t over yet, you know? That Hans is still under Nizhal’s control.”

“Then call him off,” I said, and he shook his head, a sad expression flashing across his eyes.

“It’d be doing you no favors; trust me. She’s shown me all I needed to see, to make the right choices from here on out.”

“Whatever’s coming, we can face it-”

Ethan laughed, that same bitter laugh that I’d heard so many times from Julie’s lips, and a sinking feeling began to form in my stomach.

“You can chase me if you want. You might even get him back… but if you don’t leave soon, Hans will kill them all. First the little one. Then Bianca, Molly. Then he’ll run across the forest and kill Francesca, Gisela… every woman who carries your scent, one by one by one. Your son won’t even see out the year, and Cameron will follow, your name a curse upon her lips as she dies. This is your first choice, Nathan.”

“It doesn’t have to be that way,” I said, and Ethan shook his head.

“This web is thicker than you or I can ever hope to understand, much less unravel,” he said. “Your choice. A future in which your son lives forever, but you’ll never see him. Or one where you keep him but he dies, an infant in your arms.”

I gritted my teeth.

You aren’t just taking my son.

You’re taking Cameron, and a feeling of comfort I’ve never had in my life before.

As indecision clouded my mind, a feeling came to me.

Fear, desperation.

It was Bianca… and suddenly I understood.

This wasn’t a game.

“Don’t make the wrong choice, N- Dad.”

“Wait!”

I took a deep breath, then nodding, I let out a long breath.

“Edwin. His name is Edwin,” I said, and Ethan smiled.

There were tears in his eyes, and as he turned, facing me, he leapt back into the precipice, and as I darted to the edge, I saw a shadow swoop across the void, swallowing the two up.

And just like that, they disappeared from sight.

The shadow seemed to dance along the ridges of the cliff-face, but as another panicked transmission came to me from Bianca, I let out a long, anguished wail, before turning, and darting off into the path.

“Nate!” Casey called, as soon as she saw me running towards the fort, but I raised a hand to stop her.

“Raul, Jordan; with me!” I yelled, and the two men stood up and followed as I tore off into the woods heading east of the fort.

I could sense Bianca’s direction as I wove my way through the woods, but Raul and Jordan were quickly falling off the pace.

“Go! I can find you,” Jordan yelled, and I offered him a silent thank you as I punched it, following that worrying panicked thread that was leading me to Bianca.

When I found her, she was crouched over a small, slumped figure, and I felt a sudden tightness in my chest as I approached.

“Is she-?”

“Help them!” she cried, gesturing ahead, and I nodded, quickly activating my locator on Blair’s token.

She was about twenty strides northeast of us, and I got there to see her engaged with Hans, whose form was now eerily human.

His clawed hands were like razor sharp knives, but Blair’s eyes seemed to be bloodred, and she was slicing madly and relentlessly at him, pressing him back, but as I watched closely, I saw her frothing at the mouth, and suddenly I realized; she was at her absolute limit.

I moved closer and tried to paralyze Hans, but he shrugged the ability off like it was nothing, before letting out a long, howling roar.

Blair used the opportunity to make her retreat from the engagement, then screamed out, falling to the ground, and I could see red lines of energy appearing across her body, burning through her skin as she writhed on the floor.

Hans moved in on her and I quickly intercepted, only to be quickly forced onto the back foot as he assailed me with a lightning quick flurry of strikes.

_Fuck me, he’s quicker than before!_

As he came at me, however, I recalled what Amelie had taught me about breaking Nizhalgal’s hold on a person, and as I used sensory perception to gaze into Hans’ core, I saw that lingering presence of the shadow inside of him.

Change him, right?

Maybe not as easy as it sounds.

Although there was _that_.

That would work, only… could I do it?

I’d have to try.

“Remember yourself,” I whispered, focusing my threads on him.

At first, he roared, and the threads seemed to fall away, but I concentrated really hard, opening a pathway to his mind and reaching out.

_Remember your queen. The life she wanted for you. The life you would have built. Remember!_

The suggestion was draining my energy and fast, but there was a flicker in Hans’ eyes, and suddenly, the drain began to ebb as he created his own pathway of threads between my core and his.

“I-I had a queen… before Irileth. I- Jacinda…”

Hans howled again, but the shadowy look in his eyes seemed to be clearing, and suddenly he looked down at his claws, a look of confusion in his eyes.

“When-? When did I become this… monster?” he asked, but as he looked at me, he shook his head, glancing quickly around at his surroundings, backing away as he did.

Then without another word, he turned, and ran off into the woods.

I fell to my knees, a wave of sudden exhaustion washing over me.

With Hans’ retreat, there was an air of finality to the proceedings, and suddenly, I felt my will to stay on my feet fading with the energy that had been powering my skills.

“Whoa; easy there, bud,” Raul said, steadying me as I swayed a bit.

“My knight in shining armor,” I teased, and he shook his head.

“Alva’s not here to see your teasing,” he said, and I smirked.

“I was never teasing Alva,” I said, reaching fondly for his cheek, and he swatted me away before helping me to my feet.

“Do you want me to carry you?” he asked, and I shook my head.

“Just a hand will do,” I replied. “Is Cameron okay?”

“She’s alive,” he said. “She’s asking for her baby, though,” Raul added, his tone a little worried, and I nodded.

“The child lives,” I said, and he studied me, but as he caught the expression on my face, he just nodded.

“Is he alright?”

The voice was Jordan’s, and Raul nodded.

“He’ll live,” he replied, and I nodded as Jordan moved to my side, offering me another pillar of much-needed support.

“Lucia-?” I asked.

“She’s hurt, but not fatally so. Molly’s hurt too,” Jordan added, and I sighed.

When we got back to the camp, I spotted Casey, Bianca, and Blair standing beside Molly and Lucia while Evie tended to them, and Alva moved to receive me as we made our approach.

“Set him down here,” Alva instructed, as Casey came over to join us.

“Nate-”

“You need to put together a team,” I said, and Casey studied me. “There’s a path through the woods. Off that way,” I said, gesturing west of the fort. “It winds down to a precipice. Ethan disappeared off that way with the child.”

Casey nodded.

“I’ll handle it,” she assured me, but there was something inside of me that just knew that he was long gone.

“Nate!”

I sat up as Cameron stumbled her way around the fort from the courtyard, Nolan following closely behind, and she paused as she looked at me, a searching look in her eyes.

“I-I’m sorry,” I began, and she teared up, shaking her head as she stumbled the rest of the way and into my arms.

“Did he take him?” she asked, and as I nodded, the tears began to fall.

Her hands balled into fists, and she sobbed, allowing me to hold her even though I felt more undeserving of her presence in that moment than I ever thought I could.

As she sobbed, I caressed her hair soothingly, holding her in my arms, and pressing my lips absently against the top of her head.

“We’ll get him back,” I whispered. “We’ll get him back.”

I wasn’t sure I believed the words, but knowing that I’d made the choice that let our child slip away, I knew it would be my responsibility to atone in whatever way she chose.


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nate looks to the future; the first arc comes to an end.

***

I woke up to a dark room and a feeling of coldness that felt unfamiliar and unsettling, but as my eyes adjusted to the darkness, I noticed the silhouette of a woman sitting upon the window frame.

“Hnnh~. What time is it?” I asked, stretching tiredly as I sat up.

“I’m not sure,” Cameron answered, standing up and moving tentatively to my side at the bed.

I scooted over, making room for her, but as she sat down, she made no effort to get into bed beside me.

“It’s dark here,” I noted, and she nodded.

“Stone walls. They don’t have that glow dust thing that the grove trees have,” she explained. “You wouldn’t be able to see at all down the halls if not for the torches.”

My mind instinctively went back to the assault we’d planned to make on this fort, but as my eyes rested on the darkened outline of Cameron’s form, I dismissed the thought.

“How long has it been since the fight?” I asked.

“That was this morning,” she answered.

“Any word from the tracking team?”

Cameron shook her head, and I noted that she seemed fairly despondent.

“We’ll get him back,” I said, reaching for her shoulder; but she recoiled at the touch, so I withdrew the hand.

Cameron let out a sigh, then took the hand and brought to her lap.

“He removed the effect of the hypnotic suggestion,” she said, and I bit my lip nervously.

“Oh?”

She nodded.

“It doesn’t change how I feel about you,” she quickly clarified, and I nodded.

“But it did change something,” I suggested, and she nodded in response.

“When my mom left, I felt cold and alone. She left me with a man I barely knew, who wasn’t even my real father. It was… confusing. At first, I barely spoke to him. I mean, what was stopping this person from just throwing me out onto the streets? He owed me nothing.”

She took a deep breath, putting a little pressure on the bridge of her nose, before continuing:

“So, one day, we talked… and it was kind of nice. Reassuring, really. He said that he was sure my mom would be back and that everything would be fine again. And for a while, it really felt like if everything was alright. I got to talking a bit more, and eventually, I felt like I had a real father. He would hug me, and hold me, and I’d feel so safe and protected in his arms that when he suggested that we sleep together, I felt kind of happy, because I always felt so scared and alone in my own cold, little room.”

I sat upright, and scooted forward, moving to the edge of the bed so I could look into Cameron’s shadowy face as she spoke.

“So, it never really occurred to me as anything strange, the way he touched me. I had no idea what appropriate or inappropriate meant. But as I started spending less and less time with him, he seemed to become more and more insistent that we spend time together. Being physically close. And by the time it turned into something I couldn’t stand… I dunno, I felt like I was complicit? Like if I was the one who started this kind of relationship in the first place.”

“He was grooming you…” I said, and she wiped away a tear, letting out a little laugh.

“I know that now, yeah; but at the time I was just a stupid little kid. He gaslighted me into thinking I’d begged him for that kind of closeness. Acted as if I was the one who really always wanted it and he was hesitant and resistant. There are people in my family who still I think I seduced him, or something like that,” she said, letting out another bitter laugh, and I took her hand and gave it a squeeze, as she continued:

“You know, I thought this was all over. The last… what is it, three weeks? It was so nice, being with you. Feeling safe without my body constantly having knee-jerk reactions to being touched every single time, but I tried to lie down beside you today… I wanted your comfort, your warmth. I wanted to give those things to you as well. But every time I closed my eyes, I felt this… anxiety in my chest, and I would wake up in a panic.”

“A natural reaction to trauma,” I said, and she nodded, sniffling a little, and wiping away a tear.

“Yeah. It’s just… I lost my son, Nate. Our son. I feel like if a part of me was ripped out, leaving this empty, gaping hole… and I can’t lose this too…”

She began to cry, and as I offered my shoulder to her, she moved in, hugging me, and I caressed her back soothingly as I held her.

“Hypnotize me again,” she said, her words slightly muffled as she spoke them into my chest. “I don’t want to feel like this.”

I bit my lip, as I studied her.

“I’m not sure I know how to,” I said. “Maybe the princess can, but my suggestions so far have been a bit… simpler, in nature.”

Part of me also wondered if it’d be better in the long run for us to work through this.

I mean, the mere fact that her PTSD resurfaced immediately after the effects of the suggestion had been removed indicated that the problem had never been resolved, didn’t it?

And who knew how else this trauma might manifest itself in the future if left unresolved?

Cameron turned to face me, and took my hands into hers.

“Please, Nate. I don’t want to feel this way right now. Please?” she begged, and I swallowed with some difficulty, then nodded.

I took a deep breath, then extending my threads to her core, I paused.

“Try imagining a pathway between us, between my core and yours,” I said, and she nodded, and as the pathway began to form between us, I gave the suggestion some thought.

_You feel safe, protected, and loved by my side. No memories of past wounds resurface. You do not associate my presence with that of anyone, or anything, that brings you discomfort or harm._

She shuddered a little as I finished the suggestion, and as I pulled her into my arms, she cried.

“Oh, thank God. I thought I lost this,” she sobbed, and as I moved back on the bed, she finally crawled up beside me.

As I gazed into her core, however, I felt as if my suggestion had only been planted into the forefront of her consciousness, and I suspected that the effects would not last very long.

_Maybe we would have to pay Miriam a little visit after all…_

Cameron, however, was quickly off to sleep, and as I lay there, stroking her back soothingly and just enjoying the feel of her in my arms again, I quickly drifted off to sleep myself.

I woke up to the same darkness as before, however, and noting that Cameron, while asleep, was a little off to her own side, I decided to get up and stretch my muscles a bit.

Sleeping for as long as I did, I felt quite well rested and ready for another epic battle if need be, but as I headed out the door and stepped out of the room, I suddenly realized that I had no idea where I was.

 _Casey… where are you?_ I thought, reaching out to her with my desire to talk to her, and to my surprise, a door down the corridor opened up, and the shadow of a face poked out from the darkness.

“Nate?”

Her voice was a low whisper, and I quickly headed to the room.

She looked me up and down, then quickly ushered me in, wrapping her arms around me as soon as the door was shut.

“You’re up. You’re okay!” she said, as she held me tightly.

She didn’t openly sob, but I heard a sniffle, and I could sense relief emanating from her.

“Told you. I had no intention of dying here.”

“Fucking liar,” she said, shoving me a little.

She led me over to the bed, but as she tried to pull me close, I resisted, keeping a little space between us.

I shot a reluctant look back at the door, and she bit her lip nervously.

“Sorry,” she said, scooting a little way from me, and I nodded.

“Did the search team turn up anything?” I asked, and she shook her head.

“We picked up the trail at a waterfall some way west of Kleiner Hein, but it seems they followed the river south and out of the forest. Once they got outside, the trail went cold.”

I let out a sigh.

I had more or less already accepted that I would never see my son again, but I knew it would take a much more concerted effort to convince Cameron that we had truly done all we could.

“How dangerous would it be to send a team into the towns?” I asked, and Casey frowned.

“Do you really believe they’ll be able to track Ethan down?” she asked, but as I shook my head, her expression shifted a little.

“Uh, from what I’ve seen over the past few days, our fighters can handle most of the random otherworlders we might be likely to encounter. It’s the unknown factors that trouble me, and the potential that our excursions might be tracked back into the forest before we’re properly prepared to handle it.”

I nodded.

“We need to secure a crossing to the outside before regular excursions become a thing,” I said, and Casey nodded.

“How is Cameron taking it so far?” she asked, and I sighed.

“She’s grieving for now; nothing more. But I’m pretty sure this is nothing more than the calm before the storm.”

I sat in silence for a while, before speaking again.

“How were the others? Lucia?” I asked.

“Lucia’s fine, I think. She was wounded, but nothing we couldn’t treat, and aside from Francesca, that was probably the worst injury.”

“Where is she now?” I asked.

“We set up a treatment area in the main hall below. Most of the group is asleep in makeshift beds down there,” she explained, and I nodded.

I got up, stretching as I did, and Casey frowned.

“You’re going back already?” she asked, and I nodded.

“The night is darker on this side of the forest,” I noted, “and I don’t want her to wake up alone. How soon do we leave?”

Casey frowned.

“We’ve moved all of our captives here, and the Accalians are settling in. But if even a single otherworlder left over from Ethan’s squad is still around, they could take the fort and unleash an army of otherworlders on us from here.”

“How many prisoners made it?” I asked.

“A little over twenty, I think,” she replied, and I frowned.

“There’s no way that taking that many otherworlders on right now is a good idea,” I said, stretching again, and Casey nodded. “I think I’ll sleep on it,” I added, and she frowned, but as I headed for the door, she held onto my shirt for a second, resting her head against my back.

“I’m glad you made it,” she said, and I turned, giving her a hug and a little kiss on the forehead, before turning and heading back down the corridor to my room.

Cameron stirred slightly as I entered, and she scooted over as I climbed back into bed.

“Sex visit, or duty visit?” she mumbled sleepily, and I chuckled.

“Duties,” I said, and she looked up at me with a pouty look.

“You and Casey aren’t calling it duties now, are you?”

I shook my head.

“I wanted to know how the search went,” I said, and she let out a pained groan in response.

“Nate… can you hypnotize me into forgetting?” she asked, and I sighed.

“Forgetting what? The child, or everything?”

She turned to look at me, then sighed again.

“I don’t wanna forget you,” she said, and as I settled in, she moved to snuggle up against me.

“What do you think his name will be?” she asked, and I swallowed uncomfortably.

“Edwin,” I answered, and she tilted her head a little.

“Ugh. No way. That’s a way loser name,” she said, but as she caught the awkward look on my face, she eased off of me. “No way. You named him?”

I nodded.

“He obviously has no obligation to listen to me,” I explained, as Cameron stared at me in shock.

“How did that happen, though?” she asked, and I sighed.

“I… just said it. Before he vanished into that shadow thing.”

She shook her head.

“Shadow thing? Wait… the man with him… Nizhal, was it?”

I nodded.

“He’s a monstrosity. Like Leti.”

Cameron shook her head.

“Leti’s a monstrosity?”

I chuckled, as it dawned on me that she wasn’t there for that reveal.

“Yup. She’s Irileth,” I said, and Cameron scoffed.

“Irileth? The Irileth? God, how did you guys survive that one?”

“She’s on our side, more or less. Helped us train to come save you, even,” I explained, and Cameron laughed.

“How did you convince Casey to let that happen?” Cameron asked, and I shrugged.

“I just didn’t take no for an answer,” I replied, and Cameron smirked.

“Oh. Sure,” she said, eyeing me teasingly.

“What?”

“Don’t ‘what’ me, buster. I know what ‘convincing’ Casey actually means.”

Cameron snuggled up into the nook of my arm, and joined me in staring off into the darkness above us.

“Edwin, huh? Was that name significant to you?”

“Not really,” I said, and Cameron looked over at me, her disbelief plastered on her face.

“What?”

I chuckled, a little nervously.

“Sorry. It just kind of… came to me?”

Cameron flicked me on the forehead, before slinking back into the nook of my arm.

“Not that Ethan has any reason to keep the name, I guess…” she said, sighing again. “You don’t think he’ll hurt him, do you?”

I shook my head.

“If anything, he’ll give little Edwin a perfectly happy little childhood just to spite me,” I said, and Cameron rubbed my arm comfortingly.

“I was wondering if you felt anything at all about this,” she said, and I sighed.

“I do. I kind of wish I didn’t, now that I do, but I do. I know it’s not… what you’re feeling, though. Not even close,” I said, and Cameron shook her head.

“We lost our son, Nate… I don’t think it matters which one of us feels worse about it.”

Cameron gave my hand another squeeze, bringing it to her lips, but for a moment, a feeling came to me.

One of pain and… anger, but as I looked into Cameron’s shadowy face and saw neither of those things reflected there, I realized for the first time what her mask looked like.

I held her, not knowing what to really do, but eventually sleep came, and when I woke up again, I found Cameron sitting beside me on the bed, staring off into space.

“Hey,” I said, groaning a little. “How long did we sleep for?”

She shrugged.

“I don’t know,” she said. “These nights sure last for fucking ever though,” she added with a sigh.

I got up, but as I rested a hand on her hip, she recoiled just a little, before relaxing under the touch.

She took my hand into hers and glanced at me over her shoulder, a little apologetically, but I shook my head.

“Sorry. I guess the suggestion didn’t really take,” I said, and she nodded.

“Guess we’ll have to pay the princess a little visit after all,” she replied.

I stretched my legs a little, before suggesting that we take a walk around the fort to see who else was up, and Cameron readily agreed.

Cameron also showed me to where I could relieve myself; a dark, smelly, stone room that really made me miss the niceties that our grove trees provided us with, then we headed down to the courtyard where some familiar faces were sitting around a fire.

“Well, well! Long live the king,” Molly called, and I chuckled as the group rose to greet us.

There were a few log benches around the fire, with Leanna and Jordan on one side, and Molly, Evie and Francesca on the other.

“Don’t forget my queen,” I said, gesturing to Cameron, who promptly rolled her eyes.

“Oh please. Most of the women here probably see that position as vacant,” she said.

Francesca shot me an uncomfortable look, and Molly and Evie did as well, but Cameron seemed oblivious to their responses as she quickly moved over to Jordan’s side.

He hugged her for a moment, biting his lip, as she broke away.

“I’m sorry; we couldn’t track them out of the forest,” he began, but Cameron waved a hand dismissively.

“It’s fine. We’ll need to get more organized before we can go hunting superhuman enemies anyway,” she said, letting out a groan as she eased down onto the log.

“Is there anything more comfortable that she can sit on?” I asked, and Cameron scoffed.

“Oh relax. I’m not the helpless, knocked up wench you need to ‘protect’ anymore,” she said, waving a hand again, and as Jordan shot me a worried look, I swallowed with some difficulty.

Everyone settled back in, and I moved around the group to the empty bench adjacent to Cameron’s.

“How have your anxieties been?” Cameron asked Leanna, and the girl twirled the loose end of her braids nervously.

“It’s better when I’m around… familiar things,” she said, and Cameron smiled.

“Like Jordan?” she teased, and the girl blushed.

“It-it’s not like-”

“For the love of God, don’t provoke her,” Molly cut in. “I don’t feel like being sliced to pieces by shadow blades tonight.”

“What? I would never-!”

“She’s just kidding,” Jordan said, shooting Molly a disapproving look, and the girl shrugged, but as Evie shook her head at her, she sighed.

“It’s just a joke,” Molly said, raising a hand in surrender, before turning to Evie with a look that said, ‘happy now?’

Evie screwed her face up a little, before getting up and moving to sit beside me.

“How is your neck?” she asked, and I rubbed the spot as if by reflex.

“It’s fine,” I replied. “How’s Francesca doing?”

I glanced at the girl and she gave me a little smile.

Molly seemed to be speaking to her, but she seemed out of sorts still, just nodding along to the whatever was being said.

“She’s a bit shaken up still, from that woman… Leona, was it?” Evie asked, and I nodded, noting that she’d dropped her voice to a whisper as she said the name.

“I think she needs a little break from the fighting,” I suggested, and Evie nodded in agreement.

“I think you could all use a break,” she said.

While we spoke, I spotted two figures coming over from the other side of the courtyard, from the direction of the crossing, and as they got closer to the light, I recognized Raul and Alva.

“Midnight rendezvous?” I asked, and Raul scoffed.

“Someone has to keep watch,” he said. “Otherworlders might not be so much of a problem anymore, but Hans is still out there.”

“I see,” I replied.

Although truthfully, I was fairly certain that Hans would more likely be busy digesting his own memories than terrorizing us in the near future.

Speaking of Hans, though…

“How is Lucia doing?” I asked, and Evie frowned.

“Her wound wasn’t that bad, and she heals quickly, especially for someone without an implant, but… she’s barely eaten anything today, and she barely got out of bed all day.”

I let out a sigh.

“Is she in the main hall?” I asked, and Evie nodded.

“Do you wanna go check on her?”

“Yeah,” I said, but as we stood up and made for the hall, I noted Cameron’s eyes flick in my direction with just a hint of a scowl.

“Gonna check on Lucia,” I mouthed to her from across the fire, and she tilted her head at that.

 _It’s not like you owe me an explanation or anything_.

She shrugged as she spoke the answer into my mind, and I bit my lip, nodding as I turned and followed Evie into the fort.

“She just needs time,” Evie began, and I nodded wordlessly, but my mind went automatically to Julie.

This was how things went between us as well, didn’t it?

Passive aggressive jabs and snide remarks that eventually descended into outright malice.

I felt a tightness in my chest form at the thought that my relationship with Cameron would turn out to be anything like that.

“There,” Evie said, directing me to the sleeping bag on the floor where Lucia was curled up.

I gave her a thankful nod, but as she turned to leave, I shot her a questioning look.

“Wouldn’t want to give Cameron reason to be suspicious,” she explained, and I bit my lip, nodding, as she turned and headed outside.

As I moved to join Lucia, however, I noted that the girl was awake.

She looked up for a moment as I crouched down, taking a seat beside her, before staring off into space again.

“Hey, kiddo,” I said.

She grumbled a little in response, so I let out a sigh, before placing my hand over hers.

“I know. It doesn’t feel like if we won right now, does it?” I commented.

Lucia gazed up into my eyes at that, before taking my hand into hers.

“Lucia isn’t mad at Nathan. Lucia just misses papa,” the girl explained.

I chuckled, patting her on the back as I did.

“I know. I’m feeling a little down for my own reasons too,” I said, and Lucia sat up.

“Is Cammy mad at Nathan?” Lucia asked, and I shook my head.

“She’s just feeling sad too. Because Ethan took away our baby,” I explained, and Lucia shook her head.

“But… not every seed becomes a tree. Cammy is alive. She can bear a new one,” Lucia said, the confusion on her face evident.

Was this perhaps the Kobalt way of seeing things?

I hadn’t spent sufficient time amongst them to understand, but her confusion definitely suggested as much.

“Well, maybe you are right, but Cameron… she needs a little bit of time. To grieve,” I explained, and Lucia frowned.

She crawled her way around to me, then wrapped her arms around my lower body, hugging me as she curled up beside me.

“I’m sorry, Nathan.”

We stayed like that for a while, when Lucia spoke again.

“Nathan? Lucia doesn’t know what to do now,” Lucia said, and I looked down at her, noting the look on her face was quite despondent.

“What do you mean?”

“Lucia wanted to kill monster; but monster that killed papa is gone… swallowed by Hans. Lucia wanted to protect Nathan, but godling was taken, and Lucia did nothing…”

I shook my head at her.

“You didn’t do nothing, kiddo. That monster would have caused a lot of trouble if you hadn’t picked up on his presence.”

Lucia frowned.

“Lucia didn’t do it for Nathan. Lucia did it for Lucia.”

The girl began to cry, so I scooped her up into my arms, and held her tight.

“We all do things for ourselves sometimes. And that’s fine. You do a lot for me when you can, but you have to do things for yourself too, okay?”

“Mhm.”

The words were muffled, mumbled into my shoulder, so I decided to just hold her for a bit, and stroke her hair reassuringly as I did.

I began to notice, however, that her hair was a bit dry and tangled, which struck me as a bit strange given how flawlessly smooth and silky most of the Kobalt’s hair generally appeared.

I was still thinking about it when suddenly, I felt a presence behind me, and as I spun around, half-expecting to see someone there, Lucia looked up, then looked at me, slightly confused.

“Is Nathan mad at Byaka?” she asked, and I tilted my head at the question.

“What? Why would I be mad at her?” I asked.

Lucia shot me a confused look, then turned to look ahead of me, and I shook my head, as her expression seemed to indicate that she was looking at someone.

“Ugh! Did you have to sell me out like that? I told you to be quiet!”

I jumped, as Bianca’s voice spoke quite clearly in front of me, yet nothing was there, until suddenly, I noticed a shimmering presence forming the familiar outline of her form, and I stared in wonder as she slowly came into view.

“Ta-da~,” she sang, as she struck a cute pose, and I blinked back my disbelief, as I studied her.

“Is that a new skill?” I asked, and she nodded.

“Yup! I call it, ‘shadow stalker’,” she declared proudly, gesturing with her arms, and uttering the phrase with an air of mystery. “It’s tied to this… thingie,” she explained, holding up her token, and as I gazed into the thing with sensory perception, I noted that a skill had indeed formed there.

“What does it do, exactly?” I asked.

“I haven’t tested it out properly yet, but it looks like I can erase my presence from the sight of anyone I choose, just by concentrating on them really hard and activating the skill.”

I turned to Lucia at this.

“So, you saw her all the time?” I asked, and the girl nodded, frowning a little.

“No fair. Lucia wants new skill. Why does Byaka get toking?” she whined, and Bianca cackled at her.

“Because Nate knows who’s really useful, and who’s just a little whiny brat,” Bianca shot, teasing the girl by holding her token up in front of her, then snatching it away just as Lucia lunged after it.

I set her down as she tried to go at Bianca, but as the two caused a bit of a stir, prompting some of the sleeping Kobalt hunters to grumble, I quickly put a stop to the fuss.

“Come on, you two. Take it outside,” I said, scolding them a little.

As we headed outside, however, I stole a look at Bianca’s hair, and she stopped to study me as I reached out to give it a feel.

“If this is a new head pat technique, I like the old way better,” she complained, but I ignored the comment, instead giving her hair a little sniff. “What?” she asked.

“Your hair. It smells like, some kind of flowers,” I began.

“Yeah? You don’t like it?” she asked, giving her own hair a sniff, but I shook my head.

“No, I mean. How? Are you using something, like a shampoo or soap or something?”

She grinned at me.

“A lady never tells,” she answered mysteriously, and I rolled my eyes.

“I’m asking for Lucia,” I clarified, and Bianca’s eyes went wide.

“B-but she’s a child,” she said, her tone aghast, and I massaged my temples in frustration.

“Bianca. Her hair,” I said, gesturing at Lucia who was now looking up at Bianca’s hair while examining her own coppery brown locks.

“Hnn,” Bianca said, as she examined the child.

“What? What’s wrong with Lucia?” the child asked, and I chuckled.

“Nothing’s wrong, sweetie. Your hair just needs a little bit of a wash,” I said.

Lucia pawed at her own hair, then after looking at Bianca’s she frowned.

“Byaka washes hair?” Lucia asked, and Bianca scoffed.

“Well, duh! Just because we fight like warriors doesn’t mean we need to smell like one too,” she said.

Lucia frowned, her expression getting a little teary, and Bianca quickly stooped down beside her.

“Tell ya what, I’ll show you how I wash my hair when we get home. Then we can both look like a pair of beautiful, kick-ass assassins!” Bianca said.

That seemed to cheer Lucia up, and I shot Bianca a thankful look.

“Nate! There you are!” Blair greeted me, a sly look on her face as she sauntered towards me, her hands behind her back. “Say, if we were to have acquired, I don’t know, some… special beverages, along with our newly seized fort; then imbibing said drink might be seen as an appropriate way to celebrate the victory, wouldn’t you say?”

I snickered at her.

“What kind of alcohol is it?” I asked, and she smirked.

“Seems like rum and wine,” she replied, and Bianca perked up at this.

“Wine? Like, good wine?”

I eyed Bianca, and Lucia looked between us, an interested look on her face.

“Wine? What is a ‘wine’?” she asked.

“An _adult_ drink,” Bianca replied, looking down on Lucia which prompted her to grumble a little.

“Lucia can drink a wine. Lucia can drink anything Byaka can!”

“I’m gonna veto that one,” I cut in. “This might be around the time to put you to bed,” I added, and Lucia frowned, making a whining sound very much reminiscent to Bianca’s mannerisms, and I chuckled a little.

Guess the two were getting along much better than I thought, huh?

As I followed Blair outside, however, she stole ahead of me, shooting me a smirk as she did.

“Nate said it’s okay to drink!” she declared, raising both hands, but before I could say anything, cheers erupted around the courtyard.

Everyone seemed to have gathered up while I was inside, and as I spotted Casey, I quickly moved towards her.

She scowled, shooting me a disapproving look, and I shrugged.

“They’re been through hell this past week. Might as well let them have this one,” I said, and she frowned.

“We’re not out of the woods yet,” she said, but as we spoke, Alva moved to join us.

“A feast to celebrate a pivotal moment is custom amongst our people,” she said. “But rest assured, Frei-Casey, our ‘High protector’ will keep his wits about him.”

Raul sighed as Alva gestured in his direction, but Casey, to my surprise, shook her head.

“You can drink,” she said. “Just don’t pass out. Your implant can metabolize all of the alcohol in your blood almost instantly if you desire it-”

“So, we can just stop being drunk whenever we want to?” he asked, and she nodded.

Raul smiled, but it quickly faded away as Alva shot him a slightly disapproving look.

“Maybe just a little,” he added hastily, and I chuckled a little to myself as the two headed off together.

The bottles were loaded up in cases on a nearby cart that itself looked to be on its last legs, but as two hunters brought in some planks, steadying the cart, everyone moved in to inspect the cache.

“Unlabeled mystery wine; my favorite,” Cameron said, snagging herself a bottle. “Do we have glasses in this fort, or-?”

“Think I saw some wooden cups in the kitchen,” Casey said.

“Sorry my lady, it seems most are with the rot,” a hunter cut in, and Cameron smiled.

“By the bottle, it is!”

I shot her a disapproving look, and she shrugged.

“What? I’m not pregnant anymore,” she said, but despite the wide grin on her face, I sensed something flicker behind her gaze.

“Well now; we’ve got to hear a toast from our king, don’t we?” Molly declared.

“Yes! Speech!” Blair exclaimed, smirking as chants of speech broke out amongst the gathering.

“Alright, alright. Can I stand on this thing?” I asked.

“It is sufficiently braced, high one,” a hunter confirmed, so I climbed up onto the cart, eyeing Blair as she passed me a bottle of rum, and I cleared my throat, as everyone went quiet.

“Two days ago, we set off on a mission to rescue one of our own, and face what was probably the toughest enemy we’ve encountered so far. So, to stand here; holding a drink. With all of the people I set off with still alive and kicking, is nothing short of… a blessing.”

“Hear, hear!” Molly cheered, and I raised my drink to her.

“What has it been, three weeks since we came here?” I asked.

“You kidding?” Blair asked, and Nolan scoffed.

“Not even,” he said.

“Not even, indeed,” I said. “But what a time it was. Most of us came into this world never having gotten in a fight, much less shed blood, or taken life.”

“Speak for yourself!” Blair exclaimed, and I chuckled.

“Fair enough,” I said. “Over these few weeks, we learned some tough lessons. We learned about the sacrifices we have to make; from what we believe in, to what we’re willing to do; to survive and live in this world. But most importantly, I think, we’ve learned what we’re willing to do to make sure that we make it; together, as a group!”

Some cheers sounded, and I extended a hand to Cameron, who smiled a little before taking it.

“We leave no-one behind, and we move forward together. That was what we decided, and that is who we are.”

The group cheered again, and Cameron blushed a little.

“I have to admit; there’s nothing quite like seeing all of the people you love show up to save you, drenched in the blood of your enemies,” Cameron declared, and Blair smiled broadly as she interjected:

“Aww. I could get used to this. Usually people are all like, ‘whose blood is that?’ and ‘where did you get this meat?’.”

I shook my head at her disapprovingly, before uncorking my bottle, and waiting as everyone else did as well.

“To Cameron, and to our future!” I declared.

The toast was met with cheers and the clinking of bottles.

Cameron and I shared a toast as well, before taking a drink, and as I leaned in to kiss her, more cheers broke out around us.

“Not everyone is gonna be pleased to see that,” she warned, and I shrugged.

“Maybe I want them to,” I said, and she eyed me.

For a second, she seemed about to say something, but instead she took another drink.

“Alva. Please tell me the Kobalt know what music is!” she said, as I helped her down from the cart, and Alva smiled.

“Yes, Frei-Camryn. Though, we are not suitably equipped...”

“Of course,” Cameron said, waving a hand.

She took another swig of her drink, coughing and spilling a little as she did, I shot her a worried look.

“Might wanna pace yourself. We have no idea how strong this stuff is.”

“Oh, it sucks,” she said, grinning a little, and I nodded.

“Maybe you should have gone with the rum, then,” I said, as I took another tentative sip of my drink.

“You know… that’s the second time I’ve seen you shy away from your drink. Do you turn into a monster or something when you’re drunk?”

I shrugged.

“I like being in control of my senses,” I explained, and she laughed.

“Control freak!” Blair cut in. “I keep tellin ya’; cutting loose ain’t half as bad as you think it is. You need to embrace what you are!”

Casey eyed me at that, but I laughed away the suggestion.

“Well, have fun ‘cutting loose’,” I said, shooing Blair away.

“Oh, I think I’m with Blair on this one,” Cameron said. “I’m kinda interested in seeing what Nathan Van Dyke looks like when he’s stone drunk.”

“Well, I hate to disappoint you, but I’m almost the exact same person I am sober,” I replied.

“Bor~ing,” Cameron teased, and I shrugged.

“Can’t argue there.”

“Don’t you wanna know what drunk Cameron is like, though?” she asked, batting her eyes suggestively at me, and I smiled.

“I want to know what all of your ‘Camerons’ are like,” I replied.

Cameron giggled a little, and Casey let out a sigh, massaging her temples as she moved away from us a bit, but as I followed her out of the corner of my eye, I also caught sight on Nolan shooting a disapproving glare in our direction.

“You’re hardly even drinking. I’m beginning to suspect you have intentions,” she teased, and I frowned.

“Fine, you got me,” I said, as brought the bottle of rum to my lips and took a tentative sip, and Cameron shook her head at me.

“It’s like you’re trying not to get drunk,” she said, and I sighed. “You know. I think Blair might be right. You’re afraid of being out of control.”

“Ding ding ding!” Blair cut in. “Hit the nail on the head!”

“I think he knows damn well when to give control up though,” Molly added suggestively, and Cameron put her hand over her mouth, in a mock expression of shock.

“But is it really giving up control if he only gives us control when he stands to benefit from it?” Francesca suddenly asked, and I raised an eyebrow at her unexpected contribution.

 _Et tu, Brute?_ I thought, and she shrugged, shooting me a little smile.

“Oh, my love!” Cameron cut in. “Have you- have you been with other women? Oh, the betrayal!” she wailed, before bursting into a fit of giggles.

“He has,” Nolan suddenly cut in, glaring at me before turning to Cameron. “And you’re just- fine with this?”

Cameron scowled, shooting him a dirty look, before a playful smile crept onto her lips.

“You know… I usually like getting drunk to some good music, but if we can’t get that, maybe we can still have some fun. What do you ladies think of making this a girl’s night?” Cameron asked.

“Oh, I am so in,” Blair said.

“Count me down,” Molly said, a little suggestively, and I shook my head, smiling.

“Are you putting us guys out of the courtyard?” I asked, and Cameron nodded.

“Go… man the perimeter, or something,” she chided, waving us off.

“Alright, have fun then,” I said, chuckling as I turned to leave.

Jordan moved to join me, but Nolan turned and headed into the fort instead.

“Hey, you’re a girl too, Leanna,” Cameron said, as Leanna automatically moved to follow Jordan.

She looked confused for a moment.

“What? What’s going on?”

I chuckled, as she’d probably spaced out completely, but Cameron quickly ushered her over to their side of the fire.

“Alcohol doesn’t make her condition worse, does it?” Jordan asked as we walked away, and I shook my head.

“If anything, it helps. Alcohol is a depressant; helps dull the senses. Makes it harder to hallucinate, and keeps some of the anxieties in check.”

“Oh. Does that mean we could potentially use it to help treat her?” Jordan asked, and I shook my head.

“The benefits are short term and temporary, and dependency can become its own problem. Not to mention, the hallucinations actually get worse during withdrawal, and the benefits dwindle away as the body adjusts to the effects.”

Jordan frowned.

“You know, Nymphadora actually mentioned some leaves which have similar effects. Depressants, I mean.”

“Oh? Eltari-strand marijuana?” I asked, and Jordan laughed.

“Probably. She’d think smoking anything is crazy though. Fire really freaks her out.”

“I can imagine,” I said. “How are things going with Leanna, though? I notice she’s really taken to you.”

“Yeah, she has. She was really… really lonely, I think. Just having someone listen and help her work out what’s in her mind, and what she’s afraid of; it means the world to her.”

“You think she had that problem on earth too?” I asked, and Jordan nodded.

“Definitely.”

As we spoke, we approached Raul on the outer perimeter.

Alva was nowhere in sight, so I took a quick look around as we closed in on him.

“What’s the matter? Did Alva finally come to her senses and realize you’re no good?” I teased, and Raul sighed.

“She’s checking on the wounded in the main hall,” Raul said. “What happened to the party?”

“The girls banished us,” I answered, and Raul chuckled.

“About time,” he said, but a serious look suddenly crossed his face. “Hey, uh… do you think they’ll invite Alva over there?”

I eyed him.

“Don’t worry, I’m sure she’ll come right back to you when she’d done with her rounds,” I began, but he shook his head.

“No, that’s not what I mean. I, uh- I think she wants to get to know them better, but… it’s difficult. She’s still getting a little trouble with speaking English all the time.”

“Oh. I see.”

“I think Leanna is kind of the same thing,” Jordan said. “She wants to talk to the girls, but she still thinks most of them hate her. Except Cameron, I guess.”

Raul eyed Jordan at this.

“You and that girl… Leanna, I mean. You’re a thing?” Raul asked.

“Uh, no,” Jordan answered.

He eyed me for a moment, and I nodded.

 _If you’re comfortable,_ I thought, and Jordan nodded.

“No. Nolan and I were… but that might be over, I think.”

“N-Nolan?”

Raul raised an eyebrow, but he quickly shook the expression away.

“S-sorry,” he quickly said. “I didn’t mean to-”

“It’s fine,” Jordan replied, taking a deep breath in.

“Have you two talked about it?” I asked, and Jordan shook his head.

“He’s impossible to talk to right now. It turns into an argument before we even get to anything that’s actually going on,” he said.

“Fuck. If that doesn’t describe every relationship I’ve ever had on earth,” Raul said, and I chuckled at the response.

“Were things ever this bad back on earth for the two of you?” I asked Jordan, and he shrugged.

“We fought. Not like this, but… I guess no one was taking Cameron away from him back then,” Jordan said.

“Wait, you all knew each other on earth?” Raul asked.

“They did. Cameron, Nolan and Jordan. I think Molly and Evie too,” I said, and Raul shook his head.

“Well, fuck. I knew no-one,” he said, and I nodded in agreement.

“Me either,” I said. “Unless Julie counts.”

Raul shook his head.

“It’s better this way, though. I wouldn’t want anyone I cared about to end up here,” he said.

“Do you ever wonder, though? Why us?” Jordan asked.

“Well, according to Casey, the company chose people who wouldn’t be missed. Or whose families wanted them gone,” I said.

“Loner immigrant. That checks out,” Raul said, but Jordan shook his head.

“I only had my sister,” Jordan said. “But Nolan… his family was close. Pretty well-off people too…”

“But they didn’t know about you two, right?” I asked, and Jordan shook his head.

“No. They weren’t the type of people who would accept that. That’s why he had Cameron pretend to be his girlfriend.”

Raul scoffed.

“He what? Wait, he had her pretend while-?”

“I know, I know. Just don’t joke about it please. I’m not ready to deal with that yet,” Jordan said, but Raul shook his head.

“Joke about it? Someone should punch him in the fucking face,” he replied.

Jordan smiled a little at that, and I nodded in agreement.

“I’m on board with punching him in the face, though maybe I have my own reasons,” I said, chuckling as I did.

Jordan sighed.

“You know, I don’t really hate him for it,” he said. “If he really loves her, then what can I do, you know?”

“Some good that’s gonna do him, though,” I said, chancing a glance back at the fire.

“You really love her, don’t you?” Jordan asked, and I nodded.

“It didn’t start out that way, but I’m sure I do now. I’m just worried about how losing our first child is going to affect things.”

“I’m sorry,” Jordan said.

As I looked at him, I noted that his expression seemed to indicate culpability in the loss.

“I don’t think any of us could have done much about it,” I said, but he shook his head.

“I know; but while I was tracking him, it was almost as if I was hoping we wouldn’t find anything,” he admitted, and I rested a hand on his shoulder.

“No-one would have expected you to take him on. It was, what? You and Leanna?”

“And one of the hunters,” he said, nodding.

“I understand,” I said, sighing. “Part of me feels the same way. Like if we’re better off if Ethan stays gone. At least, until I know I’m strong enough to fight something like him and that monster of his, I mean.”

Jordan nodded.

“I’m glad you’re not just tearing off after him. I’m not sure we could keep doing this without you,” he added, and Raul quickly nodded in agreement.

“I dunno,” I countered. “I’m sure you’d manage. You’re a good bunch.”

“Maybe you don’t remember what these people looked like when I first hunted you,” Raul said. “But they were hopeless losers; no offence.”

“None taken,” Jordan said, raising his hands as Raul continued:

“You turned these hopeless losers into what they are today. No groups make it this far with this many survivors. And I mean none.”

I knew they were right, of course.

But I knew how to play the modesty card.

“Give yourselves some credit,” I countered. “I might have given things the right push, but we are here today thanks to all of our efforts combined.”

Raul and Jordan seemed to concede at that point, and we stood in silence for a bit.

“Is that rum?” Raul asked, eyeing my drink, and I nodded.

“Miss your drink, do you? What was your poison?” I asked, passing him the bottle.

“Tequila, my friend. Tequila.”

I laughed.

“Way to be a stereotype,” I joked, and Raul scoffed.

“If it’s a stereotype, it’s only because it’s a damn good drink,” he said. “Mi abuela hated it though. She used to say, ‘if the devil first fails to lead a man astray, he will offer him a drink’.”

Jordan laughed.

“Have to say, I never really believed in the devil,” he said.

“Well, when your very existence is considered a sin, it does make him a bit of a… problematic figure,” I suggested, and Raul tilted his head.

“Hm. Never really thought about it like that,” he said. “In my mind, sin was always just… doing harm to others. Who someone chose to love never really factored in there for me.”

“Well, if more people thought like that, it wouldn’t be so bad,” I said, and Raul studied me with a wry smile.

“Not a man of faith, I’m guessing?” he asked, and I laughed.

“I’m incapable of feeling guilt. Most faiths presume that to mean I am more evil than anything imaginable,” I said. “Never mind that it’s through no fault of my own.”

“Well, it’s too bad we don’t have glasses; I’d toast to not being hated for existing anymore,” Raul said.

“Shit, I’ll drink to that,” Jordan said, taking the bottle from Raul.

He took a swig, then passed it to me, and I raised the bottle before taking a drink as well.

“Nymphadora really hates that,” Jordan said, laughing a little.

“Yeah? Does she speak into your mind, or something?” I asked, and he shook his head.

“It used to feel that way, but now it just feels as if her feelings come to me from time to time,” he explained. “It’s kind of like having a second opinion on my conscience.”

“Please tell me you guys aren’t over here getting wasted,” Casey said, and I smiled as I turned to spot her coming over.

I held the bottle up, showing that it was barely touched, and she sighed.

“At least _someone_ is exercising good judgement for once,” she said.

“Hey, you say that like if it’s a rare occurrence,” I replied, and she scoffed.

“It is. Do I need to remind you that you once told an aufhöcker that it’s mother was a whore to make it come down from a tree and attack you?”

“But did it work, though?” I asked, and she rolled her eyes as Jordan and Raul laughed.

“Sometimes I can’t tell which one is really your girlfriend,” Raul said, and I bit my lip as a pained look flashed across Casey’s eyes.

Before I could say anything, however, I suddenly became aware of Lucia running across the courtyard towards us, and I shook my head as I caught the expression on her face.

“Nathan! Nathan~! Byaka won’t let Lucia drink. Lucia is warrior, right? Lucia is goddess? Why can’t Lucia drink?” she whined, stomping her feet as she did.

“Oh boy,” I muttered, stooping down to look at her. “Drinking is an adult thing, kiddo.”

“It’s not _fair_!” she complained, and I chuckled again as she seemed on the verge of tears.

“I say let her at it,” Raul cut in, and Casey stared at him incredulously.

“She’s a _child_ ,” Casey replied.

“So what? I had my first sip of beer when I was, what? Seven?” Raul said. “Besides, I hated the taste so much I didn’t try it again until I was much older.”

“That… certainly makes a good case for it,” I said, rubbing my chin as I considered the suggestion.

A sip wouldn’t kill her, obviously.

“Just a sip, okay?” I said, and Lucia quickly nodded.

She wrapped her hands around the neck of the bottle, and I helped raise it up for her to take a little drink, but it’d barely even touched her tongue when she coughed, spitting up some of the warm liquid.

“Ugh~!” she complained. “It burns~! Lucia hates drink. Lucia is _never_ drinking again.”

The girl ran off towards the fort entrance, and I chuckled as I watched her go.

“Mission accomplished. Hopefully she keeps that attitude up until she’s twenty,” I said, and Casey tutted at me disapprovingly.

“And what’ll you do when she brings a boy home?” Casey asked, and I scoffed.

“She’s a goddess. Daughter of a God-king? A princess, technically. I’m going to very carefully decide who she marries,” I declared proudly, and Casey shook her head at me disapprovingly.

“By the way, did she really copy Bianca’s skill?” Casey asked, and I bit my lip nervously.

“She did what?” Raul asked.

“She used Bianca’s skill, but I’m not sure about the copy part. I mean, I checked her and she definitely doesn’t have my ability,” I said, and Casey frowned.

“So how did she learn it?” she asked.

“I dunno. She does train with Bianca a lot. Maybe she just learned it with her without Bianca realizing she was doing it? I mean, her prodigy skill helps her to learn skills much more quickly, right?”

Casey nodded, biting her lip as she did, but as I caught the worried look on her face, I raised an eyebrow at her.

“You aren’t considering her a threat, are you?” I asked, and she shook her head.

“Well, I mean she’s no threat now, obviously. She’s a child. But she is a Kobalt-”

“She’s my _daughter_ ,” I said, more warning in my tone than I had perhaps intended, and Casey quickly shook her head.

“No. No, of course. I didn’t mean anything by it,” she said, but something inside of me still didn’t feel satisfied with that response.

“I know your instinct it to keep a lookout for threats, Casey, but when you treat everything like a threat, you have a tendency to find what you’re looking for,” I said, and Casey swallowed uncomfortably.

“I- I know, Nate. I’m sorry,” she said.

I could see that the sentiment was genuine, and as I gestured to her, she moved over, pausing to look back, before easing into my arms.

“Can’t we sneak off just a bit?” she whispered, but as I looked up, I spotted Francesca approaching.

“I’ll try,” I replied, and as I stepped back, Casey followed my gaze to Francesca.

“Hey, Nate. Can we talk?” Francesca asked, and I nodded.

“Sure,” I said, gesturing for her to lead the way.

We walked a short way from the wall to the nearby bridge, and as we got there, I noted that Francesca seemed a bit fidgety.

“So, what’s up?” I asked.

“I’ve… been thinking about things,” she began, and I chuckled nervously.

“Uh-oh. Why does it feel like if you’re breaking up with me?” I asked, and she bit her lip, before taking a deep breath, and holding her hand out.

I looked down, then suddenly noticed that she was holding out her token.

“What-?”

“I… want to give this back to you,” she explained, and I shook my head.

“Look, you had a hard time in that fight. Anyone would have-”

“No, Nate… it’s more than just Leona,” she said. “I just- I don’t think I can fight anymore. At least… not right now…”

I studied her carefully, and she took another deep breath before continuing:

“I was really glad that I was good at something, and all of the talk of being a lioness and all that. It felt… good. But Leona showed me I was just a… kitten, maybe, because in the moment that you needed me, I failed you…”

“Francesca…”

“No, I really did. You stood as much of a chance as I did, but you went up against her anyway. You didn’t fall apart like I did, and… I thought I wanted to be like that, but now I’m not sure anymore… I’m sorry,” she said, but I quickly shook my head, taking her hand with the token in it, and bringing it to my lips.

“You don’t need to force yourself to be anything except you,” I said.

“Are you sure? I feel like if I’m giving up… letting you down again,” she said, and I shook my head, brushing my lips against her knuckles as I did.

“Take as long as you need. There will always be a place at my side for my little lioness, but if you want to just be Francesca, there’s a place for that beside me as well.”

“Are you sure?” she asked, her eyes wavering a bit in the dark, and I nodded.

“Positive,” I said.

I leaned in, kissing her tenderly, and as she slipped the token into my hand, it emitted a small pulse, and a connection between us seemed to sever in that moment.

Francesca turned and headed back to the fort, but as I looked up, I spotted Cameron’s eyes on me, and her gaze flicked in Francesca’s direction as she walked past.

Cameron started walking towards me, and I caught her just as she stumbled, giggling a little as she moved to wrap her arms around my neck.

“Did you two just break up or something?” she asked, her voice just slightly slurred, and I let out a little sigh as she swayed a little in my arms.

“Worse. She gave this back to me,” I said, holding up the token.

“Oh~. I’ve seen those around. I thought they were lover’s tokens until I saw Nolan with one. What are they?”

“Artifact,” I answered. “I gave them to the members of my ‘elite squad’,” I explained, and Cameron frowned.

“And she gave it back? I would think she’d be on your squad for life,” she said, and I sighed.

“She took a beating, and I think it made her realize she just wants to be a regular old eighteen-year-old girl for a little bit,” I said.

“Does that mean she’s gonna stop courting psychopaths a decade her senior?” Cameron teased, and I shrugged.

“Maybe,” I said, letting out another sigh, and Cameron smirked a little.

“Aww, you know it always pissed me off when you did anything with her, but now that I see that sad look on your face, I think I actually feel bad,” she said, and I eyed her warily.

“Really?”

“Just a little,” she replied.

“My wife shouldn’t need to comfort me for losing my girlfriends,” I teased, and she shrugged.

“Maybe all these other wives need to get on my level.”

I closed my eyes as she leaned in to kiss me, and I felt myself just melting into the moment.

When we broke apart, I stole a quick glance around.

“Is girl’s night already done?” I asked, and she nodded.

“Everyone’s still exhausted from last night, I think,” she said.

“What about you?” I asked. “You gave birth, what, just yesterday?”

She shrugged.

“Maybe it’s these enhanced bodies, but it wasn’t as bad as I thought it’d be. And I healed pretty quickly too.”

She looked around a bit, before eyeing me with a naughty look.

“Maybe you should come examine me. Make sure everything’s in… ‘working order’,” she suggested, and I snickered in response.

As I looked back, however, I caught sight of Casey, and I quickly mouthed, ‘I’m sorry’ in her direction.

 _It’s fine. I understand,_ she said into my head, and I turned and followed Cameron into the fort and up to our room on the second floor.

As soon as we were inside, Cameron began to press me.

She kissed me hungrily, backing me up to the bed, and eventually, pushing me down onto it.

“Lose the shirt,” she said, as she hurriedly stripped out of her own clothes.

I took my own shirt off a little slowly, trying to get a read on her expression, but as soon as the piece of clothing was off, she climbed on top of me and began to kiss me again.

We kissed for a while, before I broke away from her lips, and began to kiss my way down to her neck.

“God, I missed you,” I moaned, as I nuzzled my lips across the soft skin, and she cradled my head affectionately.

“I’m not sure I believe you,” she teased. “Our ‘girl talk’ made me realize you get around way more than I imagined. A lot of them are in love with you, you know.”

I shook my head.

“None of them can replace this,” I said.

I looked up and claimed her lips again, and she cooed into my mouth.

“What if I said I wanted the ‘extracurricular activities’ to stop?” she asked.

“I’d do it,” I answered, and she eyed me, a wry smile on her face.

“Even if it leads to some fallouts?”

I shrugged.

“From what I can tell, I’ve fulfilled my obligation to the princess. I still care about Bianca, but intimacy isn’t really necessary for me to keep control of her. The biggest problem would be Casey.”

Cameron eyed me.

“You care about Casey a lot,” she said, and I nodded.

“I do.”

“And you’d give her up if I asked you to?” she asked.

“Give up intimacy? Sure. She’d still be my advisor,” I said, and Cameron bit her lip.

“You know… I’m tempted to say yes just to see if you’d actually do it…”

“Do you doubt my commitment to you?” I asked, and she shook her head.

“No. But if you’re promising me things like exclusivity, then that must mean you’re really worried about us,” Cameron said. “Am I that easy to read?”

I shook my head.

“We lost something important…” I said, and she nodded, bringing her forehead to rest against mine, before letting out a sigh.

“I wish I’d gotten drunker,” Cameron said, chuckling a little.

“I’m surprised you didn’t,” I admitted, and Cameron eyed me.

“Yeah? Well, I have my reasons,” she said.

“Like what?”

“Like… maybe I knew what I was bringing you up here to do, and I needed to be sober enough to do it,” she said.

I eyed her a little.

“You want another baby,” I guessed, and Cameron blushed a little, nodding. “Are you sure?”

“About as sure as I was about the first one,” she said, and I shook my head.

“Things are different now. We can take our time,” I suggested, and she scoffed.

“Oh, you silly man. If you don’t give me my baby, I’m not sure you can stop me from going out to hunt Ethan,” Cameron said, and I eyed her.

She was serious.

I could tell from the look in her eyes.

But was this really the way to give her the baby that I’d seen in my vision?

A lot could change in another three weeks.

Maybe she’d even be happy about it by then?

Yet something in my gut told me that this wasn’t the path to the vision that I’d seen.

“Are you going to deny me?” Cameron asked, and I shook my head.

“I’m not sure I could if I tried,” I replied, and Cameron smiled.

“I’ll take it,” she said, as she eased me down onto my back, and leaned in to kiss me.

She helped me out of my pants, then stripped off what was left of her own clothing before climbing back on top of me.

I let out a soft moan as she reached down and gripped my part, but as I felt my cockhead brush against the softness of her slit, she twitched, and a shudder ran through her body.

“Nate, could you use that thing again?” she asked, and I nodded.

 _Your body forgets the trauma inflicted upon it,_ I suggested, but as Cameron lined me up, her breathing became raspy and shallow again.

“Nate?”

I bit my lip, as I considered the predicament.

“Forget the pain of what you’ve lost,” I suggested, and as the energy flowed between us, Cameron looked into my eyes, her breathing evened out, and a soft moan slipped from her lips as she eased herself gently down my length.

She took me half of the way in, before withdrawing to the tip of my cock, and this time, she wrapped both of her arms around my neck, and she brought her face to mine, pressing our lips together as she took me all the way in.

“Mmh.”

She purred into my lips, breaking the kiss to let out a soft sigh, before nuzzling her nose against mine.

“I love you, Nathan,” she whispered, kissing me again, and I broke the kiss, and held her gaze, as our bodies melded together into one form.

“I love you too, Cameron.”

She laughed a little, eyeing me with a show of surprise.

“Oh? Was that a confession from Mr. ‘I’m incapable of love’?” she asked, and as I nodded, she smiled. “Must be some girl,” she added, and I smiled back.

“Not just any girl. The most amazing woman in the world.”

She eased up off of me just enough to begin moving up and down along my length, and I let out a little sigh before moaning pleasurably.

I eased myself upright a little, then wrapped my arms around Cameron’s body, nuzzling my face into her neck as the spaces between us disappeared.

Being inside of her was as pleasurable as ever, but holding Cameron in my arms as we made love was an indescribable kind of bliss.

“Jesus, Nate. You really did miss me, huh?”

“Mhm,” I mumbled into her neck, and she ruffled the hair at the back of my head as she held me in place.

“I’m sorry… I mocked you,” she said between moans. “When you said… I was your… queen. You really… made me feel… special, you know?”

“Mmm. You are a queen,” I moaned. “Whether I declare it so or not.”

I placed a hand on Cameron’s hip, bringing her slow, steady riding to a halt, and at my direction, I brought her legs around me as I sat upright, then bringing my hands around her, I aided her in moving against me again.

My face was level with her bosom, and I dove in, running kisses all along the supple mounds of flesh while our bodies ground pleasurably together.

“This is new,” Cameron moaned. “Did one of your little bitches teach you this?”

“My other queen,” I answered, and Cameron let out a sharp, little laugh.

“What was she like?” she asked, and I released one of her breasts from my mouth to answer.

“Every bit a queen as you might imagine.”

Cameron cradled my head as we made love, eventually resting her own face against the top of my head.

“Put another baby in me, Nate. Make me feel… whole, again.”

I felt a little worrying twang in my chest, but I nodded into her bosom nonetheless as I fixed my grip on her body and helped her to move more roughly along my shaft.

I was on the verge of an orgasm myself, and I was sure that her own climax would spur me on, so I began to devour her breasts as we fucked, and soon enough, her moans ascended to that orgasmic pitch, and I moaned into her chest as I began to unload inside of her.

I tried to focus on prolonging my orgasm for as long as I could, but before long, the outpouring of sperm subsided, and Cameron collapsed beside me, panting.

“That should do it, right?” she asked, looking worriedly up into my eyes, and I nodded, as I lay back beside her.

“It should,” I replied, “but are you sure this is what you want?”

“Positive,” she replied.

She moved into my arms and curled up, and before long, we were fast asleep.

***

Joanna took a quick look around as she made her way to the car.

“Ohh, nice. You got four drinks!” Elena said, as Joanna handed her the foam cup holder.

“Don’t look so happy. Three of those are mine,” Joanna replied, climbing into the car.

Elena frowned, shaking a head at her.

“I keep telling you. If you keep running exclusively on caffeine and sugar, you’re gonna regret it in three or four years.”

“If I live that long,” Joanna muttered under her breath, and Elena sighed.

“Oh, come on. Don’t be like that. We’ll outlive all of those foolish old men, right?”

Joanna nodded, but she hadn’t yet told Elena everything that she’d found out in the past few days and she knew that if she did, the girl might be much less optimistic; but as Elena caught the look in her eyes, she reached out and took Joanna’s hand into hers.

“Right?” Elena asked again, and Joanna nodded, this time with more resolve.

“Right,” she affirmed.

As she settled into her seat, however, Elena shot her a curious look.

“So, are you finally gonna tell me what we’re doing out here?” she asked, and Joanna sighed.

“Sorry, Elle. The less you know, the less danger you’re in.”

“Oh, come on. Am I supposed to just keep waiting around like some damsel in distress while you do all the work? Put some faith in me, will ya?” Elena said, and Joanna studied her.

She swallowed uncomfortably, then nodded.

“Fine. You know that asset we’re always talking about?”

“Nathan?”

“Yeah… we might have lost our authority to manage his group,” Joanna explained, and Elena shook her head.

“Okay… so why are we staking out some apartment building?” she asked.

“Because… his sister might live here.”

Elena bit her lip, as she thought about the situation.

“I thought they didn’t usually have families?” she asked.

“They don’t,” Joanna answered.

“And if they do, it’s usually people who have no ties to each other, right?”

“That’s right,” she confirmed again.

“Then why?” Elena asked, and Joanna let out another sigh.

“Because… someone is lying to me. And I’m not sure who it is just yet.”

Elena studied Joanna for a bit.

“As in… the company?” Elena asked, and Joanna nodded.

“Yeah.”

“Wait, if it _is_ them, then what do you plan on doing?”

“I have no idea,” Joanna confirmed. “At most, it’d mean I need to readjust my approach a bit. But otherwise, I know there’s not a damn thing I can do about them. I just- I need to know where I stand. Where they stand.”

Elena nodded slowly.

Joanna looked visibly distressed, and Elena reached over and placed a hand against her cheek.

“We’ll get through it, okay? No matter what they throw at us, we’ll get through it. Together.”

Elena leaned in and kissed Joanna tenderly, and for a moment, all of the moments that Joanna walked into the office to find the girl she loved dearly blowing the vile man she had to work for flashed through her mind, and she felt a painful twang at her chest.

Joanna wanted to free her from that, but she’d need to be at least a chair on the inner circle to do so.

There was, however, one alternative that had been appealing to her recently:

Get rid of Domenico Ricci.

But the man was smart, and he didn’t make mistakes.

And a huge part of her knew that he wasn’t someone she wanted to make an enemy out of.

The two women waited around in the car for a bit, when Elena’s boredom began to win out against her again.

“Okay, tell me more about this whole thing,” Elena finally said, and Joanna sighed.

 _Might as well indulge her_ , she thought.

“Fine. There’s some discrepancies between what I know about Nathan, and what I’ve found out about his life through, let’s say, a different source.”

“Okay… what kind of discrepancies?” Elena asked.

“Well, we thought he was an orphan living in and out of rehab, but he’s apparently never been in any kind of rehab as far as I can tell, and was adopted since he was a baby.”

“So, he has an adopted family?” Elena asked, and Joanna nodded as she took up a coffee cup and drained it in one swig.

“That’s why we’re here. His sister has an apartment in her name here, and apparently, he’s been spotted quite frequently in the area,” Joanna explained, and Elena scoffed.

“Frequently spotted? That sounds more like an affair than a typical brother-sister relationship,” Elena said, smirking suggestively as she did, and Joanna rolled her eyes in response.

“I’ll never understand why you assume everyone wants to fuck their sister or brother.”

“Because it’s sooo hot thinking about it,” Elena said, and Joanna shifted a little at the comment.

Being stuck in the car was bad enough; she didn’t need to add getting horny without relief to the list of inconveniences.

“So, how did you find out he’s been spotted. Did you walk around showing people a photo of him, or something?”

“Not my own info,” Joanna answered, although an image of Lawrence doing just that flashed in her mind, and she made a quick resolve to be more careful when interacting with him.

Elena seemed about to ask another question, when Joanna shot upright.

“What?” Elena asked, as Joanna pulled out her phone, and pulled up a pic. “Is that her?”

“It is…” she said softly, and Elena took the phone and looked over the picture, then shook her head.

“Jesus. She looks so… broken,” Elena said.

“Almost like if she suddenly lost someone who she cared deeply for?” Joanna asked, and Elena’s hand instinctively went to her mouth.

“We need to talk to her,” the girl said, and Joanna’s eyes went wide.

“What? No. We can’t make contact; it’s against company policy-”

“Fuck company policy. She needs to know he didn’t just leave her like that!”

“Elle, wait!”

She was out the door before Joanna could stop her, but as she climbed out of the car, Elle was already making for the street.

“Hey! Hey, excuse me!” she called, but she’d hardly taken two steps off the pavement when-

*Shwish!

“ELENA!”

-a bus zoomed past at alarming speed, and the sound of flesh being turned into mush punctuated the extended horn that sounded with the vehicles’ passing.

Joanna clutched at her head, wanting to scream as she fell to her knees, but no sound came out.

The girl across the street, Julienne, from what she’d learned, merely looked over her shoulder, but she didn’t even seem to notice that anything had even happened, as she turned and headed into the apartment complex.

Joanna was shaking.

She felt like throwing up, or throwing herself into the street to join in the fate of the woman she’d loved, but before she could will herself to move, she felt a hand on her shoulder, and she looked up to see the last face she needed to see right now.

“I’m disappointed in you, Jo,” the man said. “Elena was special to me. Why would you get her killed like that?”

“G-Get her killed?”

Her momentary confusion seemed to turn into anger in an instant, but as her face contorted with rage, the man raised a hand and smacked her across the face.

“She didn’t know the company’s rules like we did. It was your responsibility. Your-”

He clenched his fist, taking a step back, then a deep, calming breath.

“I came here personally because I couldn’t lose two of my most important assets in the same day,” the man said. “Now get up, before your misplaced presence here causes more death and destruction than it already has.”

Joanna felt like she was in a daze, but Mr. Ricci didn’t lead her back to her car.

Instead, he led her to his which was waiting across the lot behind her, the engine running and a driver waiting on them.

He ushered her into the back seat, then climbed in beside her.

“Take us to her apartment,” Mr. Ricci commanded, and the man in the driver’s seat nodded, taking off without another word.

“I-Is she…? Did that really just-”

Joanna was in shock, and could hardly finish the thought when the urge to vomit finally won out, and she unloaded on the back of the seat in front of her.

“Jesus Christ,” Mr. Ricci said, but to Joanna’s surprise, he began to rub her back.

“I’m sorry, Jo. I couldn’t act until one of you actually violated protocol. To think she would try to talk to her, though,” he said, shaking his head.

He looked saddened, but the genuineness of the expression only angered Joanna further.

What was Elena to him but a source of fulfillment of his every sexual fanciful wish?

She gritted her teeth, and as he caught the look on her face, he cracked a smile.

“Oh? You’re angry with me? Didn’t I tell you to stick with me? Didn’t I tell you it would take you exactly where you needed to be?”

Joanna felt like screaming.

And then she did.

“WHAT FUCKING DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE?!”

Elena was dead…

Everything she worked so hard for.

It was all unravelling before her.

“You think I wanted this for her? She wasn’t even a good assistant, but she had a debt to pay, and I knew if I kept her close, I could keep you around.”

Mr. Ricci let out a sigh.

“You need to pull it together, Jo. Elena wanted a better life for you too, and I know you probably can’t process something like that right now, but there’s a life waiting for you at the end of this still. Don’t throw it all away now. Elena would have wanted-”

“Who gives a fuck what she wanted? She’s dead! Nothing matters after that… it all just-”

She broke down, sobbing, and to her relief, her boss left her to it.

When the car pulled up in front of her apartment, she got out, standing wordlessly at the door, unsure of what to say.

“Think about it, okay Jo? You have a week. I can cover for you for that long since we already have a new candidate in the works. Think about it, and figure out if you get off the train here, or if you still want to fulfill that dream that Elena wanted for you.”

Joanna nodded blankly.

As she made her way up to her floor, she felt like a stranger inside of her own body; as if she were watching her own movements from the outside, and as soon as she closed the door to her apartment shut, she collapsed against it and began to sob.

“I’m sorry,” she muttered. “I’m so sorry.”

She beat weakly against the floor, feeling as if something inside of her had died along with Elena, until a voice quite suddenly spoke to her:

“If it’s any consolation, her death was quite inevitable, I’m afraid.”

Joanna looked up at the unexpected intrusion into her private moment of grief to see the familiar silhouette of a man standing in the kitchen, a drink in hand.

“Inevitable?” she asked, furrowing her brow angrily as he stepped out of the shadow, and he nodded.

“Do you know what makes shifters so special?” he asked. “Most of you know us as the agents who slink between the branches of the company, doing the work that connects everything together. But more than that, do you know what we really do?”

Joanna stared at the man, and he smiled:

“We manipulate destiny.”

Joanna shook her head as she tried to process what that really meant.

“You mean… you can see the future?” Joanna asked.

“Bingo.”

“Then you killed her? Or you let her die,” Joanna spat, but the man shook his head.

“You misunderstand. Elena was already dead from the day we met. There were no futures in existence from that point on in which she lived. Hell, there were but a handful in which you didn’t die, but lucky for you, I finally figured it out.”

She glared at the man.

“You called Domenico,” she said, and the man nodded.

“A risky move, sure; but you’re very important to him. And you’re very important to us. Maybe, not in the way you imagined you might be, but nonetheless, you are.”

The man picked up the decanter on the kitchen counter, then poured himself another glass, before taking a sip.

“What do you really want from me? It’s not just Danica, is it?” Joanna asked, and he shook his head.

“Sorry. That was just the excuse to make contact. What I want right now is Lawrence. I have reason to believe he’ll contact you sometime soon. Give him to me, and we’ll work on getting you reinstated on Nathan’s case.”

The man drained his glass, then walked past Joanna and out the front door, but as it closed shut, she didn’t feel like crying this time.

She felt a rage coursing through her.

She wanted him dead.

She wanted them all dead!

But there was no way to accomplish such a thing.

Joanna poured herself a glass of bourbon, then drained it, filling it up again, but as she drained it a second time, she felt a resolve coursing through her.

 _No matter what it takes_ , she thought. _No matter what I have to do._

I’ll make them pay!

She took a shower to clear her head before donning a tracksuit and heading out of the apartment to the nearby park where she’d first read the document that led her down this rabbit hole.

He would reach out to her, wouldn’t he?

She was keeping an eye on her surroundings, looking for some kind of sign when-

*twack!

-she ran face first into a literal sign.

“Jesus lady, watch what you’re doing!”

“Watch yourself unless you want to get fucking sued,” she shot back, glaring at the man.

It was one of those idiots dressed in a mascot suit, holding up a sign that said ‘Simon’s Russian Sushi: now open around Francis Square’.

Francis Square?

That was on the other freaking side of town.

Who the hell would advertise this far out from a location anyway?

She was still scowling when the figure bowed apologetically.

“For you,” the man’s voice said, offering her a flyer, and as she took it, the figure turned and made a hasty retreat from the park area, and as a car pulled up and they ducked inside, Joanna eyed the flyer.

‘Grand opening: 7PM tonight!’ It read.

“Russian Sushi it is, I guess; whatever the fuck that is.”

She made her usual circuit before catching a ride to pick up her car.

There was a note on the windshield which said ‘don’t dally’, but even as she looked around, there was no sign that anything had even happened nearby, much less someone losing their life.

She thought about asking around to see if anyone had seen anything, but thinking better of it, she jumped in her car and headed home.

The car smelled faintly of Elena’s perfume, and Joanna felt those emotions coursing through her again.

 _Bear it,_ she thought. _Bear it for now._

She headed home and got dressed, then made her way to the square, but as she circled the area, there was no ‘Simon’s Russian Sushi’ to be found anywhere.

Joanna grabbed the flyer, and turning it around, she caught a scrawling in the bottom right corner, but it was scrawled badly and very tiny.

She pulled over, and upon examination, the message read ‘turn around’.

She glanced in her rearview mirror, and to her surprise, the blinking of headlights caught her eye.

The car moved to her rear, and after waiting for it to pass, she pulled out and gave pursuit.

They drove a few blocks from the place before coming to a stop in front of an apartment building.

There were parks all along the street, and as a hooded figure matching Lawrence’s build got out and headed inside, she quickly followed, but the man was waiting on her just inside.

“Aren’t you gonna ask if I was followed?” she asked, a bit cheekily, and Lawrence shook his head.

“We’re dealing with something a bit more problematic than tailing can account for,” he said.

“Then why risk contacting me today?” Joanna asked, and he sighed.

“It wasn’t as much of a risk as you’d think. I’ll explain everything,” he said.

Joanna eyed him, but as he gestured to her to follow him upstairs, she warily complied.

It wasn’t as if she had that much to lose anyway.

When she stepped into the cramped, dirty apartment, however, she froze, as sitting across from the entrance was a middle-aged woman wearing baggy pants and a loose, flower patterned top that was sheer enough for her modest breasts to show clearly through.

“What are you, some kind of budget fortune teller?” Joanna asked, and the woman smiled.

“I am. How did you know? Wait, are you a far seer too?”

Joanna sighed, massaging her forehead with agitation, but as she turned to the door, Lawrence moved to stop her.

“Just wait. I’ll explain everything,” he said again, and she sighed.

“It kinda feels like if I’m committing suicide in the dumbest fucking way possible right now,” she shot, and the man nodded.

“Losing Elena must have hurt,” he said. “I can’t bring her back, but we can do something about them. About the people who did this,” he pleaded, and as she looked over at him, she saw it.

The same thing she felt inside of her reflected behind his eyes.

“Who did you lose?” she asked, almost by instinct, and Lawrence sighed, withdrawing his hand.

“My wife. My little girl. They… they were banished,” he said, and Joanna frowned.

“Wait- you know I can’t do anything about that, right-?”

“I know, Jo. I know. I’m not trying to get you to perform a miracle for me. My family is probably already dead and I know it. But we can do something about _them_ ,” he reiterated, and Joanna took a deep breath in.

“Fine. Who is she?” Joanna asked, gesturing to the woman who seemed to be sipping some sickly-looking green liquid out of a glass.

“You want one?” the woman asked, as she caught Joanna’s glance at her drink. “It’s my own special recipe,” she declared, and Joanna suppressed the urge to gag.

“No thanks,” she replied.

“This is Desiree,” Lawrence offered.

The woman quickly wiped her hands against her baggy pants, leaving a blotchy, green residue, and as she extended the hand, Joanna recoiled.

“Joanna. Nice to meet you,” Joanna said, bowing a little, and the woman laughed, a chirpy almost bird-like laugh, as she settled back into her swiveling chair.

Lawrence offered her a seat on the couch, and as he sat across from her, she looked at him expectantly.

“So, how am I not dead right now?” Joanna asked, and Lawrence cleared his throat.

“Do you know how the company’s surveillance works?” he asked.

“Maybe,” she answered.

Joanna was wary of letting them know just how much she knew, but Lawrence merely shook his head.

“This doesn’t work unless we co-operate, Jo,” Lawrence said, and she sighed.

“Fine. I know my phone is GPS tracked, but-”

“Not just your phone, Jo. They can track you without it. Without any electronics.”

Joanna raised an eyebrow at this.

“How?” she asked, and Lawrence swallowed uncomfortably.

“From… our pledges,” he finally answered, and Joanna stared at him in shock.

“Pledges? I _never_ fucking pledged anything,” she replied, standing up angrily, and he rose, raising a hand pleadingly.

“Just hear me out. We don’t remember it because they wipe it from our memories, but every employee has pledged.”

“To whom?” she asked. “And just- fucking how? Abilities don’t exist in this…”

Her words trailed off, as she took a deep breath and settled back down.

“She’s a far seer,” Joanna muttered, nodding to Desiree. “Then, the shifters are far seers as well…”

She massaged her forehead, her mind reeling as she tried to process everything.

“If they can track me, then I really am dead now, huh? They’ll know where I’ve been…” she said, and Lawrence shook his head.

“Not exactly,” he said, and Joanna studied him.

“How?”

“Because there’s an anomaly here. They haven’t been able to catch it, because whoever it is knows how to use their ability well enough to evade them,” he explained.

“An anomaly?” she asked, and Lawrence nodded.

“Someone who manifested an ability on earth.”

“What kind of ability?” Joanna asked, and Lawrence shrugged.

“Don’t know. But whatever the ability is, it’s been jamming locator abilities.”

Joanna chewed on her lip a bit.

“And what if they tracked me coming into here?” she asked, and he nodded towards Desiree, who rubbed her sticky hands together excitedly.

“That’s where I came in. I use my visions to figure out some windows of opportunity to meet up. Today, right now, was one; mostly because they assumed you’d be too busy grieving your loss,” Desiree explained, and Joanna felt her chest tighten a little at the mention.

“Even if they can’t detect you here, that shifter can locate you with his own visions,” Lawrence continued, and Joanna nodded.

“So, you have a ‘shifter’ of your own?” she asked, and the girl laughed.

“Oh, that’d be the day,” the woman said, laughing in that chirpy way. “I might be a far seer; but I’m no shifter,” the girl explained, and Joanna raised an eyebrow at that.

“What’s the difference?” she asked, and Lawrence cleared his throat again.

“Far seers can see future outcomes with various degrees of reliability, depending on their ability. Shifters can actually change those outcomes.”

Joanna chewed on her lip as she studied Lawrence.

“Okay, I’m a little confused here. Are you seriously trying to tell me that the future is set in stone, and only these shifters can change it?” Joanna asked, and Lawrence swallowed uncomfortably.

“To some extent, yes. Minor outcomes can be affected by just about anyone; but major outcomes, global outcomes, or outcomes on a millennial scale? Those are usually out of the league of ‘just anyone’,” Lawrence explained.

“Jesus Christ,” Joanna muttered. “Why bother doing anything if that’s the case?”

Lawrence shook his head.

“I think you misunderstand. We might not be able to change anything individually, but that doesn’t mean we can’t be part of the collective that manages to shift things in a significant way.”

“How? Without a shifter of our own, what are we supposed to…”

Joanna’s words trailed off, and Lawrence nodded.

“It’s as you say. We’ll need a shifter of our own,” he confirmed, and Joanna sighed.

“So, how does this work? What’s the criteria for being a shifter?” she asked, and Lawrence shrugged.

“Some are born with the ability; some manifest it over time. We’re not sure, but they do exist out there in the world, and outside of the company’s grasp.”

“Are you sure? Considering how aggressively they collect assets, I was certain shifters would be high on their list of priorities,” Joanna said, and Lawrence nodded.

“They do recruit them whenever they can; but a fully realized shifter is much harder to pin down.”

“Wait- so the anomaly-?” she began, and Lawrence shook his head.

“Not a shifter. At least, not from what Desiree can tell,” he said, and the woman nodded tiredly.

“So, we need to find a shifter?” Joanna said.

She posed the question more to herself than anything else, but Desiree smirked a little at that.

“You mean, find another one,” she said, and Joanna shook her head.

“Another one?” she asked, and Lawrence nodded.

“That woman you were tailing; she’s a shifter,” he confirmed, and Joanna shook her head.

“Wait, what? We banished the sibling of a shifter? A sibling who also turns out to be the child of… wait, hold on. Does that mean her mother is-?”

Lawrence raised a hand, stopping her.

“No, Nathan was adopted. He’s the only child of that woman, on earth at least, from what we can tell,” he explained, but Joanna quickly shook her head.

“That’s still too many co-incidences. And if Nathan really is her son, how did he even end up on earth, much less with a rogue shifter?”

“Hold on, end up on earth? What are you guys talking about?” Desiree cut in, and Lawrence shot Joanna a quick look.

“How much does she know?” Joanna asked.

“She knows about Kepler, the company… uh, about assets… and the singularity.”

“And Nathan?” Joanna asked, and the man sighed.

“Nathan is a… special person of interest,” the man explained, and Desiree nodded.

“An asset?” she asked, and Lawrence nodded.

“Yes, but not a typical asset. There were… inconsistencies, and when I investigated it, I was removed from my position.”

Joanna smirked at this.

“Right, I almost forgot. You drafted a kill order against him,” she said, and he nodded, turning to explain things further to Desiree.

“We shipped out an undesirable with critical inside knowledge along with Nathan’s group. An undesirable that I was told to eliminate, whatever the cost,” Lawrence explained. “So, I put a bounty out on her head, but… Nathan got in the way.”

“So, you drafted the kill order?” Joanna asked, and Lawrence nodded.

“But as soon the kill order went out, the higher ops suddenly intervened. It was… strange. Unprecedented, really. So, I started doing my own investigations.”

“Was that when you found out?” she asked, and Lawrence shook his head.

“No. I was relieved of my position. No explanation, no inquiry, nothing.”

“Wait- then how did you find out?” Joanna asked, and Lawrence fiddled his fingers nervously.

“Encrypted message, readable only using my private keyword,” he said, and Joanna’s jaw dropped.

“Then, someone on the inside wanted you to know?” she asked, and he nodded.

Desiree stifled a yawn at this.

“Sheesh. So, what’s the big deal with this kid?” she asked. “Is his mom famous or something?”

“I guess you can say that,” Joanna answered. “But famous in a ‘this is really bad news’ kind of way.”

“How bad are we talking? Is he like, Hitler’s kid or something?” she asked, and Joanna laughed.

“That’s not far off, actually,” she said, and Desiree screwed her face up.

“Really? Who is it then? Who’s his mother?” she asked, and Lawrence took a deep breath in.

“Lilith Carter,” he replied, and Desiree raised an eyebrow.

“Lilith Carter? That doesn’t sound as bad as Hitler. What did she do anyway?” Desiree asked, and Joanna let out a bitter little laugh.

“What she did is almost as bad as how she did it,” Joanna answered, and as Desiree looked at her expectantly, Lawrence gave her a little nod.

Joanna cleared her throat, before continuing:

“She, uh… she wiped out all life on a continent about the size of Australia,” Joanna explained, and Desiree’s eyes went wide.

“What? With what? A nuclear bomb?” she asked, and Lawrence let out a sigh.

“If the legends are to be believed… with nothing more than her bare hands,” he said, and Desiree’s gaze darted between Lawrence’s and Joanna’s as she tried to process the information.

“With her bare hands? H-how is that even possible?” she asked, and Lawrence shrugged.

“We have very little data on what happened, although the legitimacy of that claim is now… speculative at best. In any case, we only knew bits and pieces, and that she has never been seen on Kepler ever since,” he said.

Desiree however, seemed to be having a bit of a hard time with the news.

“Wait- her son was here? On earth? Does that mean she can come here as well?” Desiree asked, seemingly quite flustered now, but Lawrence shook his head.

“We don’t know if it’s possible. No one has ever come back here from Kepler, much less a baby. And we know for certain that Nathan was raised here on earth from that age.”

“He’s an asset though, isn’t he? What if he comes back? What if he turns out to be as terrible as she was?” Desiree asked, but he shot her a comforting look.

“It’s not likely that a skill of his allowed him to come back. He was just a baby. But given the way the company has behaved and the info that was passed to me, they know very well who he is, and maybe even how he got here. Which leaves us with only one choice; monitor him and find out,” Lawrence said, and Joanna raised a hand.

“Hold on a sec. Nate was taken off of our watch. I don’t even know if I’ll be reinstated as his handler,” Joanna said, and Lawrence sighed.

“You will be,” he said, shifting uncomfortably.

“How?”

“Because you’ll give your shifter what he’s looking for,” Lawrence said, and Joanna eyed him warily.

“Which is?” she asked, and he held her gaze, swallowing with some difficulty as he did.

“Me.”

***

“Nate-? Nate, baby wake up.”

“Nnhh,” I groaned, as I felt myself being shaken awake.

My eyes shot to wakefulness however as I caught that familiar scent.

_Blood…_

“Cameron, what’s-? What happened?”

She was kneeling beside the bed, clutching her stomach, and as I quickly climbed out of bed, I realized her nightgown was soaked with blood.

“I- I can’t move,” she said, her expression clearly pained, and I nodded.

“I’ll get Evie,” I said, as I dashed to the door.

As I burst through and hurried down the corridor, Casey’s door flew open behind me.

“Nate? What’s wrong?”

“Get Evie!” I yelled at her, and she nodded, quickly reading the panic in my voice and tearing off down the corridor.

I went back to the room and wrapped my arms around Cameron, holding her.

I quickly activated sensory perception, but for the life of me, I couldn’t figure out what was wrong.

Cameron was taking long, slow breaths, and several times she shuddered in my arms.

“Nate, what’s wrong?” Evie asked, as she burst into the room, Casey following closely behind.

I took a step back as Evie stepped in, and she took one look at Cameron before looking into her body with sensory perception, but it took only a second before she glanced over her shoulder at me, an uncomfortable look on her face.

“Uhh, Nate… could you-?”

I nodded quickly.

“Sure, I understand.”

I headed outside, and to my surprise, Casey followed, pulling the door shut as she joined me.

“What happened?” she asked, and I bit my lip.

“Not sure. I woke up and she was like that on the floor.”

Casey shifted her shoulders uncomfortably.

“Did you two, uh… have s-”

“Nate?”

Evie cut Casey’s thought off, and I turned to her, concern plastered on my face.

“Is she okay?” I asked, and Evie nodded.

“She is, but can we talk? Uh, alone?” Evie asked.

I shot Casey a quick look, and she nodded.

“Uh, yeah… of course,” Casey said, as she turned and headed down the hall and back into her own room, but not before casting one tentative glance back in my direction.

“What happened?” I asked Evie, and the girl shook her head.

“Nate, did you two have sex last night?” Evie asked, and I nodded.

“Fucking hell. Was it too soon, since the-?”

Evie quickly shook her head.

“No, no. That’s fine. She healed perfectly from the birth, from what I can tell. But Nate. I don’t think she’s ready for another kid,” Evie said. “She bled out to prevent herself from getting pregnant.”

I stared at Evie, my mouth slightly agape, and I shook my head, letting out a sigh.

“Can I go in?” I asked, and Evie quickly nodded, but as I went for the door, she moved in and wrapped her arms around me.

“I’m sorry, Nate. I know it sucks that you lost the child, and I’m sorry…”

I nodded, allowing myself to feel the slight comfort that her warmth afforded me, before breaking off and steeling myself as I entered the room.

“Nate… I didn’t mean to. Please, you have to believe me. I really didn’t…”

“No, it’s alright. I understand,” I said.

I quickly moved to hold her, and as she rested her head against my shoulder, she quietly sobbed.

I stroked her hair reassuringly as we sat there together on the floor.

“I want my son back,” Cameron said finally, and I sighed.

“Of course, you do,” I said, brushing her hair out of her face, and she pouted a little.

“Do you mean like right now, or…?” I asked, and she folded her arms.

“Bring him back without leaving me,” she said, and I rubbed the back of my head.

“Does that mean we’re going together, or am I supposed to create a shadow clone?” I asked, and Cameron sighed.

“Tell me the truth, Nate… do you have a plan?” she asked, and I bit my lip.

“A general one? Sure,” I answered, but as she studied me expectantly, I took a deep breath in before continuing; “the general plan is to track him down, get some intel on his monster friend so we know what it’s capable of, then train a small team of fighters specialized in countering them.”

“Who do you have in mind to track him?” Cameron asked, and I shook my head.

“Right now, no-one. I’ll need to discuss it with Casey, and more than likely, even the trackers will have to get up to scratch combat-wise before we can risk letting them go out on extended trips out of the forest.”

“What about me?” Cameron asked, and I felt a little twinge in my chest.

“What about you? For what?” I asked.

“Tracking. I still feel this connection to him… inside of here,” she said, gently resting a hand on her stomach, and I swallowed uncomfortably.

“That’d be a pretty dangerous task,” I said, and she let out a small laugh.

“Yeah, no shit,” she said. “Who else are you thinking is going to accept the risk of going out there just for our son?”

“Uh, me?” I asked. “I’m probably still our strongest fighter. I’ll lead the team, probably take Bianca… maybe Blair.”

Cameron frowned, shaking her head at that.

“You’ll be needed here, Nate. To raise up our new home and get things settled.”

“Not always. I’ll be able to go out. Sometimes, I’ll have to,” I countered, but Cameron shook her head again.

“I want my son back, Nate. But I also want a safe place to exist where he can grow up and have a decent life. You need to create that place while I look for him.”

I chewed on my lips a bit as I studied her.

“I just… I don’t wanna lose you,” I said.

Cameron reached out, and rested a hand against my face.

“I’m sorry, Nate. But even if you keep me locked in a room, you’ll still end up losing me. You know that, don’t you?”

I nodded slowly.

“Can’t I keep you by my side without locking you up?” I asked, and she shook her head.

“Every single time you went out on those dangerous missions, or went off to pull one of those crazy stunts that’ve saved us time and time again; I’ve trusted you to come back to me, haven’t I? Don’t you think you can do the same for me?” she asked.

“As long as I know you’re coming back,” I said, and Cameron smiled.

“I am, Nate. I promise I’m not gonna just wander off and get myself killed if that’s what you’re worried about. I’ll do this right. Training and everything.”

Cameron moved into my arms again, but as I held her, my thoughts were conflicted.

Part of me knew that I should let her do as she wished and help her along wherever I could.

But the other part of me that wanted to keep her by my side was already working out some of the methods through which I could accomplish that.

Eventually, however, Evie came up with a washcloth and a wooden basin filled with water, and I decided to step away while Cameron got cleaned up.

The sun was up, and as I knocked on Casey’s door, she quickly answered.

“Is she okay?” Casey asked, and I nodded as she ushered me into the room. “So, what happened?” she asked, and I took a deep breath in.

“We made the… perhaps hasty decision to try to have another child last night, and her body was not on board with it,” I explained, and Casey clicked her tongue in annoyance at me.

“Again? Seriously, Nate,” she said, and I sighed.

“She asked. Was I supposed to say no?”

Casey looked away, a slightly uncomfortable look on her face, before nodding.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “Are you okay?”

I nodded.

“I don’t want to push things, but… I think she might be moving into territory now that I’m not sure I’m comfortable with,” I said, and Casey raised an eyebrow at me.

“What do you mean?”

“She wants to learn to fight so that she can go out and track Ethan down,” I explained.

Casey bit her lip, as she thought about it, and I shot her a disapproving look.

“What?” she asked, as I shook my head.

“Tell me what you were thinking.”

Casey bit her lip nervously.

“It was nothing,” she said, but as I moved in front of her, and put a hand to the wall by her face, she swallowed uncomfortably.

“Please don’t lie to me,” I said. “What were you thinking?”

She held my gaze for a bit, before turning away, a slightly guilty look in her eyes.

“Fine… I was thinking that if Cameron’s out tracking Ethan down, then maybe I could convince you to stay here, where you should be, helping us get started on establishing our settlement,” Casey finally admitted, and I nodded.

“That’s better,” I said.

“Nate, you don’t understand. I-” she began, but I cut her off, placing a hand against her cheek as I leaned in and swiftly claimed her lips.

We exchanged a few kisses before I broke away, and she rested her head against my chest.

“You’re not mad?” she asked, and I let out a chuckle, as I took half a step back and looked into her eyes.

“I’ll never be mad at you for being honest with me, Case. I might not always agree with you, but when we work together, we get a lot done. Don’t we?”

Casey grumbled a little at this.

“Maybe if you were a little more agreeable, it would be easier,” she said, and I snickered in response.

“And miss all those cute faces you make when I tease you? What fun would that be?”

Casey shook her head, before opening up her door.

“If you don’t mind, we actually have work to do today,” she said, gesturing for me to follow, but as I stepped outside, I chanced one more longing look in the direction of Cameron’s room.

“Do you wanna check on her?” Casey asked, and I shook my head.

“Maybe later. What’s on the agenda right now?” I asked, as we turned and headed down the corridor to the stairwell.

“The Accalians are settling in here for now. They can see to our captives for the time being, but we’ll need a long-term solution for dealing with them,” she said.

“We could offer the newbies a place with us, but the newbie-hunters will have to stay here until we know how to handle them.”

“That’s a lot of newbies, though,” Casey said. “Are you sure we can take on that many right now?”

I nodded.

“Those who choose to come willingly, we’ll take back to Grenze. The ones who refuse, we can keep imprisoned with the hunters. Or, maybe put them to work on keeping the fort running.”

As we exited the fort, a Kobalt hunter began to approach us from across the courtyard.

“Frei-Casey, geschätzter Nathan,” the man greeted us, bowing, and I returned the gesture. “A captive-God of name, ‘Daisy’, requests discussion,” the man said, and I nodded.

“Thanks,” I replied, and the man bowed again, before heading off. “Where are the captives being held?” I asked, turning to Casey.

“In the dungeons,” she replied, and I eyed her.

“The what?”

“The dungeons. This is an actual fort, you know? We have dungeons,” she said, and I snickered a little.

“Yeah, but… that doesn’t mean we need to throw people in there,” I replied. “Lead the way.”

Casey led me a short way around the side of the fort facing the bridge, and to a stairwell which led to a kind of basement level below ground.

There were a pair of Accalians standing guard outside, but as we went in, I was surprised to find that we needed torches to even see, and the inside was as dank and foul smelling as you’d expect a dungeon to be.

“So, who is this ‘Daisy’?” Casey asked.

“Hunter,” I replied. “She gave us some info that helped me take on Leona, actually.”

Casey eyed me skeptically, as she led me down a corridor.

“Uhh, let’s see... the newbies are in blocks A and B, which I think are down this way. So that leaves us with here,” she said, gesturing to a large door.

She nodded a little, and I sighed as I stepped forward, and with some effort, pushed the heavy, metal thing open.

“Hey, asshats! Could we get some more fucking light in here? Your torches suck fucking dick!”

I recognized the voice as Daisy’s, but my impulse to reply with a clever retort quickly gave way to my realization of just how dark it was in there.

“Jesus. I know you all tried to kill me, but this is some punishment,” I said.

As Casey stepped forward with the torch, the girl came into view past a row of thick, metal bars.

“It’s you,” Daisy said, shaking her head a little. “Did you really beat him?”

I chewed on my lip a bit, and she shook her head knowingly.

“Guess he wanted something more than your life, then,” she said, as I surveyed the group.

There were Daisy’s two other companions, who I’d expected to see, but also four others; all guys.

“So… what did you want to talk about?” I asked, and she scoffed.

“Seriously? I fucking helped you beat Leona,” she spat, and I shook my head at her.

“And I let you live,” I answered.

She was glaring at me, but I held her gaze, not letting my smile falter for even a moment.

“How did Ethan recruit you?” I asked, and Daisy scoffed.

“Recruit? He beat and subjugated us, you fucking moron!”

“Daisy, calm down, okay? You aren’t going to get anything from them if you behave like that.”

The man who spoke was the one I’d assumed to be the leader of their group.

“It’s fine,” I said, as I stepped forward. “I’d be pissy too if I spent the night in here.”

Daisy studied me for a moment, before letting out a tired sigh.

“Fine. Can you please put us in a more hospitable cell at least? It’s really cold and uncomfortable in here,” she said, and I shook my head.

“I’ll decide when we’re done talking. How long have you all been here?”

“Here, as in this fort?” Lester asked.

“No, this planet,” I clarified, and Daisy and Lester turned to their leader.

“I dunno. Hard to tell anymore. I think maybe two months,” he said.

“How many did you kill in that time?” I asked, and this time, Lester scoffed.

“How many did you kill last night?” he asked, and I laughed.

“Same cell it is,” I said, gesturing to Casey as we turned to leave, but-

“No, wait! We killed, okay?” Daisy said. “Maybe a dozen, maybe fifteen? I dunno! But you don’t know what the fuck it was like out here! We were starving to death, sleeping in the fucking woods around towns and getting chased out with rocks and pitchforks every time we tried to get near anyone!”

“Calm down, Daisy. I’m pretty sure he doesn’t give a fuck,” the other man said, and I turned and shot him a quick smile.

“Maybe,” I said, as I turned and stepped out of the door, but as soon as I pulled the door shut, I turned to Casey. “Let’s move them. There’s plenty of room in the fort, especially so after we leave.”

“I’m pretty sure they killed more than fifteen,” she said, and I shrugged.

“Their pledges will keep them in check, and if we see something to worry about, we’ll take action; but there’s no use judging them based on what they did to survive.”

“You believe that story?” Casey asked, and I chuckled.

“The story? No. But we both know what this world is like.”

We gathered up the newbies, giving them the rundown of the situation and offering them the option to join on; and unsurprisingly, about a dozen of them readily agreed.

A few more seemed on the fence, but after finding out that staying at the fort was an option, and not just in a dungeon; they quickly opted to stay behind.

I was about to ask Casey what else was on the agenda for the day, when a thought message came to me from Bianca:

_Nate? Can you hear me? I need you to come find me, quick! It’s important!_

“Ok, but where?” I said, sighing, and Casey eyed me.

“You okay?” she asked, and I chuckled nervously.

“I think someone’s calling me,” I said, and she raised an eyebrow.

“Anything I’d be needed for? Because I need to sort out supplies and stuff,” she said, and I shook my head.

“Carry on,” I said.

I moved across the outer grounds of the fort to the courtyard, activating my connection to Bianca as I did.

She was on the third floor of the fort, from what I could tell, close to the wall on the northern side, but as I moved for the entrance, I decided to hang back.

Her position was definitely in a corridor along the outer wall.

Did that mean she was looking out the window?

I crept past the entrance, along the western wall until I could look around it to the other side, and as soon as I did, I spotted them; Leanna and Blair.

Leanna seemed to be shifting uncomfortably, and Blair had that cheeky smile on her face that told me she was enjoying whatever it was that she was doing, perhaps a bit too much.

I quickly ducked away from the scene and headed inside, summoning up Bianca’s image again before sending a sharp pain through the big toe of her right foot.

_Ouch, fuck! Sorry! Go up to the third floor, take the corridor left, then another left. Follow it all the way down until you pass… three corridors left, I think? Just look for the one that goes to the far wall, then you should see me._

I followed Bianca’s directions, and to my surprise, found the girl waiting for me with Lucia by her side.

As I approached the two, however, I noted there was a slightly shell-shocked expression on Lucia’s face.

“Naythan… how~?” she whined, and I shook my head as I looked between the child and Bianca.

“Told ya! We’re soulmates. If I just whisper his name, he comes to me,” Bianca teased, which prompted Lucia to aim a stomp at Bianca’s foot.

“Hey, she’s just teasing you. She used a thought-message,” I explained to Lucia, as I stooped down and scooped her up.

“Thought message? Why can’t Lucia?” the girl asked, and I smiled, wiggling her nose as I did.

“Because you didn’t misbehave. Bianca did, so I had to make her pledge to me,” I said, shooting Bianca a look out of the corner of my eye.

“Pledge, shmedge,” Bianca said dismissively. “Nate and I share a special connection that you’ll never have!” she continued teasingly, and Lucia began to struggle in my arms.

“Not fair, Nathan! Lucia wants thought message!”

I set the child down, and stayed down on one knee as I studied her.

“Fine, we’ll talk about it when we get back to Grenze, okay?” I said, and Lucia nodded.

“Discussion,” she said, agreeing.

She took my hand and kissed the back, then placed it against her forehead, before turning and running off.

Bianca seemed a little bit saddened, however, as she watched her go.

“So, what did you call me out for?” I asked, trying to get her attention back to the matter at hand, and she quickly shook her head.

“Right! I caught Blair doing that thing! The Emily thing,” Bianca said, and I frowned.

“You heard the conversation?” I asked, and she nodded.

“Well… Lucia did,” she said, fidgeting a little, and I smiled.

“Hnn~. Well look at you two, teaming up and whatnot. So, what did you find out?”

“Blair was telling Leanna that since we have more human captives now, we should ditch the Kobalt and use their tech to make our own base without ‘em,” Bianca explained, and I frowned.

“I see. And how did Leanna respond?”

“She wasn’t sure,” Bianca said. “Said Blair should take it up with you, but then Blair told Leanna that you wouldn’t listen to her. That she only just joined, so you’d be more likely to listen to Leanna if she suggested it.”

I frowned at this.

Did Blair really think that I would listen to Leanna if she suggested something like that?

That seemed unlikely.

But why would she try to put that idea into Leanna’s head?

Figuring out why she went after Lucia was easy enough to understand, but this was definitely different.

“You want me to keep an eye on Blair?” Bianca asked, and I nodded.

“Just… make real sure that she doesn’t see you doing it,” I said.

“Does that I mean I get to use my special skill?” she asked, and I nodded.

“I just don’t want you to make it obvious that you’re using it, okay? That skill is much more useful to us if as few people as possible know about it,” I said.

As we headed down from the third floor, I made a personal note to ask Jordan to keep an extra eye out for Leanna in case Blair really intended to work on her.

“Are we leaving here today?” Bianca asked, and I nodded.

“We should be.”

“Then, can I pet one of the pups before we leave?” she asked, and I shook my head at her.

“No petting. Maybe we can find you one to pet eventually, but those are warriors,” I chided, and she frowned.

“They might as well be babies compared to us,” she said, and I raised an eyebrow at her.

“You know, less than two weeks ago you were a baby yourself,” I chided, and she frowned.

“So? I’m stronger now than most of them will ever be,” she boasted, and I shook my head again.

“I’m not sure I like this side of you,” I warned, and she shrugged.

“I know. But you’ll tolerate me anyway, won’t ya?” she declared, and I chuckled a little.

“You’re lucky you’re cute,” I said.

As we headed down the stairs to the second floor, however, I saw Cameron down the corridor, and as soon as she saw me, she marched right over to my side.

“Hey, what happened to Francesca?” Cameron asked.

“She got injured in the fight,” I said, but Cameron shook her head.

“No, not that- she gets injured all the time. I just asked her to train me and she said that she doesn’t fight anymore. What the fuck is that about?”

“Oh, that… I guess she had a rough time last night, and it kind of spooked her,” I explained. “I’m sure she’ll come around eventually; she just needs time.”

Cameron bit her lip, as she thought about it.

“Fucking hell. Well, do something about it, will ya? Spend some time with her or fuck her brains out or whatever, just get her to train me, okay?” Cameron said, as she turned and made her way, a little angrily, down the corridor towards her room.

“Yikes…” Bianca said, and I nodded.

“She’s having a rough time too,” I said, and Bianca looked up at me at this.

“Does that make you feel sad? I thought psychopaths weren’t supposed to feel things,” she said, and I chuckled.

“I’m probably not gonna sit around moping about it, but not having someone around when that person has been a source of comfort sucks either way,” I said, shrugging. “It is what it is.”

Bianca grinned a little at that.

“I think I like this Nathan. Why didn’t you ever tell me about it?” she asked, and I shrugged.

“I figure the less people to know, the better it’d be overall-” I began, but as we rounded the corner, I ran straight into Nolan.

“You know, some people would call that being manipulative,” he said, and I sighed.

“Probably,” I said. “But I do have the group’s best interests at heart.”

He scoffed, studying me a bit, but the scowling look quickly gave way to a more serious expression.

“Fine, then. Let’s see how much you really value the group; Cameron’s going out to track Ethan, isn’t she?” Nolan asked, and I nodded.

“Yeah…” I replied, studying him warily.

“And it wouldn’t exactly be in the group’s best interest for its leader to go traipsing around on a man hunt while we’re trying to establish our base, now would it?”

I bit my lip, as I studied him.

“What are you suggesting?” I asked, and he cracked a half-smile.

“I’ll help Cameron with the hunting mission,” he said. “It’d be in the group’s best interests, and in Cameron’s as well to have one of us there to watch her back, right? Someone who is an original member of the group? Someone she could rely on-?”

I raised a hand to stop him.

“Yeah, I get it. Except, Cameron’s gonna train properly to be combat ready for this mission. Are you up for that as well?” I asked, and he shrugged.

“Fine by me. You aren’t gonna deny me a training partner or anything like that, are you?”

I swallowed with some difficulty.

“No, you can train as you please, or Casey and I will arrange something. Perhaps it might be best if both you and Cameron go through the same training,” I said, and he studied me.

“Y-Yeah, that’d be for the best,” he said.

He seemed a little caught off-guard by the extent to which I was on board with his suggestion, but as he turned and headed away, I gritted my teeth a little.

“We could always murder him in his sleep. Dump the body off of that canyon,” Bianca suggested, and I shook my head.

“I-It’s fine. And Cameron will need a team anyway,” I said.

As we headed for the stairs, however, I noted Bianca’s eyes on me.

“You’d really let him go out there with Cameron?” she asked, and I shook my head.

“Alone? Probably not. He’s not been proven reliable enough for that kind of mission yet,” I said.

Groups of three seemed to be the way most of the hunting parties set themselves up, so perhaps that would be the best way to proceed.

But who could I even assign with them?

Bianca was my best bet, but I also wanted to keep her close by.

And not just for myself, but for Lucia too.

I shook the thought away, however, as it would still be some time before it become a pressing issue.

“Were there any other problems?” I asked, and Bianca nodded.

“Our hunters and the Accalians don’t seem to like each other very much,” she said, and I nodded.

“Guess it is to be expected,” I replied.

Truthfully, that matter was one that I’d need more time to properly understand.

Though it didn’t seem as if there was any bad blood between the two peoples, so perhaps a bit of time would sort that out in any case.

“Was there anything else?” I asked, and Bianca shook her head. “Well do me a favor and find Casey for me,” I said, as we stepped outside.

I looked across the courtyard, however, and spotted Jordan and Nolan talking, and for a moment, I decided to keep an eye on the two.

Jordan seemed to be a quite reluctant participant to the conversation, and after Nolan headed off, Jordan shot me a slightly pleading look, so I headed over there.

“Hey. Everything alright?” I asked, and Jordan frowned.

“Nolan just told me about the, uh… tracking team,” he said. “Are you really sending him out with Cameron?”

I shook my head.

“Nothing is finalized, and everything depends on how the training goes and what information we gather between now and then,” I said, and Jordan frowned.

“Please don’t think that I’m sounding like a jilted ex when I say this, but I don’t like the idea of him being left with Cameron alone anywhere, much less out there,” he said, and I frowned.

“I see…”

Obviously, I did have my own reservations about Nolan, but I was fairly confident in Cameron’s ability to handle herself.

Nolan, on the other hand, was becoming a problem; and if Cameron objected to his proposal, which I’d only agreed to for the sake of temporarily appeasing him, then we’d need to figure out just how we should deal with him then.

“How would you feel about going on that mission with them if it comes to that?” I asked, and Jordan frowned again.

“I dunno. I’m not sure I can just leave Leanna as things stand. I know everyone thinks she’s doing much better, but she freaks out at least a dozen times a day, and sometimes it’s really bad,” Jordan said, and I rubbed my chin thoughtfully in response.

“I see. I’m sorry; I guess I haven’t been paying as much attention to her as I should have been,” I said, but Jordan shook his head.

“You can’t be expected to be everywhere at once, Nate. I was planning on letting you know when things settled down, but I’ve been handling it well enough, and I think we’re getting closer to figuring out some medication to treat her problems too.”

I shot Jordan a thankful look, resting a hand on his shoulder as I did.

“I owe you a debt of gratitude,” I said. “You are right, though. We’ll need to figure out how to delegate a few more of my responsibilities as things progress with our settlement,” I added, and Jordan nodded.

“Yeah. I can imagine you’re going to be getting much more involved in the political side of managing things too, after that coronation ceremony,” he said, and I nodded.

“That’s true.”

I’d been fairly over-reliant on Gisela to handle all of that while we sorted out the problems with monsters and threats, but now that things were settling down, maybe I’d need to spend a little time with the girl and get a better understanding of what we’d need to do to establish proper ties with the clusters and groves around us.

As we spoke, I caught sight of Francesca heading our way from the pathway that led to the canyon beyond, and I gestured to Jordan as I headed over to her side.

“Taking a morning stroll?” I asked, and she shook her head.

“Was doing a check to see how many points of entry there are to the fort,” she explained, and I raised an eyebrow.

“Oh? What happened to taking a step back?” I asked, and she shrugged.

“I am; but that doesn’t mean I want to be completely useless,” she said, and I smiled.

“So, what’s your assessment?” I asked, and she took a look around.

“We’re open to the forest to the east, but only north of the river; then there’s the path up ahead. It’s fairly secure, but I spotted a few places there where you can break through that brush,” she continued. “Can’t help but feel as if it’d suit us much better if we had a fort on the opposite side of that bridge.”

“Very astute, little apprentice,” I said, giving her a little clap, and she put her hands on her hips.

“What? Am I wrong?” she asked, and I shook my head.

“Not really; we _would_ be better off with a defensive structure on that side of the river, considering where we’re planning on settling down. But can you guess why they built the fort where it is?” I asked, and Francesca thought about it, a smile creeping across her face as she did.

“Because whoever built it settled down on this side of the river?” she asked, and I clicked my tongue at her, but as I lifted a finger in her direction, I let the hand fall away, and she shot me a sympathetic smile.

“We’ll get him. I’m sure we will,” she said, and I nodded, a bit reluctantly.

“There’s something I want you to reconsider,” I said, taking a token out of my pocket, and Francesca frowned as she studied it.

“Nate- I just… I dunno about being your ‘fighter’,” she began, and I shook my head.

“Look at it carefully,” I said, holding the token up, and as she studied the shadowy figure on the token, she glanced at me.

“What is that… the monk?” she asked, and I nodded.

“Maybe I put a burden on you that I shouldn’t have,” I said, and Francesca shook her head.

“That’s not true, Nate. You took on more burdens than anyone else did, and you never asked us to do anything in return. I wanted to serve by your side, I just- I needed to figure out what that meant.”

“Well, maybe this will help you,” I said. “Monks can make excellent fighters, but maybe the discipline and introspection that they embody can help you find what you’re looking for,” I suggested, and Francesca bit her lip as she considered it.

“What would I have to do if I accept?” she asked.

“Nothing. Just use it for now, and if it works out, we’ll figure out how the role works with all of the others that I handed out,” I said, and Francesca nodded.

“Alright. I can do that.”

She blushed a little as I handed her the stone, before moving into my arms for a hug and a quick kiss.

“I’m still waiting on my promised nights,” she said, but as she moved away from me, I caught Iduma casting furtive glances in our direction.

“I think your new ‘canine companion’ is concerned about his master’s displays of affection,” I teased, gesturing in his direction, and Francesca blushed as she caught on.

“I’ll admit begrudgingly, he is kind of cute,” she said, and I began to grin.

“I can see it already! The pup who wanted to save his people, falling in love with the woman who would rule them,” I teased, and Francesca shoved me playfully.

“Oh, stop,” she chided. “It’s not like if we can rule all the sentient races on this planet,” she said, and I shrugged.

“Maybe not, but I’ll be honest; the idea of creating a realm where they all coexist peacefully kind of gets me excited,” I said, and Francesca eyed me.

“Really? Every race living together in harmony? What is that, some lesser-known psychopath fetish or something?” she asked, and I chuckled.

“Oh no; this is one hundred percent a god-complex thing. I want to create a perfect realm that will be remembered for all eternity. When people mention ‘God-king Nathan’, they should be moved to tears, and hold celebratory events in my honor,” I declared, and Francesca giggled.

Suddenly, I realized she was staring past me, and I turned around to find a glum looking Casey staring right at me.

“You called, ‘God-king Nathan’?” she asked sarcastically, and I gestured regally in response.

“Yes! What took you so long, peasant Casey?”

She rolled her eyes at me, but as Francesca giggled away, I shot the girl a quick smile.

“Did Cameron ask you about training, by the way?” I asked, and Francesca’s giggles simmered down, as she bit her lip nervously.

“Uh, yeah… do you think you could get her to hold off on that request for a bit?” she asked, and I nodded.

“I can let her get up to scratch by training with the others for a while, but I can’t guarantee that I can keep her happy with that for long,” I said, and Francesca nodded.

As she headed off, I noticed that she was heading in Iduma’s direction, and I smiled a little.

“She seems to be taking a liking to him,” I said, and Casey eyed me, with just a hint of suspicion.

“You seem unusually happy about that,” she said, and I shrugged.

“Why wouldn’t I be? Do you think I wanted to possess the heart of every blossoming young woman in our group?” I asked, and Casey grumbled a little.

“Well, you certainly weren’t turning them down,” she countered, and I chuckled in response.

“Did you want me to turn you down?” I asked, and she made a disgusted sound.

“Hey, I never pursued you like them,” she shot, and I raised an eyebrow.

“Really? Because I seem to remember some begging,” I said.

“Begging?”

“Yeah. You were all like, ‘Nate, please! I can’t stop thinking about you!’,” I teased, imitating her voice as best as I could, and Casey stomped her foot before coming at me with her good hand.

“I do _not_ talk like that!” she said.

She was aiming at my face, and I cackled all the way as I easily evaded, until suddenly she leapt at me, but even as I caught her in my arms, I couldn’t help the two of us from bowling over, and as I landed hard on my back, she smirked, and I studied her with interest as her hand was at my throat.

That was… odd.

I activated sensory perception, and my eyes went wide as I saw it.

“Holy shit; that’s an ability!” I said, and she scoffed.

“Do you have to act so fucking surprised? Sheesh,” Casey said, and I chuckled nervously as she let me off, and I climbed to my feet, dusting myself off.

“What does it do?” I asked, and Casey shrugged, shooting me a mysterious look.

“Wouldn’t you like to know,” she said. “This might be my secret weapon to defeat you,” she continued, and I shook my head.

“Hmm… let’s see. It kinda seemed as if you anticipated how I was going to react, allowing you to use that reaction to take me down,” I said, and Casey made a glum face. “Am I right?”

“No,” she said, but the look on her face said it all, and I gloated a bit over her.

“You know, that could be useful in combat,” I said, and she shrugged.

“I guess. Although I’m not very useful in combat; one arm and all,” she said, holding up the stump of her left hand as she did. “Besides, we still need to figure out just what the ability is actually capable of.”

“I guess,” I said, but as I eyed her, she raised an eyebrow at me.

“What?” she asked.

“What, what?” I replied, and she shook her head.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” she asked, and I shrugged.

“I dunno. Seeing you gain an ability just made me kind of happy, I guess,” I said, and she let out a small, half-laugh.

“Why?” she asked, and I shrugged again.

“I dunno. It just does. I mean, I felt the same way when Bianca’s first skill manifested,” I explained, and Casey sighed.

“If you put me in the same category with Bianca again, I’m breaking up with you,” she warned, and I smirked.

“Wasn’t aware of us being an item, but I’m glad you feel that way!” I declared proudly, and Casey groaned in frustration as I wrapped my arms around her in an overbearing show of affection, and she shoved me off defiantly.

“Is there anything else we need to handle before leaving?” I asked, and Casey shook her head.

“Raul and the hunters managed to fix up that one wagon we found, so we’ll be loading up the armor there, but that’s all we’ll be taking,” she said, and I thought a bit, before adding:

“And, maybe the alcohol? I don’t wanna tempt our watch with the prospect of drinking their time away until we come back this way.”

“Most of the rest of the supplies, they’ll need though,” she said, and I nodded in agreement.

“What’s the food situation like?” I asked.

“They have supplies to last them about two weeks. Iduma did indicate that they can forage for what they need in this general area almost indefinitely. At least, to sustain the numbers we’re leaving behind.”

“How long can we depend on them for?” I asked, and Casey frowned.

“He didn’t give a deadline, though we probably shouldn’t push it too much. This monster of theirs, though… if Francesca doesn’t get herself together soon, we’re gonna have to assemble a squad to go after it.”

I thought about it for a while, when an idea occurred to me.

“What if we invite Iduma to the coronation? Or maybe, request a presence from someone important from his clan?”

“Not a bad idea,” Casey said. “I just hope that won’t upset the Kobalt.”

“Let’s ask Alva about it, then,” I suggested, and Casey readily agreed, leading me to where the girl was overseeing a group of hunters as they loaded up our armor haul onto the one wagon.

“Nathan. The loading is almost complete,” Alva said, bowing as she saw me.

“Did we manage to gather up all of the armor we left lying around the forest?” I asked, and Alva shook her head.

“The recovery will take several days,” she answered.

“Francesca’s group brought about six sets on the way over here,” Casey said. “Did you keep count on how many you all killed along the way?”

“Sorry,” I said, and Casey gave it some thought.

“Maybe we could do a count if we get your team together and go through what happened bit by bit?” Casey suggested, and I nodded in agreement.

“That might work,” I replied, before turning to Alva. “We actually wanted to discuss something related to the princess’ coronation,” I said, and Alva studied me.

“Coronation? What is this?” she asked.

“Uh, the ceremony where she becomes queen,” I clarified, and she nodded.

“Ah, yes. The ascendance,” she said. “What is the matter of concern?”

“Would it be possible to invite Iduma to the ceremony?” I asked. “Or maybe a representative from his people?”

Alva smiled at this.

“To have the representative of a far-off people attend the ceremony would certainly reflect well on us,” she said. “But perhaps it would be wisest to select a representative who reflects a more... noble standing, amongst his kin.”

I rubbed my chin.

“We might not have enough time for anyone to make the trip, even if they would agree to come without a visit from us first,” I said, and Alva nodded.

“For the initial ceremony, perhaps. But the proper ascendence will take place when the princess stands before the grove planted for her dwelling. This will be some time after the announcement,” she said.

“I see,” I said, turning to Casey. “Guess we better have a little chat with Iduma then?”

“You go on ahead. I’m gonna do a quick inventory of what we’re leaving behind,” Casey replied, and I nodded.

Iduma, I noted, was still busy conversing with Francesca, so I headed over in their direction, but as the two failed to detect my approach, I decided to sneak up on them.

“Hope I’m not interrupting,” I said, and Francesca jumped, blushing a little, but Iduma simply seemed confused.

“Athánatos. Your speaking is of elevated authority. Such can never be an intrusion,” he said, bowing as he did, and I chuckled a little as Francesca rubbed her arm nervously.

“Did you need me?” Francesca asked, and I shook my head.

“No; I was hoping for a word with you, actually,” I said, turning to Iduma, and the man bowed again.

“You have my ear, Athánatos.”

I gave him a quick rundown of the situation with the coming ceremony, before extending to him an invitation to attend.

“It would be an honor to attend, Athánatos, but it is not customary that a warrior be sent to represent the people of Accalia. Such a function is better suited to one of softer sensibilities.”

I rubbed my chin.

“Well, the initial ceremony should take place within a few days. IF you would grant me the honor of your presence, then perhaps we could see about paying a visit to your lands to extend a formal invitation to the princess’ ascendence?”

Iduma bowed again.

“It would be an honor, Athánatos,” he said.

As I turned to head off, Francesca stole to my side.

“Are you personally gonna visit their lands?” she asked, and I eyed her with a little smile.

“Well, we will need to send a delegation… though I do think it’d be best if I could be present. Why?” I asked, and she shrugged.

“No reason. Do you think I’ll need to go?” she asked, and I nodded.

“Couldn’t possibly send a delegation without their ‘polémarchos’,” I said, and she smiled.

“Just don’t get to thinking that you can offload your promises to me on Iduma,” Francesca teased, and I followed her with my eyes as she sauntered off, turning to shoot me a playful look, before she headed away and into the fort.

 _Well, maybe she’ll be fine after all,_ I thought.

I took a look around to see if there was anything that needed my direct attention, before deciding to instead take a little stroll around the fort’s grounds.

As I did, I came to the place at the northern side of the fort where Leanna and Blair had been talking earlier, but as I did, I spotted, to my surprise, Lucia, off in the distance amongst the trees, so I quickly made my way over to her side.

She turned slightly at the sound of my footsteps, but she maintained her focus and gaze in the direction of the woods ahead.

“Nathan,” Lucia said, as I came to her side, and I smiled a little, as she seemed to recognize me without looking up.

“What is it?” I asked, trying to look into the forest ahead, and she shook her head slowly.

“Something is there,” she said.

“Do you think it’s _him_?” I asked, and she shook her head.

“Lucia cannot tell,” the girl said, “but it does not seem likely.”

Just then, a flash of movement drew my eye, and I darted almost instinctively after it, my hand going for the hunting knife clasped to my belt.

Lucia moved a little wider of me, but as I moved past a tree, suddenly the movement ahead seemed to vanish, and as I pulled up to a stop, I sensed something above me, and I leapt out of the way just as a cloaked figure landed, dagger in hand, where I’d only just stood.

Despite the cloak I could tell that the person was small-statured, and as they readied their dagger and darted in, I could tell that they were quick.

Maybe even above T-one?

I wasn’t wearing armor, but as they darted in and we exchanged a few quick blows, I smiled with the knowledge that my own combat ability was well beyond their own.

 _Not that I’d need to in any case_ , I thought, as Lucia appeared in a flash ahead of me, kicking the mysterious figure in the side and sending them skidding through a pile of leaves.

Lucia darted in before they could recover, but as she swept up the dagger, a familiar growl sounded from beneath the hood, and I quickly raised a hand.

“Wait! Don’t kill them!” I shouted, and Lucia stayed her blade, but as the figure aimed a kick at her head, she ducked, spinning as she did and sweeping at her opponent off of their legs, and as the hood slipped back, Lucia moved in and pressed the dagger to their throat.

“You’re an Accalian,” I said, as I moved closer.

It was a young girl, from what I could tell, and she was baring her fangs at me, until Lucia grabbed her hand and twisted it roughly around her back.

“Let go!” she complained, struggling as I moved in to study her.

“Who are you, kid?” I asked. “Are you here with Iduma?”

The girl seemed to pause her struggle at the mention of the name, before screwing up her face.

“No! I don’t know who that is, and even if I did, who would come all the way here for an idiot like him?”

I chuckled a little at the response.

“Idiot, huh? I thought you didn’t know him…” I said, smirking at her a little, and she struggled in Lucia’s grasp.

“I don’t! He just… sounds like an idiot!” she countered.

“Aspasia? Aspasia, what are you doing here?”

I turned around to spot Iduma approaching with one of the elder Accalians.

“I’m sorry, but she said she definitely doesn’t know you. Maybe this is a different ‘Aspasia’,” I said to Iduma, and the little Accalian girl glared at me a bit.

“What? This pup is my charge, Athánatos, please direct her punishment to me instead,” Iduma answered, dropping to one knee, and bowing his head low before me.

The Accalian beside him did the same, but I quickly moved to stop them.

“Who is she to you?” I asked Iduma, and he swallowed uncomfortably.

“Nothing! He’s nothing to me!” the girl said. “If someone is to be punished, it will be me!”

I turned and shot her an impressed look, before returning my attention to Iduma.

“Forgive me, Athánatos. This pup and I share a common parent,” he explained, and I rubbed my chin.

Siblings, huh?

Interesting.

“Well, I don’t think there’s a need for punishment,” I began, but the Accalian beside Iduma shot him a stern look, and he nodded.

“I’m sorry, Athánatos; but by right, you are a dignitary of Eridia. For an Accalian to raise a blade to one such as yourself is a crime punishable by death. Unless an alternative punishment is prescribed by the one to whom the slight was delivered, Aspasia’s life will be forfeit.”

I rubbed my chin as I considered the development, before cracking a little smile.

“Fine; then the child will enter my service until such a time as I decide her services are no longer required,” I stated, and the girl’s jaw dropped.

“It is done,” Iduma answered, bowing.

“What? Brother, you can’t seriously just let him do this-!”

“Silence, child. Does your insolence know no bounds?” the other Accalian man asked, scoldingly.

“Take the pledge,” Iduma said. “It is the Accalian way.”

The child looked to her brother one last time, but as his resolve remained unshakable, her shoulders slumped, and Lucia released the girl as she moved timidly towards me.

“I’m Nathan,” I said, bending down to study her, and she nodded, taking my hand.

“Nathan. My name is Aspasia,” she said, and Iduma shot her a stern look.

“You will be called by the name that your charge decrees,” Iduma said, and she teared up again.

“Aspasia,” I said, completing the contract, and as the wave of energy pulsed out of me, the girl wiped away a tear, studying me.

“Nathan-” Aspasia began, but Iduma quickly cut her off.

“Address your liege with the dignity he commands,” Iduma ordered, and Aspasia wiped at her eyes again.

“Athánatos,” she said, bowing slightly. “M-my dagger,” she continued, indicating to the weapon which was being held by Lucia, and Lucia took a step back defensively, as she looked at Aspasia.

I was about to ask Lucia to return it, when Iduma spoke again.

“The dagger is lost to you, little one,” he said. “Your enemy claimed it fairly in battle.”

“But, Iduma; the dagger is mater’s-”

“It is lost,” he said, a sense of finality in his tone, and Aspasia’s shoulders slouched.

I stooped down to look at the child.

“What was the dagger to you?” I asked, and the girl glanced at Iduma, before speaking.

“My mater’s. It was passed down to her through my family, from the founders and beyond.”

I turned to Iduma at this.

“Is the dagger of great importance to your people?” I asked, and he bit his lip.

“It was a family heirloom, but nothing more,” he answered.

There was, however, a slight inflection in his voice, and I nodded.

“What would be the Accalian tradition for reclaiming it?” I asked.

“To defeat the one to whom it belongs while it is being wielded,” he explained, and I nodded, returning my attention to Aspasia.

“Your path to freedom is set, then. You will serve me until such a time that you can defeat my little rogue in combat,” I said.

Aspasia turned to Lucia, her expression shifting from defeated to… uncertain, and I smiled, turning to Iduma.

“Iduma! You mentioned that a warrior such as yourself is unsuited to statecraft,” I said.

“Statecraft?”

“Attending my princess’ ceremony,” I clarified, and he nodded. “Would it then be acceptable for Aspasia to attend as a representative of your people?” I asked, and Iduma gave the request a moment’s thought, then nodded.

“As long as you permit it, as her attendant,” he said, and I turned to shoot Aspasia a smile.

“Then it’s settled,” I said, clapping my hands together. “Lucia, could you find Alva for me?”

The girl nodded, but as she turned to leave, she paused, looking at the dagger in her hand, then at me, and I shrugged.

“As far as I can tell, the dagger is yours,” I said.

Aspasia made a slight whining sound in protest, and Lucia shot her a quick look, before nodding and stowing the weapon as she headed off towards the fort entrance.

“You look like you’ve been through quite the journey,” I said, studying Aspasia, and the girl frowned, holding herself a bit protectively.

She was covered in mud, and there were rips and tears along her tunic.

“Come on; you can get cleaned up by the river,” I said, as I turned to leave, but as the girl hesitated, Iduma shot her a stern look and she relented, following me reluctantly.

“How old are you?” I asked, trying to soften her up a bit.

“Two cycles since the bleeding began,” she snapped, shooting me a daring look, and I chuckled, raising my hands in surrender.

“I’ve got more than enough mates, kid,” I replied. “Besides, you seem to have a bit more growing up to do before you’re ready for a pairing.”

She eyed me at that, as if the response confused her a bit, but as we got to the wall which led down to the river beside the bridge, Lucia returned, with Alva following closely behind.

“Nathan. What do you require?” Alva asked, bowing slightly.

“This child has entered my care. She seems to be a relative of Iduma’s; but not a warrior by profession,” I explained, and Alva nodded, studying the child.

“You wish to have her represent her people at the proclamation?” Alva asked, and I nodded.

“Would it be acceptable?” I asked, and Alva nodded again, eyeing her clothes as she did.

“Let’s find her something comfortable to wear,” Alva suggested, turning to head off, but not before gesturing to Lucia to accompany her.

I returned my attention to Aspasia, who was trying to extend her foot into the water just beyond.

“You might want to take your sandals off, first,” I said, and she jumped a little.

She reluctantly agreed, but after looking at the water and then at her own tunic, she turned and shot me a warning glare, and I chuckled a little, turning around.

I heard the splashing as she got in, and I waited for a bit before speaking again, over my shoulder.

“So… why did you come all the way out here?” I asked.

There was no answer for a while, until finally, she spoke:

“The elders said my brother was lost. That none who seek heroes ever again return,” she said.

“Heroes, huh? Do you mean people like us? Otherworlders?”

I glanced over my shoulder, and Aspasia hugged herself again, as she sunk to her neck in the water.

She nodded, and I turned, taking a little seat on the riverbank.

“So… how do your elders feel about heroes?” I asked, and she frowned.

“I don’t know. I don’t speak for the elders,” she said, and I smiled.

“How do you feel about heroes?” I asked, and she thought about it for a while.

“I don’t believe the legends,” she answered.

“What kind of legends?”

“That heroes can slay kings at will; defeat armies with a swing of their swords,” she explained, and I nodded.

Maybe those legends were exaggerations, but I was fairly certain that a single otherworlder could defeat an army, as long as no monsters or fellow otherworlders were amongst the enemies’ ranks.

“What about monsters?” I asked. “Are there any legends of those?”

Aspasia nodded.

“When a monster descends upon Accalian lands, it is said that we must forsake those lands and wander again until we find a new land to claim for our own.”

I rubbed my chin at this.

“Is that what’s happening right now?” I asked, and Aspasia shook her head.

“The elders are not in agreement,” she answered.

If their people were to be uprooted by the appearance of this monster, then that would certainly be a cause for serious concern.

Maybe we’d need to pay their lands a visit sooner rather than later, but in any case, maybe I could use my new ‘apprentice’ to gather information about her lands and people.

As Lucia approached from the fort, carrying a fresh pair of robes as well as a towel, I moved over to meet her.

“When she’s dressed and settled, get her something to eat, okay?” I said, and Lucia nodded, though her expression seemed a little glum.

As I looked around the courtyard, however, I spotted Casey and Cameron over by the supply cart, and I quickly made my way over, as the two seemed to be engaged in a bit of a serious discussion.

“Hope I’m not interrupting anything,” I said.

“We were just discussing the matter of hunting Ethan,” Cameron said, and Casey rubbed her forehead agitatedly.

“She wants to go after him alone,” Casey said, and I eyed Cameron for confirmation.

“What? I’d rather go alone that go with her suggestion. She wants me to go out there with Nolan,” Cameron spat, and I bit my lip.

“He volunteered; it’s still up for debate, but-”

“But nothing,” Cameron shot, cutting me off. “I’m _not_ going out there with Nolan. Full stop.”

“Then, maybe I can go with you… it’s as much my mission as yours,” I offered, but Casey screwed up her face at that.

“We need you here, Nate. You need to consider the group as well,” Casey said, turning to Cameron, who raised her hands.

“I’m not even fucking fighting you on that,” Cameron said. “Like I said, I’ll do this on my own if I have to.”

She turned, and stormed away, and Casey shot me a quick look as I turned and gave chase.

“You don’t have to do this on your own, Cam,” I said, and she pulled to a stop before turning on me.

“Then why the _fuck_ did you tell Nolan you’d consider him?” Cameron spat, and I sighed.

“I was just trying to appease him. He has one foot out of the door as is, and we need his knowledge for setting up our new home,” I said.

Cameron simmered down a little at that, before studying me, an almost pleading expression on her face.

“Promise me that you’re on my side, Nate. Promise me you won’t use your… whatever it is that you do, to make me do what you want me to do,” she said, and I nodded.

“I’d never do anything to hurt you,” I said. “I promised, remember?”

She nodded, sniffling a little, before moving into my arms, and I ran my hand through her hair soothingly as I kissed her forehead.

“Will you let him go through the initial training with you?” I asked, and Cameron frowned.

“I- I’m not speaking to him right now,” she said. “He, uh… he told me that the baby was a mistake anyway, and that I should just forget about my son.”

I clicked my tongue in annoyance, and Cameron smiled at me.

“I like it when you react like that… it makes me feel like if you might actually be mine,” she said.

I thought about professing that I was, but I thought better of it, and Cameron shot me a knowing look.

“Maybe I’m not yours alone,” I said. “But the idea of belonging to you makes me happy.”

She smiled, and we kissed again.

“Maybe he’ll get the message, during the training,” I offered, and Cameron sighed.

“Fine… I’ll do it. But you owe me,” she said, before taking a look around. “Looks like everyone is getting ready to leave.”

“Do you need to get anything?” I asked, and she shrugged.

“I’ll go do a final sweep of my room,” she said.

“Tell Bianca to come find me if you see her,” I yelled, and she nodded as she turned and headed into the fort.

I decided to make my way over to Casey again.

“She really can’t go out alone,” Casey said, as soon as I came over, and I rubbed the back of my head nervously.

“How about this. If she can beat Francesca in a fair fight, then we let her do it,” I suggested, and Casey frowned.

“Depends on which Francesca we’re talking about,” Casey said, and I nodded.

“I think she’ll be back to her old self eventually,” I assured her, and she sighed.

“Well, if not, then Cameron’s not leaving until she takes Raul on in his full set,” she said, and I bit my lip.

“That’s a tough ask. She might not wait for permission if that’s what we decide,” I said, and Casey sighed.

“Just… make sure that she actually proves that she can handle herself, okay? I mean, you don’t want her to go out there and just die, do you?”

I shook my head.

“No. That’s why I want to go with her,” I said, and Casey frowned.

“How about we just… take it at the training first, then we’ll see how it goes?” Casey suggested, and I nodded in agreement.

“I can live with that for now.”

Casey moved off to discuss something with Alva, but as the group seemed to be gathering up near the supply cart, I took the opportunity to look around.

There was Evie and Molly who seemed to be in their own little world, chatting happily; though Evie did catch my look, and she returned it with a little smile.

There was Jordan and Leanna who seemed to be talking as well, but as Jordan caught my gaze, he glanced over instinctively at Blair, and I bit my lip a little, as I wondered if Blair’s influence on Leanna would really be a problem…

Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to make sure that Jordan’s assignments allowed him the chance to keep Leanna around whenever possible.

My eyes then moved to Jeannie, who was standing around with the Kobalt hunters, talking not only to her special interest, but the others as well.

Then there was Francesca was standing off from the main group, looking wistfully into the forest across the bridge, and for a moment, I wondered if she was reliving that initial encounter with Leona again.

But another pair of eyes were on her; Iduma’s, and I smiled to myself as I noted the look of worry that was plastered on his face.

 _Maybe this monster hunting mission might be just the thing she needs,_ I thought.

Casey and Alva seemed to be going over a few things, and I noted with interest that Raul actually seemed to be paying attention, his gaze flickering ever so often to Alva, as he tried to follow the conversation.

It would be nice to see him get more involved in things, wouldn’t it?

Cameron emerged from the fort as we waited, and not long after, Nolan emerged, a slightly uncomfortable looking expression on his face, and he moved off to his own corner as Cameron came eagerly to join me.

“Ready to leave?” I asked, and she nodded.

“I spent a few nights too many in this place,” she said, stretching achingly as she did, and Casey came over to join us.

“Where’s Bianca and the kid?” Casey asked, and Cameron sighed.

“I _literally_ just told them we were leaving,” she complained, and I chuckled.

“Let me try something,” I said, as I summoned up the image of Bianca in my head, then sent a sharp pain through her big toe, and sure enough, the girl came charging out of the fort less than a minute later.

“Heey~, you don’t have to do that every time you need me,” she complained, putting her hands on her hips.

“Well, we’re ready to leave, and everyone was waiting on you,” I chastised her. “Now go get Lucia and Aspasia.”

“Oh, oh! Aspasia! Nate; can we keep her? Pleaseeee~,” she whined.

“Keep her? Fucking hell, Bianca, did you pet her?”

She was hopping from one foot to the next nervously, and I let out a sigh.

“Just go get them, will ya?” I said, but as she tore off, I shouted after her, “and make sure they aren’t leaving anything behind!”

“Okay~,” she sang.

Cameron shot me a little glance, as I shook my head.

“You know, this group of ours… it kinda feels like a family sometimes,” Cameron said, and as I turned to study her, everyone began to gather around.

“What is this, the sober version of our bonfire speech?” Molly asked, and Cameron shrugged.

“I’m not trying to speak for everyone; but the life I left behind on earth was miserable, exhausting, and just outright depressing,” Cameron said. “This world we came to might be unforgiving, but at least it’s not as deceptive as the one we left behind. What you see is what you get, and the people I see around me… I guess, I- I’m glad to have met you. _All of you_ ,” she said, stressing the words, as she looked around.

“The fact that you all came together and came for me, makes me singularly happier than anything except… except for being able to hold my son,” she said, her voice cracking a little, but as I moved to her side and took her hand, she shook her head, strengthening her resolve. “To have been able to raise him, with you. Amongst you. And amongst the people who have helped us survive for as long as we did,” she said, nodding at Alva, who returned the gesture in kind, “it would have been a dream, almost.”

“We’ll get him back,” I said, perhaps meaning it this time more than I ever had.

Molly, Evie, and Jordan came forward, offering Cameron their own heartfelt sympathies, when Bianca came bounding out of the fort, Aspasia and Lucia following closely behind, but the suddenly somber mood of the gathering quickly stopped her in her tracks.

“D-Did I miss something?” Bianca asked, and I shook my head in response.

“We’re just having a moment,” I said, gesturing her over, and giving her a little pat on the head.

“Did you seriously pick up another stray?” Cameron asked, as she caught sight of Aspasia, and I rubbed the back of my head nervously.

“Not intentionally, but maybe,” I answered, and she smirked a little, before turning her attention to Bianca.

“Now you… I’ve heard you’re pretty much an elite fighter now,” Cameron said, and Bianca grinned.

“You bet’cha! I’m an arbiter, too!” Bianca declared proudly, and Cameron smiled, eyeing me.

“Fancy training me for combat?” Cameron asked.

“We were actually thinking to let you start out with Blair,” Casey said, stepping in, and Blair moved closer at the mention of her name.

“Training, huh?” Blair asked, looking Cameron up and down. “What’s in it for me?”

“You need the practice too, doofus,” I said, poking at her ribs as I stepped beside her, and she grinned at me.

“Guess I do, huh? What about the new pup?” she asked, and I shook my head.

“I’ll handle her myself,” I said.

I pulled Aspasia aside at that, and she shot me a slightly panicked look.

“Athánatos,” she began, but I waved away the formality.

“Did you say goodbye to your brother?” I asked, and she shook her head.

“It is not the Accalian way,” she replied, and I tilted my head at that.

“Okay, then. Well, we’ll be heading to our grove in Grenze shortly,” I said, and the girl bowed.

At first, she seemed about to move closer to Lucia, but she hesitated for a bit, before deciding instead to just stick to my shadow instead.

“Is there anything else we need to do?” I asked Casey, and the girl nodded.

“The Accalians are bringing the volunteers up from the dungeon, and moving the hunters to the fort as well,” she said, nodding in the direction of the dungeon pathway just as a group of otherworlders began to appear from beyond the northeastern wall of the fort.

Casey moved over to inspect the group, motioning for me to join her.

“Double check their pledges to make sure we didn’t miss anything, will ya?” she asked, and I nodded, but while she processed the ‘newbies’, Daisy made her way over to me.

“Are some of them really leaving with you?” she asked, gesturing to the others, and I nodded.

“Yep. They all agreed to join on,” I said, and she frowned.

“Is that invitation open to us ‘unmentionables’?” she asked, and I snickered a little at the jibe.

“Sure, but it’s a one-way trip. If we take you in, you’re one of us until we put you in the ground,” I said.

“How is that any different from what Ethan did to us?” she spat, and I shrugged.

“I need to protect my people. Besides, we’re offering them a life of peace, comfort, and eventually, satisfaction. You don’t have to be a part of it if you don’t want to, but I’m not gonna let anyone jeopardize that in anyway.”

Daisy pursed her lips a little, before turning to look over her shoulder at her comrades.

“Fine; I want in,” she said, and I laughed.

“If you’re planning to come along just to get info that you can use against us later on, just know that others have tried this before and they’re already in the ground,” I warned.

Daisy swallowed uncomfortably, before nodding.

“I want in,” she reiterated, and I waved Casey over at that.

I relayed the request to her, and she massaged her temples agitatedly.

“I don’t like it,” she said, “but I guess we need to be consistent with our recruitment policy.”

“Agreed,” I said. “But unlike past unpredictable elements, we do have a pledge on her to work with,” I added, and Casey nodded in agreement.

After making sure everything was in order, we made the final preparations for departure, and gave the group a final look over.

They were a ragged looking bunch, but maybe we were no different when we first got here?

I shifted my gaze to our group, and as I looked them over, it brought a smile to my face.

We were strangers just over three weeks ago, coming together under the strangest of circumstances to face the kind of challenges most people never have to worry about, and in that time, I’d gotten to know them all much, much better.

I’d gained lovers, friends, and even… a daughter.

And who knows?

Maybe even a kingdom to call my own.

“Well, that’s a curious smile. What’re you thinking?” Cameron asked, as she slipped to my side, and I rubbed the back of my head as she linked her arm in mine.

“Just… thinking about the future,” I said. “I want to create a home for our son… and maybe, a few more children of ours.”

Cameron smiled as she rested her head against my shoulder.

“Ours, huh?” she asked, looking up at me, and I smiled.

“Or, you know… whoever you want to have children with,” I teased, and she disengaged from me, folding her hands and shooting me a pouty look.

I chuckled at the response, before pulling her back in.

“Ours,” I reaffirmed, and she smiled as I leaned in for a kiss.

“I like how that sounds,” she said, as she intertwined my hand with hers.

It was such a strange thing; a mere three weeks ago, we were awkwardly trying to navigate our first intimate encounter at my princess’ behest; now we were planning our future, and the future of the lands I might one day rule as king.

So many things had happened in that time to our group.

From executions to battles with monsters, and battles with others like ourselves.

We’d been through a lot, learned a lot, and there was still so much left to learn.

But as I looked over to the lands that we would soon settle, with Cameron’s hand in my own; I felt a strange kind of hopefulness.

I had no idea what the future held.

After all, everything could just come crashing down in an instant.

But something told me that this was just the beginning.

As if our little story had perhaps, only just begun.

“Well then. Let’s go home,” I said, and Cameron smiled, and gave a little nod.

“Home it is,” she replied, as we turned and headed out.

***

A/N: Well then, this marks the end of the first arc. I just wanna say a huge thank you to everyone who’s made it this far. When I first started this story last year, I had no idea it would turn into this epic. But here we are, 460k words in and going strong, and I have every one of my readers to thank for spurring me along on this quest. The second arc is already on the way, so hopefully I’ll have another productive year of writing ahead.

Take care, everyone. And again, thank you for reading!

~Kousaka.


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